Guest Blog: Back to School — Our Oklahoma Students

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Guest Blog: Welcome Back, Oklahoma Charter Families — Let's Make This Year Our Best One Yet

By Steven Stefanick, Superintendent,
Harding Charter Preparatory School District

There's nothing quite like the first few weeks of a new school year. The hallways are loud with lockers slamming and kids laughing again. And every classroom across our state is full of students who are a little taller and ready to meet the new school year head on.

To every family reading this: welcome! Whether your student attends a charter school in Oklahoma City, Tulsa, or a small community in between, and whether this is your first year in a charter school or your seventh, we're genuinely glad you're here.

I lead Harding Charter Preparatory School District in Oklahoma City, but I wanted to write this post to all of you, because the truth is that charter school families have so much in common. You chose your school on purpose. You looked at the options, asked hard questions, and made a decision about where your child would learn. That choice deserves a community behind it.

Our students don't succeed just because of what happens in our buildings. They succeed because of what happens in your kitchens, your cars, and your living rooms, too. The conversation you have on the drive home. The question you ask about a hard assignment. The way you show up. That's not just a supporting role. The strongest schools in this state, charter or otherwise, are the ones where families and educators understand they're building the same thing together.

This year, I'm especially excited about this new collaborative partnership. Our Oklahoma Students is working to help bring parents together with educators to share what's working, advocate for what our kids need, and make sure every Oklahoma student — no matter what building they walk into — has access to an excellent education.

The team at Our Oklahoma Students believes that parents are some of the strongest advocates for education because of their deep knowledge of what’s best for their kids. When you bring that knowledge together with the passion of educators, magic is sure to happen. For instance, this kind of collaboration ensures strong practices don't stay locked inside one campus. What works in one school can reach yours, and what works at yours can reach others. Every kid benefits. Your child's classmates, siblings, cousins, and neighbors attend schools of every kind. This work makes all of them stronger.

A strong school year does not require a complicated system at home. It requires consistency, communication, and partnership. Regardless of where your child attends school, there are a few simple things families can do now that can make a significant difference throughout the year.

Make time to actually hear about their day.
Instead of simply asking, “How was school?” ask something specific. “What challenged you today?” “What made you laugh?” “Who did you spend time with?” Sometimes the smallest question opens the biggest conversation.
Establish the routine now.
Bedtimes, homework expectations, attendance, morning routines, and limits on phones and technology matter. Expectations are much easier to establish at the beginning of the year than halfway through it.
Build a relationship with your student's teachers.
Introduce yourself. Send an email. Attend conferences. Let teachers know that you want to be a partner in your student's success. Strong schools are built when families and educators work together.
Get Engaged
Attend a game, performance, family night, conference, or school event. You don't have to attend everything, but your presence sends a powerful message to your student: Your school and your education matter to me.
Communicate early.
If something does not feel right, reach out. Don't wait until a small concern becomes a major problem. Schools cannot address concerns they don't know about, and early communication gives everyone more opportunities to support the student.
Connect with your school community.
Get to know another parent. Meet another family. Build relationships with the people around your student. Education works best when students know there is an entire community of adults invested in their success.

Our students are stepping into a year full of possibility. They'll be challenged. Some days may be harder than others. But they're walking into it with a community of teachers, staff, and families standing behind them. I think that’s some pretty powerful stuff!

Thank you for the trust you place in your schools, and for the work you do at home that no one sees. Let's get to work.

Here's to a great year,

Steven Stefanick
Superintendent, Harding Charter Preparatory School District

Paid for by Oklahoma Public Charter School Association