Inside a SAC Meeting: Edwin M. Stanton School
On Tuesday, February 28, the Edwin M. Stanton School had not one, but two School Advisory Council (SAC) meetings for the Stanton community. The primary focus at each meeting was to go over Stanton’s scores on the School Progress Report and their goals for the rest of the year.
The goal was to get more parents and family members at the table to learn about and understand this data, so the Stanton SAC offered a morning breakfast meeting and an evening spaghetti dinner meeting.
Principal Stacey Burnley presented the School Progress Report (SPR), the standing of Stanton, and what the scores mean for the future of the school. As the SPR was projected onto a wall in Stanton’s cafeteria, Principal Burnley gave meaningful explanations of each factor, each number, and each goal.
The accessibility and clarity of the presentation allowed parents to gain a greater understanding of the triumphs that the school has had as well as the barriers and challenges it continues to face. By the end of each meeting, attendees exhibited both greater concern for the school and greater motivation to help out.
“Talk to your kids. Talk to other community members,” Principal Burnley said. “Help me build momentum.”
Principal Burnley asked two things of the family members in attendance that day: first, to talk to their student’s teachers and offer their support, and second, to make academics the priority at Stanton.
Temwa Wright, the SAC Chairperson at Stanton, passionately addressed the attendees with a plea: “If we make sure our SPR scores reflect what is actually happening in the school, we’ll end up having more time to focus on what makes Stanton really special.”
The arts, technology, and academic programs offered at the school are the jewels of Stanton, and Ms. Wright encouraged other parents and family members to help improve student attendance and academic achievement so that those jewels can shine.
“It’s important to really make academics a priority,” Ms. Wright said. “It is a priority, but let’s work on doing the best that we can.”
The emphasis that Principal Burnley puts on school data and sharing data with the Stanton community is evident through the inclusive and data-driven meetings of the SAC. Every parent, family member, faculty/staff member, and community member is welcome at meetings, and the information that Principal Burnley, Ms. Wright, and other SAC leaders provide helps to mobilize Stanton families to work together to improve the school.
