Help Us Prepare Your Child For Success

The U.S. Department of Education has posted information for parents interested in becoming more involved in their children’s education. One document is called, Key Things Parents Can Do To Make Sure Their Children Are Prepared For The 21^st Century. Some of the tips include:

• Make sure your child understands the importance of math in elementary school, and encourage your child to take more math, science and critical language courses in high school
  
  
• Encourage your child to take more Advanced Placement (AP) courses in high school

• Find out if your child’s teacher is “highly qualified"

• Get involved in helping your child’s school improve

• Make sure you receive a report card on your child’s school and that it is easy to understand (if you don’t receive a school report card or if it is hard to decipher, contact your child’s school district)

In just the past two years we have implemented a number of initiatives to prepare our students for success in the 21^st Century: the Virginia Preschool Initiative for 4-year olds who may need a little extra preparation for school; allocation of 60 new reading teachers throughout the division; “safety net” and wellness grants; elementary school World Language Program; John Hopkins Reading Model; Algebra for all middle school students; enhanced security programs; and the Spring Forward and Chesterfield Academy alternative education programs.

Chesterfield County schools enjoy a strong reputation for excellence, and extraordinary support from school volunteers, business leaders, elected officials, and citizens throughout this region. Education is the great equalizer in America. Our schools provide students with the opportunity to achieve their unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

For more information on preparing students for success in the 21st Century, parents can visit these web sites:

www.ed.gov/parents/academic/involve/prepared.html

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

www.nas.edu/21st/education/

We All Have a Role to Play

As parents and educators prepare for the new 2008-09 school year, we must be mindful of the profound impact of the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act, better known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), on the landscape of public education. This law demands accountability for public schools and highly qualified teachers. Many educators were looking forward to a new and improved version of this law. While there is broad consensus that the current law is flawed and needs to be reauthorized, Congress has not come to consensus about what needs to be done. Therefore, Chesterfield County Public Schools will continue to comply with the increasing standards of NCLB, building toward the 2013-14 school year when 100 percent of students are required to achieve at a high level on the state standardized tests.

Our school board envisions every Chesterfield school as a thriving, dynamic and inspiring educational environment that produces self-directed learners and stimulates citizens of all ages to trust in, invest in and benefit from public education. Our school system’s No. 1 goal is to help every student meet high expectations and reach his/her full potential. It is essential we keep that goal at the forefront of our work with students this year. Our Design for Excellence six-year strategic plan for continual improvement identifies four goals to support student achievement: safe, supportive and nurturing learning environments; a competent and knowledgeable workforce; community investment in schools; and effective and efficient operations.

Our greatest challenge is preparing students for the future. We don’t know what the world will look like when today’s students enter the workforce. Just imagine, today’s kindergarteners will graduate in 2021. We need to prepare them with life skills that will aid them throughout their lives. And we cannot do it alone. Involved parents can make a substantial difference in the academic life of their children and in our school and community. The entire school community has a role in play in supporting parental engagement in our schools. Please do all you can to maintain positive, regular and open communication with school officials throughout the year.