Parents & Students

What does education have in common with a taxi cab, a lawn care company, a hair stylist and a doctor’s office? All of these are service industries. As the name suggests, these businesses provide a needed service for an agreed upon price. There is no physical good produced although many goods may be used in the delivery of the service. Customer happiness provides sustained income and the continuation of the business. Without customer happiness, the business fails. Because education receives funding through public support, there is no direct link between customer satisfaction and continued funding and the customer can become lost in the system. Today I am going to address the educational customers: parents and students.

Students are customers in the educational system. They will use the skills they develop for the rest of their lives. These skills along with their experiences in the different subjects will help determine their chosen career. The students of the district depend on their education to prepare them for the future. Students, especially those in the upper grades, can provide invaluable feedback regarding the quality of their education and should be utilized including the evaluation of curriculum, teachers and schools. The students are the customer and should not be disregarded.

Parents are the ultimate customers in education. Parents are the decision-makers for their children and their concerns, ideas, problems and suggestions should never be ignored or dismissed. Parents are aware of the curriculum and assignments, what works to further their child’s education and what is busy work. Parents are aware of the different teachers and their teaching methods. Parents are aware of the support they receive from the school administration. Parents are aware of the different learning opportunities available in the district (language immersion, IB program, concurrent enrollment). Their ideas and direction for the schools need to be considered, studied and implemented where practical. Satisfied parents (customers) will become the best advocates for the educational system.

I believe that the education system should keep the customers—parents and students—involved in the decision-making process and strive to keep them satisfied with the education received. As a parent myself, I would ensure that the parental point of view would be respected on the Board of Education.