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We’ve had an interesting few days over at Edison Elementary (in the Northwest quadrant).  The video in this post is pretty factual, from my perspective, and as a result of the turmoil and missed opportunities to bond with parents at the school, a parent has been barred from setting foot on the school grounds.

Let me be clear: if we are serious about parent engagement as a powerful tool for student achievement, we should not be looking to bar parents that advocate for their children.  At the same time, we do have to ensure that the schools can operate safely and efficiently.

I’ve started crafting an update to board policy KFA, which governs conduct on school grounds.  It’s normal practice for a principal to have a letter restricting a parent from access to the school delivered by our district security personnel.  The problem is that the current policy offers no opportunity to appeal this decision, made by principals, sometimes without much review by central administration.

I will reserve my opinion about whether this principal used this restriction to retaliate against a parent that was advocating for the safety of their child.

I will be reading this first draft during new business at tomorrow’s board meeting.  I’m including a copy here for your review, and if you’d like to offer feedback or suggestions, please do (the added portion is in the beige print).  It won’t be executed at tomorrow’s meeting, but my expectation is to do so by the next meeting.  So your input is greatly appreciated and welcome as soon as you can offer it.  You can watch the discussion from home on Comcast channel 22.