Parents Make All the Difference

Supporting your next referendum, advancing the district’s educational program, or simply speaking positively about your schools - parents are the key to promoting and improving your district.  The opposite is also true.  Without their active support, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to make a positive difference in your schools.  So, how can you gain their confidence and make them a champion for the future of your district?  It begins with listening and learning from them.

When is the last time you asked them how they felt about the educational experience you provide their children?  Without knowing the answer, planning school improvement lacks a basic understanding of what parents believe is needed.  Earning parent satisfaction survey support requires serving the needs of their children and doing so from their perspective.

parent satisfaction survey

It goes without saying that all modes of communication with parents can build confidence and support for the district’s mission and daily work.  However, parents also need to know the district is listening to them.  Every successful business is focused on improving customer satisfaction by consistently asking clients about their experience.  Visiting the doctor, servicing your car, or just chatting online with a customer service representative is always followed up with a “how did we do” survey.   How regularly are you asking parents about their satisfaction with your schools?  It’s something today’s consumer expects wherever they are investing their time and money. 

While schools don’t have the infrastructure for parents to evaluate every encounter and experience, there are comprehensive and inexpensive tools available to effectively get the job done.  School Perceptions has been providing a time-tested solution for over a decade that’s used by hundreds of districts across the country and even internationally.  Their solution not only measures parent support, effectiveness of instruction, and district operations, but also provides data comparing your results with districts of similar size, demographics and geographic location.  Quite honestly, the questions that need to be answered by parents are often the same among pK-12 schools.  However, School Perception’s solution also allows customization so that initiatives or issues of immediate concern can be addressed.

Effectively communicating with parents doesn’t simply mean disseminating district information.  The other half of the equation requires providing an equally good vehicle for gathering parent feedback. Then, of course, it is critical that parent input is incorporated into future plans for school improvement. When parents feel heard and their opinions valued, you will have demonstrated true commitment for meeting the needs of their children and the community as a whole.  When school systems operate in this manner parents can make all the difference. 

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