Aspire Public Schools recognizes that children learn best when parents are engaged in their education. To help parents and guardians become great coaches for their children, and to invite parent participation in all aspects of school life, Aspire features:
- School-Family-Student Compact: To underscore that a mutual commitment is needed to promote academic success, the teacher, parent(s), and student all sign a compact during a three-way conference at the beginning of the school year. The compact outlines the rights and responsibilities of each stakeholder, and affirms the three parties’ mutual accountability for the success of all students, staff development, and parent satisfaction.
- Special Saturday Classes: Scheduled at the beginning of the year, these mandatory half-day sessions allow parents to attend school with their children.
- Guidance about At-home Support: Aspire offers coaching to parents on reading at home (20+ min per day K-5), providing the right level of help with homework, participating in projects, and playing games that reinforce learning.
- Participation in School Decision-making: In addition to roles in the school’s parent organization, Aspire includes two parent representatives on the Site Advisory Council and parent participation on the school’s Teacher Hiring Committee.
Aspire’s commitment to parents is demonstrated in the formal Guarantee to Parents. At any Aspire campus, parents can expect:
- A demonstrated improvement in their child’s academic performance;
- An open invitation to attend their child’s classes;
- Easy, open communication with their child’s teacher
- The opportunity to rate the performance of teachers and the school annually; and
- Eligibility to serve on the school’s governing body, the Advisory School Council