Principals Offer Advice to High School Students' Families
12 July 2006 - 3:57AM
PR Newswire (US)
Results of an Exclusive Principal Poll Announced at Professional
Development Conference OMAHA, Neb., July 11 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/
-- Family communication with teachers, counselors and principals is
a vital element in the success of high school students, according
to a recent poll of high school principals. Nearly 350 principals
representing 21 states responded to The Principals' Partnership
2006 Poll conducted by The Principals' Partnership, a program
created by the Union Pacific Foundation to support high school
principals in communities served by the nation's largest railroad.
Principals enrolled in The Principals' Partnership were asked to
answer the open-ended question: "As the 2006-2007 school year
begins, what are the three most important actions a family should
take to assure success for its high school student?" Of the
respondents, 62 percent said the most important action a family
should take is to "maintain regular communication with teachers and
school administrators." This includes talking or emailing, at least
monthly, with teachers and school counselors, participating in open
houses and parent-teacher conferences, and reading and responding
to school communications. Principal Jon Swett of Lewis and Clark
High School in Spokane, Wash., encourages parents to begin
communicating with teachers early in the school year. "Within a few
weeks of the first day of school, parents should email or call all
of their child's teachers, introduce themselves and invite the
teacher to make contact with them if there is ever an issue," Swett
said. "For parents to make contact with their child's school every
few weeks is really responsible parenting." The second most
frequent response to the poll question was, "Talk with your student
about school activities and friends." Family discussion grows in
importance as more parents work at jobs with nontraditional
schedules, said Principal Valerie Payne of Sabino High School in
Tucson, Ariz. "I have students who sometimes say, 'I haven't really
seen my mom for three or four days,'" Payne said. "In the world we
live in now, with many parents and kids working different hours,
it's important to just check in with your child everyday."
Principal Don Poplau of Mankato East High School in Mankato, Minn.,
believes that in an age of expanding technology, parents now more
than ever need to know with whom their high school student is
communicating. He pointed to safety issues associated with the
Internet, including blogs and online communities. "Some parents
don't truly know who their kids are talking to," Poplau said.
"Treat them like young adults. Tell your kids that as a parent,
you're interested in their friends and interested in the activities
that matter to them, and have some discussion." Other top action
items cited by principals participating in the poll include:
"Establish a time and place for homework" (18 percent); "Have a
positive attitude about education, high expectations for school"
(16 percent); "Assure attendance at school," (10 percent) and "Get
involved in student's school activities (9 percent). "Parents who
are active in their child's education and supportive of what the
school is doing almost always have kids that are successful in the
classroom," said David Steele, principal of Dalhart High School in
Dalhart, Texas. The Principals' Partnership 2006 Poll Percent
Response Category 61.5% Maintain regular communication with school
personnel 22.4% Talk with your student about school activities and
friends 18.4% Establish a time and place for homework 16.3% Have a
positive attitude about education, high expectations for school
9.6% Assure attendance at school 9.3% Get involved in student's
school activities Many of the poll respondents are attending The
Principals' Partnership 2006 Summer Leadership Institute this week
in Phoenix, Ariz. The four-day event features top speakers
discussing leadership, literacy, mentoring new teachers and issues
related to gangs. The conference also provides principals the
chance to network and learn from their peers across the country.
The Principals' Partnership, the signature giving program of the
Union Pacific Foundation, is one of America's premier business and
education partnerships. The program supports a network of 1,000
public high school principals in 21 states. A team of nationally
recognized educators facilitates the exchange of knowledge, best
practices and resources across the network, benefiting all member
principals and their schools. Team members also develop a
customized program for each principal, working with principals on
key issues they have identified as areas of concern in their
schools. There is no cost to principals or school districts for
Partnership activities, including the Summer Leadership Institute.
In addition, The Partnership maintains an award-winning public Web
site (http://www.principalspartnership.com/) featuring research
briefs and case studies useful to all educators. It is estimated
that The Partnership, through the participating principals, will
reach approximately 71,000 teachers and 1 million students this
year. The Arizona Department of Education recently honored The
Principals' Partnership with a "Spotlight on Success" award. The
Principals' Partnership has also been recognized by state education
associations in Wyoming, Utah, and Idaho, as well as the National
Association of Secondary School Principals. Union Pacific
Foundation The Union Pacific Foundation is the primary
philanthropic arm of Union Pacific Corporation. The Foundation has
distributed funds since 1959 to qualified organizations in
communities served by Union Pacific. The Foundation is not endowed,
but is funded each year from the operating profits of Union Pacific
Corporation. Much of the foundation's philanthropic support is
directed toward The Principals' Partnership, its signature giving
program. Union Pacific believes principals who are effective
leaders build strong schools, which in turn produce solid citizens,
workers and adults. When that happens, we all benefit. About Union
Pacific Union Pacific Corporation owns one of America's leading
transportation companies. Its principal operating company, Union
Pacific Railroad, links 23 states in the western two-thirds of the
country and serves the fastest-growing U.S. population centers.
Union Pacific's diversified business mix includes Agricultural
Products, Automotive, Chemicals, Energy, Industrial Products and
Intermodal. The railroad offers competitive long-haul routes from
all major West Coast and Gulf Coast ports to eastern gateways.
Union Pacific connects with Canada's rail systems and is the only
railroad serving all six major gateways to Mexico, making it North
America's premier rail franchise. For further information, contact
Shannon Sherman, 402-514-9423. DATASOURCE: Union Pacific
Corporation CONTACT: Shannon Sherman of Union Pacific Corporation,
+1-402-514-9423 Web site: http://www.principalspartnership.com/
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