“We help our parents assess their child’s true potential and understand the nature of learning disabilities, and provide our families an internal support network within the Craig community.”

The culminating line of The Craig School mission statement has been on my mind lately. How do we build community and authentic parent-school partnerships in a world that looks, feels, and in many ways is, so different than what we have previously known? Not only is it our mission at The Craig School to champion awareness, acceptance, and understanding of learning differences but it is also our mission to promote a support system among our parents, to provide opportunities to share our stories as parents of students with learning disabilities, and to partner with you as we provide an educational environment primed for student growth and achievement. According to Abright and Weissberg (2010), parent-school partnerships are child-focused approaches wherein families and educators cooperate, coordinate and collaborate to enhance opportunities for success for students across social, emotional, behavioral, and academic domains. There are structural elements that provide a means to this end, such as parent-teacher conferences, becoming a member of our Parents’ Association (PACS), or volunteering at your child’s school, all part of The Craig School experience. However, it is argued that these parent-school partnerships must go a step further and become bi-directional. That is from parent to school and from school to parent. Through bi-directional parent-school relationships, such as two-way information sharing and joint decision making and collaboration, pathways are formed for improved student outcomes. As you get to know the teachers at The Craig School, you will find individuals that are communicative and ready to partner with you. This is also true of the administration and staff at The Craig School.