Parents + Community Partners + Teachers + Support Staff = Student Success

As President of the Flint Board of Education, it is my pleasure and duty to serve you -- our clients. In providing service to you, our goals and visions are to increase community involvement, improve school safety, raise student achievement, improve board member relations, develop a facilities plan, and strengthen our customer service.

            So, what does this mean and how can we achieve our goals and clarify the vision?
Parents + Community Partners + Teachers + Support Staff = Student Success.

First we start with improving community involvement. We pledge to encourage parents to visit schools more. As parents are truly the first teachers, we see a need to provide more support for our parents. I would like to see the creation of a parent academy, similar to the Parent University Program the district conducted in the past. This would be a program that provides parents with skills to assist their children’s teachers and to reinforce classroom learning.

            Community partners are essential in developing a community of learners who are prepared to live, work, and contribute in an ever-changing society. We welcome partners from businesses, organizations, governmental units, and other volunteers to join us as mentors for our schoolchildren, or as school supporters helping to strengthen our infrastructure and community base. Educating today’s youngsters requires a shared community responsibility.

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With the current economic climate in the manufacturing states, we are losing jobs and students as families move, seeking employment. This has contributed to a continual decline in our student enrollment, leaving us with lots of empty classroom space. As such, we need a long-term plan for building use. Superintendent Linda Thompson is working on a facilities plan for long-term use of our buildings. With many of our schools not at capacity, we need a plan that yields more efficient use, and leads to community use or the demolition of vacated buildings.

As school board members, we are serious about making strides to improve the Flint Community Schools on many levels, and we know it has to start with us. We have pledged to work closer together to show parents that educating their children is our top priority. We have to come together as one unit; practicing what we profess, in order to create successful partnerships with the community.

School board meetings now begin with the recitation of our Standards of Practice. We drill them so we can live them. I invite and ask parents and interested school supporters to come to school board meetings. We have large crowds of people when there is a “hot media” topic. Well, the education of our children is a “hot” topic and deserves just as much if not more attention. So, come to the meetings. Your presence alone is enough to broadcast your support and care.

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Parents entrust their children to us for six hours a day and it’s our duty to ensure them that their most precious gifts are in a safe and clean environment that’s conducive to successful learning. We created an Office of School Safety in 1994, as one of several initiatives to stem the rising tide of violence in the nation’s schools. The Office of School Safety continues to operate today, providing security and safety training and guidance. The office staff and the Security Advocates are essential parts of our efforts to provide that safe and clean environment that’s conducive to successful learning.

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It’s our goal to continually find ways to raise student achievement. Because all children can learn and all children learn differently, one “size” does not fit all. This is why professional development training for our staff is so important as a way for our teachers and support staff members to learn new skills and to stay current. In reality, in order to raise student achievement,  all of the aforementioned factors are needed to complete the equation.

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As your child’s first teacher, we want and need to hear from you. We want to know your concerns, desires, and issues. So, in closing, I ask that we re-establish a protocol for learning of your concerns and issues. All too often, some parents run to the local news media with their concerns before we have had an opportunity to thoroughly address the issue.

First, I ask that you take your concern to the teacher. The next level for addressing an unresolved issue is to go to the building principal. If you are still not satisfied, please contact the executive director of elementary education or the executive director of secondary education. The next level is to contact the superintendent and finally, the Board of Education.

Please remember, we are here to serve you. All we ask is that you give us that chance.

Sincerely,

Vera Perry, President
Flint Board of Education