April 2015 General Meeting Minutes - including Parent-School Communication Process Discussion Notes

NVPAC General Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

7:00 pm Mountainview Room, ESC, 2121 Lonsdale Avenue

Chair:  Jane Lagden Holborne (Sutherland)

NVPAC Attendance: Jane Lagden Holborne, Karen Nordquist, Debra Dennehy, David Whitehead, Heather Skuse, Suzanne Till

Attendance: 20

Guests:  None

Schools Represented:  Argyle, Canyon Heights, Carisbrooke,  Carson Graham, Cleveland, Handsworth, Highlands, Larson, Lynn Valley, Montroyal, Norgate, Queensbury, Ridgeway, Seycove, Seymour Heights,  Sutherland, Upper Lynn

Regrets: Homa Sorooshi,, Amanda Nichol

7:05 Called to order

7:08 Round of introductions

7:09 Approval of minutes: motion to approve February: Hardish - montroyal  2nd -  Elly handsworth. All in favour – unanimous - carried

7:12 Treasurer’s report – Jane LH – please remind PAC treasurers to apply for gaming grants $20 per student. For NVPAC grants – we have a few still available and now open to all schools on a first come first served basis – 1=$200 school safety. $200 FOS  4 available, $50 foodsafe grants – 8 available, 1 speaker grant = $200. Please apply for the grants Treasurer@northvanpac.org. BCCPAC have 4 available $250 grants for conference registration fees. 

7:18 Special Education Aids: Lucy from Carisbrooke asked if schools are experiencing cuts to special aid hours on a per student basis. How are the schools being impacted, what is the amount that is provided by the ministry. Would the PAC talk to the ministry and ask them to come talk to PACs about it. Jane - NVPAC could prepare a letter. It is more effective if parents send it. More effective if parents call. Invite ministry to explain the funding changes.

7:30 Discussion of Parent-School Communication Processes – David W.

Improving the communication process: 2014 Parent Survey

•      13% said response timeliness was poor

•      19% said the response appropriateness was poor

•      11% uncomfortable approaching the schools with concerns

•      34% received partial guidance on the process

Types of issues and processes

What positive and negative communication processes have you experienced?

•       Procedure/Protocol Problems: If problem then go to the teacher. Some parents may not be comfortable going to the teacher which compounds the problem.

•       Circular directions – parties direct people to each other

•       Hard to always start with the teacher if the teacher is seen as part of the problem

•       Minimal follow-up: Not being informed of the results of tests or interactions. Unclear whose responsibility it is to follow-up, the parent or the school.

•       Need Tools and methods for parents who can’t be at school

•       End of term reports

•       Regular ongoing communication: teacher newseletters etc is a big help

•       High school communication to parents is poor: grade 12 info, early dismissal

•       Principals may not intervene with teacher/parent issues even if needed

What sorts of issues tend to have successful responses/interactions?

•      General School Information - what's going on at the school

•      PACs reaching out to parents

•      When personal issues are not involved

•      Academic issues

•      Homework questions – especially if rapid response via email

•      Course selection with counsellors

What sorts of issues tend to have difficult responses/interactions?

•       Special needs issues

•       Sensitive subjects

•       Personalities

•       Behavioural issues, especially involving multiple parties

•       Assumptions about information that people may or may not have

•       Difficulty reaching all parents

•       Being made to start with the teacher when the problem involves the teacher.

•       Bullying

•       Significant lack of communication and tools related to helping students with special needs

Learning where to start

When you needed to address a concern how did you first approach the situation?

What resources, people etc did you use to help you know where to start and where did you find them?

How did you and the school set your expectations with regard to process and a response?

•      Most valuable resource is other parents especially PAC executive

•      Office staff may or may not be helpful.

•       School website not updated - depends on the administration. Is it PAC responsibility or school?

•       At some schools the principal sends updates but this varies from school to school

•       Administrators should be talking to kindergarten parents.

•       New parents need a welcome package to be sure they know where who to contact and are in the loop.

•       Information is needed on the chain of command, who to go to, their roles and a dictionary for all the acronyms

•       Feedback channels don’t move fast enough, so frustration mounts and can make matters worse

•       Teachers sometimes email, sometimes call, sometimes have conversations at the door. It is hard to know when and where to reach them.

•       Expectations could be set in an email dialog with teachers to establish times, responses etc

•       Create a template for all schools to follow on how to communicate all issues

•       The principals don't have time to address every inquiry

•       Parents cannot always rely on the PAC to know the process or have time to help.

•       When the administration moves then there is always a new process

Communication Resources

What were some of the key processes, resources and factors that you felt helped or hindered your ability to resolve the situation?

·         Meet the teacher nights help but are too limited. Teachers need to provide contact information including when and how to contact them

·         PACs should provide a list of communication resources at each school

·         Schools should use the web, twitter etc to inform parents

·         Teachers seed to set expectations on when to contact, how, best time. They also need to make use of technology and acknowledge when contact is made.

·         send both paper and email updates.

·         Should be a District directory of resources

·         Parents need to be seen as a partner and involved in the communication / resolution process

Steps Forward

Are there any other organizations/processes that would be a good example for the schools to emulate?

What steps could NVPAC, the working group and our partners take to improve communications processes?

•      NVPAC maintain links on website

•      NVPAC create a guide on best practices for how to approach schools, especially how to do so in a respectful way during an uncomfortable conversation.

•      Create welcome packages templates that can be maintained at each school

•      Provide parent friendly descriptions of processes and official lingo.

•      Develop tools to help take some of the personality out of discussion to focus on the issues and resolution.

•      Technology can help to provide information but not a way to avoid conversation, actual facr to face conversation is needed for resolution.

•      Parent info night in communicating with schools

•      Schools making more use of messaging to reach parents

•      Discussion with the administrators on the different types of issues.

•      Training information for parents on how to approach different situations.

•      Develop more district level processes rather than have each school/administration develop their own.

•      Good communication helps families feel good about their school.

•      “online chat” capability at the school or district level – anonymous or not. Could be delayed response as long as it is responsive. Would be convenient for working parents and reduce intimidation factor.

•      Videos available on school issues and processes

•      Need to look at it as a team approach rather than us vs. them. Focus on the child

•      Ask PACs for their best practices

8:45 NVPAC AGM – NVPAC elections are on May. Many positions opening up with NVPAC. We need new executive to help us fulifill our mandate and represent parents on various district committees dealing with a variety of school issues.
· Treasurer – if you can manage your family’s accounts you can manage ours.
· Secretary – keep notes on the decisions NVPAC makes.
· Chair – work with parents and the district on issues, maintain contact with the district.
· Vice-Chair – Help out with executive and District discussions
· Registrar & Communications – maintain website and blog, maintain communication with the school PACs.
· BCCPAC liaison – keeping PACs informed on BCCPAC issues
· Members at Large – participate in the meetings and provide perspective.
· Program Facilitator – organizes meetings and speaker events

Motion to Adjourn: 8:55 pm

Next Meeting:    Annual General Meeting

Topic: NVPAC Elections

May 27, 2015

7:00 pm

Education Services Centre,

2121 Lonsdale Avenue