Parents are important partners in the educational process. Including their views in the monitoring system has multiple benefits. First, parents who believe that the school is interested in their feedback and takes it seriously become even better partners with educators. They feel important, respected, and helpful and may be more willing to engage in meaningful dialogue with school leaders and staff members. Parents are also an important source of information on their own experiences in the school and on the lives of their children (see Box 7.1). In one school, for example, parents shared that their child’s teachers contacted them only when the child presented difficulties— never when the child did well. Following this feedback, the school changed their policy and made an effort to communicate regularly with parents and to emphasize student gains and achievements— not just problem areas. In another school, military- connected parents expressed a feeling that school staff members did not appreciate their sacrifices and the challenges their children face due to their parents’ military service. This input was helpful in developing a school climate that would be more welcoming to military- connected families and students. Parents can be viewed as the clients of the school. As such, it’s important to cosider their perceptions of school climate and whether they are satisfied with the services their children are receiving in order to retain these families and attract others. When parents think their children might not be safe in school, they will search for other options. Monitoring parents’ perceptions and levels of satisfaction is important in order to make adjustments and to ensure that student families remain loyal allies. A monitoring system that includes surveys for parents— and other opportunities for them to share their perceptions— can also help educators learn more about students’ lives out of school and whether there are any issues that could affect their academic and nonacademic lives in school. Surveys of parents and guardians, for example, can show whether students have someone at home after school or whether parents feel comfortable contacting teachers if they feel there is a problem.
Effect of the good school toolkit on school staff mental health, sense of job satisfaction and perceptions of school climate: Secondary analysis of a cluster randomised trial
