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By KATHY SAUNDERS
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 29, 2000
You visited every school you could, you met with principals, talked to teachers and did a lot of tossing and turning at night before you selected a school. Now, how do you know you made the right choice?
"For starters, Pinellas County schools have a well-defined list of student expectations by grade level," said Judi Westfall, associate superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
Parents get copies of those guidelines at the beginning of school, usually during open house events. The information, which explains what is required of students in each subject area, is available throughout the year at school offices. And the guidelines are posted on a Web site at http://sage.pinellas.k12.fl.us. The expectations are spelled out for each elementary grade and consolidated for ninth through 12th grades. If parents want to get the information for their child's next grade, they are welcome to the guidelines.
Throughout the year, Westfall's office also provides schools with tips to pass on to parents about helping students learn. Some schools print the information in newsletters.
School newsletters are one of the best ways, Westfall said, to learn about what's happening at your child's school.
But the main test for parents is to get involved.
Most schools are always looking for volunteers for the School Advisory Council (SAC), the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) and on-campus programs.
Get to know the school administrators and, perhaps even more importantly, Westfall said, the school secretary.
"As a parent and a child you are all part of a school community," she said. "I can't stress enough the importance of communication between parents and the school."
Report cards and teacher conferences will tell you if the student is achieving his or her goals.
"One of the other things is to see if your student is coming home happy and feeling happy about school," said Westfall.
Parents need to find ways to talk to their children about school, beyond asking, "How was your day?"
In some schools, teachers and children build portfolios of their work for students to describe to their parents. Students should be able to explain their work and what they did during a particular assignment.
Students need to understand that school is their job and they are there to learn, said Westfall. But more importantly, they need to know that it matters to their parents how well they do.
Even if students aren't doing well at a particular school, it doesn't mean the parent made a wrong choice.
Some students might have learning disabilities or need special programs. Pinellas County has a community involvement program that offers things like mentoring and tutoring. For information about those programs, call Susan Rolston at 588-6405.
The school system has a number of services for special problems as well.
"Parent advocates can work with parents on issues of cultural things," said Westfall.
Doretha Jackson, who heads the parental advocacy section, can help people having trouble with the system. Her office number is 893-2284. The umbrella department is the Community Service/Human Relations Department, headed by Sheila Keller. Her office number is 588-6058.