Family Engagement Doesn’t Happen by Accident
Everybody accepts that student learning and behavior improve if parents are our partners in their education. But that’s where the general agreement ends. Too many school leaders are unclear about what strong family engagement looks like and what it would take.
Those who don’t know how to get started say, “We need to get our act together first. Then we will invite our parents.”
Frederick County Public Schools in Maryland recognized the importance of family engagement early on and invited youth and their families to an evening discussion of a new approach to fostering self-advocacy for youth with disabilities.
We planned an informal evening with a brief orientation to the program and a sample activity their students will be doing to learn more about their mind patterns. Parents and youth did the activity together and shared with each other new awareness about their three “attention preferences” during the learning process. The rest of the evening provided opportunities for networking with teachers, school staff, and other families. Several parents approached me to express appreciation for our outreach.
For the past six years, I have participated in annual meetings of the Family & Community Engagement District Leaders’ national workgroup, led by the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington DC and Dr. Karen Mapp from Harvard University. Family engagement leaders from across the country shared how they removed family “ombudsman” positions and prepared all faculty to build relationships with families. Schools described student academic and attendance gains after literacy or math workshops with families.
Parent Universities are exploding in communities across the country with hundreds of families attending courses taught by volunteer community allies and parents.
Many districts like Frederick County bring families on board as partners in preparing their youth to become successful adults. Strong family engagement doesn’t happen by accident. The US Department of Education announced their Dual Capacity Building Framework to support schools as they develop strategic plans for partnerships with families.
Consider this an invitation to include me when your school or district wants to step out there and invite parents to your strategy sessions.
Let’s document your strategies, stakeholder perspectives, and baseline/ benchmark stakeholder data.
