Student success as a creative thinker, communicator, collaborator, critical thinker, and compassionate citizen is achieved when schools, families, and the community work in partnership towards those goals.
Student & Family Engagement seeks to establish a systemic approach to these partnerships to support the success of each and every student in Canton Public Schools. Ensuring that families are empowered to participate as full partners in their child’s education through communication and school-based programming, Student & Family Engagement is about focusing our collective efforts and acknowledging, “...that families know more, see more, and can do more than previously acknowledged.”
For additional resources regarding family engagement
National Association for Family, School, & Community Engagement (NAFSCE)
CT State Department of Education Family & Community Engagement
Open Choice
Canton's Open Choice position statement
The Greater Hartford Region Open Choice Program is part of a statewide choice program that offers students the opportunity to attend public schools in suburban towns, and suburban students the opportunity to attend public schools in Hartford at no cost to the student’s family. Its purpose is to improve academic achievement; reduce racial, ethnic, and economic isolation; and provide a choice of educational programs for children.
Participation in the Open Choice Program is by choice. Hartford resident students may apply to attend public schools in the surrounding suburban participating districts and suburban students may apply to attend a public school in Hartford. Transportation is provided at no cost to families who live in Hartford. Transportation may be provided for suburban students who attend Hartford schools. Children who reside outside of the Greater Hartford area may apply, but may not receive transportation if accepted into the program. Enrollments are offered by school districts on a space-available basis by grade, and a lottery is used to place students into available slots. Families may not pre-select districts. The majority of Open Choice graduates attend post-secondary education programs, including four-year colleges such as Northeastern University, Howard University, the University of Connecticut, Clark University, the University of Hartford, and Johnson & Wales University.
The Canton Board of Education enthusiastically participates in the Open Choice program. The Mission of the Canton Public Schools is to prepare independent, productive, respectful and responsible citizens who contribute to an ever changing world. Our hope is that students graduating from the Canton Public Schools will be prepared to live in a global society demonstrating respect and understanding of diverse cultures. The student who is prepared for the future will need to be grounded in not only the culture of his or her own country but in the histories, cultures, people, and languages of the world. All students, wherever they live, need a more global perspective. The Canton Public Schools is able to work toward these goals by our participation in the Open Choice program.
The Superintendent of Schools offers the number of available seats to the Open Choice office based upon enrollment at each grade level. It is the preference of the District to enroll students as early in the educational process as possible, preferably beginning in Kindergarten.
The Board of Education is committed to providing support to allow students to participate in all extracurricular activities. Students have the opportunity to extend their learning by participating in after school tutoring and in extracurricular clubs and activities. Later transportation is provided so that students can take advantage of these opportunities.
It is the hope of the Canton Public Schools Board of Education that our participation in the Open Choice program will continue to grow and expand so that all of our students will continue to achieve academically at high levels and be exposed to diverse cultures preparing them to be respectful, responsible citizens in a global community.