The provincial government will expand Student and Family Support Offices to all 72 school boards across Ontario.
Student and Family Support Offices review concerns raised by parents to help address matters that need to be escalated following initial engagement with a child’s teacher and principal.
Jamie Pettit, the Communications Officer for the Bluewater District School Board, says that the enhancement helps the board to further help parents with concerns about their child’s education.
“This kind of formalizes the process with a centralized resource to help parents better understand how they navigate the system,” he said.
The implementation of the Student and Family Support Offices, or SFSO, helps to ensure that parent’s questions are answered in a timely manner.
For example, if there is a concern within the classroom, then their first contact would be with the teacher. Should their concern be an issue that affects the school, then it would help them get in contact with the principal. Further escalation would be with the superintendent.
Pettit explained to Bayshore News that the announcement from the province expands upon the best practices that the BWDSB already has in place. It also provides a centralized point of contact for families unsure of where to start.
“We are still encouraging families that have questions or concerns to start at the school level, with their teacher and the principal as appropriate,” he said. “From there, if they feel that their concern hasn’t been appropriately addressed, or that they still have questions, they can then turn to the SFSO to help escalate, and from there the centralized office can ensure that the appropriate steps have been followed.”
These offices streamline the response process for families by acknowledging inquiries within two business days and aiming to provide an answer within five business days.
“Parents should have a clear and consistent way to raise concerns and get answers when it comes to their child’s education,” said Minister of Education Paul Calandra in a media release. “We are strengthening accountability across our school boards and making sure families can get the support they need when they need it. Everything we are doing is focused on improving student achievement and ensuring every student has the opportunity to succeed.”
Student and Family Support Offices have already been operating in supervised school boards, with 95 per cent of family inquiries acknowledged within two business days and nearly 90 per cent receiving a response within five business days or an estimated response date for complex matters.
The Bluewater District School Board’s Student and Family Support Office approach to addressing parents’ concerns (Image via BWDSB)