Flex Academies is understandably proud of the quality and diversity of programming we provide to students in all our Flex schools. In school after school and class after class, Flex vendors deliver fun, exciting activities that motivate students to learn and grow. Whether it’s a cooking class at Pyle Middle School or a pottery class at Ashburton Elementary School or a Lego Robotics class at North Mianus School, the hallmarks of a Flex program are FUN and LEARNING!
Along with our focus on fun learning activities, Flex knows that our most important commitment – more critical than anything else – is the safety and security of our participating students. We know that parents entrust Flex to care for and protect their children when they are attending a Flex class. We take this trust very seriously. Flex has taken several major steps to ensure the safety and security of the students we serve:
- Coordination with school staff – The most fundamental way that Flex protects our students is by working hand-in-glove with school staff to communicate about the status of individual students and the school environment. Were any students absent today? Is there a leaky roof in Room 102? Is there a new pothole in blacktop play area? Are the activity buses on schedule? Close coordination between school staff and Flex staff ensures that no students “fall through the cracks” and are at risk.
- On-site coordinator – Flex provides an on-site coordinator at every Flex school to serve as our front line staff person to immediately address any issues or situations that may arise during a Flex program. Our on-site coordinators are skilled professionals who are the first point of contact for parents and school staff members regarding any concerns they may have regarding a student, a vendor or any other issue. Importantly, our on-site coordinators are responsible for monitoring the attendance of every student and every vendor in their schools’ Flex programs on a daily basis:
- Check-in and check-out of students – On-site coordinators are provided with a roster of students participating in each activity and they check-in students at the beginning of classes and check-out students at the end of classes. Any “missing” students are quickly cross- checked with school staff for their absence during the school day and then the parent is contacted if necessary.
- Check-in and check-out of vendors – Flex expects every vendor to arrive at their schools at least 10 minutes prior to their class times. Our on-site coordinators are responsible for checking-in every vendor and ensuring that they are delivering a quality program every day. Our vendors know that their continuing participation in programs at any Flex school is conditioned on their ongoing performance at every Flex school.
- Background checks – Flex requires that all of our activity vendors conduct background checks of every staff member who teaches a class at a Flex school. These background checks are all professionally done and review the employee’s records in several key areas:
- Social Security verification
- Address trace
- Local criminal record search
- National criminal record search
- Sex offender registry
Successful completion of these background checks provide Flex parents with a level of confidence in the character of the instructors who are teaching their students.
- Insurance coverage – Flex requires that all of our activity vendors retain a designated level of liability insurance coverage for their roles in a Flex school. Our every expectation is that we will never need to make on claim on this insurance coverage, but it is critical that this coverage is in place to cover any potential liabilities that may be incurred through the vendor’s activities in the Flex school.
We believe that these measures should give parents a high level of confidence regarding the safety and security of their students while they are participating in a Flex Academies program. Additional information is available at flexacademies.com.