Southern Local School District
Administrative Guidelines
 

9250 - RELATIONS WITH PARENTS

The Board of Education believes that the education of children is a joint responsibility, one it shares with the parents of the school community. To insure that the best interests of the child are served in this process, a strong program of communication between home and school must be maintained.

The Board feels that it is the parents who have the ultimate responsibility for their children's in-school behavior, including the behavior of students who have reached the legal age of majority, but are still for all practical purposes, under parental authority. During school hours, the Board, through its designated administrators, acts in loco parentis or in place of the parents.

The Board encourages the following activities be implemented to encourage parent-school cooperation through:

 A.parent-teacher conferences to permit two (2) way communication between home and school.
 B.open houses in District schools to provide parents with the opportunity to see the school facilities, meet the faculty, and sample the program on a first hand basis. Each school in the District may hold an open house at least annually.
 C.meetings of staff members and groups of parents of those students having special abilities, needs, or problems.

For the benefit of children, the Board believes that parents have a responsibility to encourage their child's career in school by:

 A.supporting the schools in requiring that the children observe all school rules and regulations, and by accepting their own responsibility for children's willful in-school behavior.
 B.sending children to school with proper attention to their health, personal cleanliness, and dress.
 C.maintaining an active interest in the students' daily work and making it possible for the student to complete assigned homework through providing a quiet place and suitable conditions for study.
 D.reading all communications from the school and signing and returning them promptly when required.
 E.cooperating with the school in attending conferences set up for the exchange of information on the child's progress in school.

From time to time, certain questions or concerns arise which necessitate communications between the parents and the school. Parents are encouraged to direct all questions regarding curriculum programs to the professional staff, with the administrator available to address all general concerns regarding the school program or building operation.

The following sequence of action is recognized as the appropriate procedure to provide the opportunity for parents to have questions and concerns addressed:

 A.Questions and concerns regarding a child's classroom instructional program or activities connected with classroom operations should be made directly to the child's classroom teacher; conferences will be arranged, as requested, for this purpose.
 B.In the event that a parent wishes to pursue a concern beyond this first level, a conference may be set up with appropriate special staff whose responsibilities relate to the areas of concern.
 C.A parent's desire to pursue the concern further will result in a parent/administrator conference where the classroom teacher may or may not be present.
 D.Any desire to go beyond this point with a concern or complaint may be done on request by the parent to the Superintendent that a meeting be arranged with an appropriate committee of the Board, and/or with the Board as a whole.
 E.Beyond this level of communication, school law relative to the rights of parents applies, with all rights of parents being protected under existing law and appropriate procedures for legal due process.