Ask the Principal
David Franklin, principal of a public middle school, provides a glimpse into life as a principal and how to get the leg up on your child's education.
Q: Moms are never excited to get a call from the Principal because it is rarely good news. What do you say to parents to avoid putting them on the defensive?
A: A call from the principal doesn't have to be uncomfortable. Schools and parents need to work together to find solutions to a problem that a child may be having. These issues range from academic, to behavioral, to social. I try to reinforce the idea that it takes a village to raise a child. The hope of a Principal when making these calls is not to put parents on the spot, but to ask for guidance and commitment in order to ultimately do what is in the best interest of the child.
Q: Are you the boss of the school?
A: I don't believe that a principal is the boss of a school. A school is an intricate web of teamwork and collaboration between teachers, parents and administrators. We all are working together towards a common purpose.
Q: Do you have kids? When you meet with your kids' teacher, is it hard to switch gears from principal to parent?
A: I have a seven month old daughter, so I'm not meeting with her teachers just yet. I hope that I will be able to switch gears from educator to parent when the time comes, but I know that it will be difficult.
Q: How important are test scores in evaluating the quality of your school or a student's performance?
A: Test scores are only one way to assess a child's progress. We can't forget that not all students are good test takers. Test anxiety may also play a role in a high-achieving child who has low test scores. A true judge of student progress is to use multiple assessments that include writing samples, oral reports, open-ended questions, as well as test scores.
Q: What is the best part of your day?
A: The best part of my day is when I go into classrooms and interact with students. At times, most of a principal's daily work load is comprised of matters that do not directly put us in contact with children. I enjoy walking through classrooms, talking with students about what they are learning, and getting caught up with what is going on in their lives. It's important to be visible to your students and that they see that you are not just a principal, but a normal person as well.
Q: What is the hardest part of your job?
A: The hardest part of my job is knowing and understanding that many of our students spend their afternoons hanging out in the streets because they have very little to go home to. Many of our students' parents work more than one job and therefore aren't home until late into the night. Our students are stuck spending hours taking care of younger siblings. Many of our students sleep on couches or in a bed with one or two of their siblings. For many of them, school is the only place where they can eat a good meal. School is the only place that many of them can just be kids.
Q: What advice do you have for parents this summer, with the start of school looming on the horizon?
A: Academic work is very important during the summer months. It is amazing how much children forget during the two and a half months away from school. While it is important that children play and have a chance to just be kids during the hot, summer months, it is important to keep your children engaged in some academic activity. Reading is one of the best and most fun ways for children to keep their minds learning. Reading just 20 minutes a day teaches children vocabulary, written conventions, grammar, literary devices and is just plain fun. Try letting your child choose their own book; it is important that they read a book that they are interested in.
Bonus Q: What can parents to do to keep their kids on track academically? What can they do to help their kids succeed?
A: There are 5 main things you can do to help stay on top of your child's education.
- Know your Child's Teachers
Every parent should know who is teaching their children. Make it a priority to go to Back-to-School Night and Open House. Ensure that you have a phone number or email address for your child's teacher/s and find out if your school uses an online attendance/grading system that allows teachers to post homework assignments, upcoming test dates and current grades. - Set up a Homework Schedule
Your child should complete their homework at the same time and in the same place everyday. Routine is important to children. Sit down together and create a quiet, well-lit place for your child to do their homework. Middle school students should have between 30 – 60 minutes of homework every night. If your child says they don't have any homework, use that teacher phone/email list and ask. Remember, it is your job to monitor their homework. - Strive for Homework Completion and Understanding
Homework is assigned by teachers to reinforce the day's lesson. It is important that the child, not the parent, completes the homework assignment. Your guidance in problem solving will be imperative, but make sure that you are not doing too much. Remember, understanding the concepts is more important in the long run than turning in a completed, but not understood piece of work. - Get Weekly Progress Notices
If you notice that your child is falling behind in several subjects, set up a meeting with the school counselor. School counselors focus on academic issues as well as social/emotional concerns. The school counselor can set up a weekly progress notice system. Every Friday, your child will bring home a specialized weekly progress notice, filled out by each teacher, complete with their current grade, missing assignments and behavior notes. - Reward, reward, reward
Everyone likes to be rewarded for hard work or to have something to look forward to after a task has been completed. This is most evident in children. Children crave support and motivation from their teachers and parents. While I don't support a money in exchange for good grades approach, there are many great alternatives. Family game night, making your child's favorite dinner, having a friend sleep over and a movie night, are just a few simple rewards for your kids for doing a great job in school. Not only are you directly rewarding their efforts, you are building in precious family time.
Member Comments On...
Ask the Principal
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I have a question: My granddaughter has been "learning" what is called "Chicago Math." Neither she, nor most of the other students in her 6th grade class, are understanding it. They all are passed anyway,as the school has declared that no child will fail. Her mother has spoken to the teacher many times, after my granddaughter had pleaded to the teacher several times for extra help. Apparently there is no plan to address the issue, and my granddaughter and my daughter were told the only thing the teacher could do was move her to the front of the classroom. No extra help is available. And, there is no summer school offered until middle school, which means she will go another year not understanding the math. We do not understand it, so we can't teach her. And, when we attempt to teach her the method we learned, she becomes panicky......WHAT can we do to help her? My daughter is a divorced mom raising her, and cannot afford to pay for a tutor.....
