The parent’s right-to-know provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) allows parents, guardians, and stakeholders the ability to request information on the qualifications of their child's classroom teacher. Under ESSA, at the beginning of each year, an LEA shall notify parents that they may request, and the LEA will provide, certain information regarding the professional qualifications of the student’s teachers and paraprofessionals. This includes information about whether the student’s teacher:

1. has met state qualification and licensing criteria for the grade levels and subject areas in which the teacher provides instruction;

2. is teaching under emergency or other provisional status through which state qualification or licensing criteria have been waived;

3. is teaching in the field of discipline not of the certification of the teacher;

4. is teaching alongside paraprofessionals and, if so, the paraprofessional’s qualifications.

In addition, if a child is assigned, or taught by, a teacher who is not "highly qualified" for four or more consecutive weeks, the parent must recieve timely notice.

What is family engagement?

Family engagement is defined as parents and school personnel working together at the classroom, local, and district level to suport and improve the social, emotional, and intellectual well-being of children and adolescents. This partnership affords parents the opportunity to do the following:

• Become an active participant in their child's learning experiences by engaging with school personnel.

• Play an integral role in the decision-making process and development of ideas and policies (when appropriate) pertaining to their child's education.

• Partner with the local school and district to build capacity for the increase of parent-teacher and teacher-student relationships, and for improved school environments that promote positive student outcomes.

• Participate in the implementation of any other activities, such as those described in Section 1116 of the ESSA.

Every year, parents are extended an invitation via school and district e-mail to attend Bradley County Schools' bi-annual Parent Advisory Council meetings. These meetings are arranged to provide parents an opportunity to review and provide suggestions and ideas for the improvement of the district Parent and Family Engagement Policy.

In addition, GOAL Academy (and all Title 1 schools) offer a time for parents to connect regarding the district and school-level family engagement plans during their bi-annual Task Force Meetings held in the fall and spring of each year.

If you are interested in getting involved with our Title 1 family engagement efforts, please contact GOAL Academy's Title 1 Liaison (Mrs. Cat Stanfield) at cstanfield@bradleyschools.org.