Most Parents Pleased With School System

More than 80% of the parents participating in a recent school district survey said they are satisfied or very satisfied with their children’s overall educational experience, while 2% of respondents said they are not satisfied.

The survey is the first of its kind conducted in Tustin Unified School District. About half the parents of the district’s 13,000 students participated, officials said.

The results, which were announced at a Board of Education meeting, showed officials that “overall we’re doing a good job, and we still have some areas that need improvement,” said student services director Joe De Camp, who coordinated the survey.

Beginning in April, parents were asked to rate their approval in various categories with a letter grade, A (very satisfied), B (satisfied), C (somewhat satisfied) or D (not satisfied).

According to the district, 84% of parents gave an A or B grade to teachers; 83% gave the same grade to the administration; and 87% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the school’s safety, parent involvement, discipline, instructional materials and textbooks.

Though the results were largely positive, De Camp said, the survey showed a lack of communication in some areas. Many parents, for example, did not have enough information to rate certain programs, including the libraries, child care, food services and transportation.

“Based on the survey, we are going to look into how we can improve teacher-parent communications and offer more information,” De Camp said.

Next year, the district plans to expand the survey to include students and staff, he said.