Management of School-Family Interaction in Private Educational Organization Practice

ABSTRACT Management of interaction between school and family in the practice of a private educational organization Thе thesis is of a project research design. The project statement expressed by the head teacher of the private school ‘Unison’, Saint-Petersburg, Russia, is the following: to diagnose problems which lead to loss of quality of interaction between the school and a family and to develop a process model to manage interactions beteween a private school and a family (as a customer). Thus, the model should carry two functions: a diagnostic tool, and a complex of tools implied on every stage of customer lifecycle. The project describes a process model of interaction between the private school and a family as a customer. The model is called ‘Participation’ and distinguishes types of interaction on three stages of the customer lifecycle: potential customer, actual customer and former customer. The paper describes goals and steps of each stage, as well management tools developed in private school ‘Unison’ and reflecting best practices of client-oriented organizations (both in educational and other social fields). Organizational and managerial recommendations on projecting and launching analogue models in other educational organizations are provided. Key words: PROCESS MODEL, SCHOOL AND FAMILY INTERACTION TOOLS, PARENTS-CUSTOMERS, PRIVATE SCHOOL, EDUCATIONAL REQUESTS, CUSTOMER LIFE CYCLE, THE CLIENT-ORIENTED ORGANIZATION.