(R 315466) Estados Unidos Mexicanos

OPS Image

• Great education.

• Diversity of programs for all students. • “Mass chaos” when it comes to size. • Too big; less personal.

Trust

• Unaware of most district leaders.

• They know building-level leaders and for the most part, trust them and their staff. • Losing respect for Board, which then trickles down to other staff members. • District changed student report cards/grading system three times in recent years.

• One participant reported that last month, a principal was pulled from a school and no explanation was given to parents; it’s difficult to trust leaders when no communication occurs.

Sources of Information

• Email and Parent Portal at school level.

• Good teacher/parent communication at schools.

• They do not know whom to contact at TAC to find answers.

• Need better information and contacts for transportation; they receive conflicting information.

• The most credible sources of information are principals, assistant principals and secretaries.

• The district website is helpful if you know where to dig for specific information.

• Parents in this group did not feel Twitter or Facebook communication would be helpful. • The Citizens Advisory Council is good because it provides face-to-face opportunities. • PTA meetings.

Information Desired

• More on the budget.

• Legislative actions being sought so parents can be supportive.

• Receive OPS Report Card information from OPS, not the Omaha World Herald. • Personnel changes.

• More information on teacher evaluation.

Communication Challenges

• The availability of email to all parents.

• Staff time to communicate via email and the Parent Portal. • Language barriers must be overcome.

• How to understand the hierarchy of OPS, especially beyond the building-level. • Need a process for raising valid concerns with OPS leadership.

• Getting TAC administrators to speak at PTA meetings.

Board Communication

• This group said they really do not know what the Board’s vision is. • “I just see in-fighting when I think of the Board.”

• The Board is in a defensive mode just about all the time.

• The only time they seem to see Board members is when they are up for election.

Group: Parents

• Participants in this group said they needed more information to form an opinion. • One person said that OPS seemed “open.”

• Several noted being happy with their children’s schools. • Participants felt that OPS is concerned about the students.

Changing Image

• This depends on what area of town the schools are in as far as image, good or bad. • A participant followed up with “If you live on the Southside, you might not have any

problems, but not so in other areas of the district.”

5 Years from Now

• Parents in this group said they would like to see OPS as “the best” district in five years. • Others would like better communication with OPS.

• Some in the group added that they would like to see test scores raised.

Most Value about OPS Education

• Most parents in this group felt that their children are getting a good education at OPS.

Communication Improvements Needed

• More interpreters are needed.

• “OPS wants to help everyone, but might not know how to help.”

• Another participant added that parents simply need to call the school or district. Parents need to take the initiative.

• One knowledgeable parent in the group talked about an Instituto Liderazgo Familiar, a program that helps get Hispanic parents involved with OPS and helps parents

communicate better with the schools.

• Many parents said it would be good if OPS offered refresher courses for parents to help their students with their homework (i.e., in Algebra).

• OPS should teach English classes to parents.

• Schools need to share their best practices. If one school has a program that works and another school five minutes away has the same problem that needs addressing, duplicate the program so others can benefit.

• OPS needs a program for parents, especially those who don’t understand English.

• Another parent added that shortly after the school year, OPS should initiate an automatic phone call to parents, in both English and Spanish, to welcome them to the school year.

Accessibility of Information

• OPS needs to make information easy to access and easy to find.

Information Desired

• Parents in this group wanted the same information that is provided to other parents, as long as it is provided in a timely manner.

Information on Child’s Progress

Timeliness of Information

• Parents agreed that information needs to go out in a more timely fashion.

Best Way to Communicate

• Most parents in this group felt that direct face-to-face contact was the best. Offering translation services at school meetings is a goal to strive for.

• Utilize Spanish radio more to communicate with them.

Opportunities to Give Input

• This group, with the exception of one parent who was actively involved with their child’s school, didn’t seem to know what channels to go through to provide input, other than communicating directly with their school’s principal.

Communication Expectations for Next Superintendent

• Many in this group were not aware of the new superintendent search.