Families and Communities: Building Bridges

So, I sat in a meeting yesterday with parents and parent involvement professionals from a number of school districts across the state of Washington. I am used to being in meetings where we talk and talk and talk and do nothing. We talk about doing and walk away with theories that sound good but have no practical application. However, I can say I have now been in two critical meetings in the last week where we have talked about really practical ways for schools to build bridges to families and communities.

I wanted to share with you some ideas I heard at this meeting – food for thought. One of the school representatives shared about an event that has worked well in her district. They hold a free back-to-school carnival a couple weeks before school starts as a way to reconnect with the community every year. This carnival is hosted by the district and several community partners (churches, health agencies, daycare providers, etc.). Families who attend the event can get free immunizations, information about health care, information about the school their child will be attending and free school supplies. Representatives are available from each of the schools, to answer questions about the particular school and to connect with parents.

Another suggestion that was made in this meeting but also in another meeting I attended was that parents just need to be asked what they want. Parents aren’t often given the opportunity to have a voice and feel unimportant in the school community. As a former teacher, I can say that schools haven’t done a very good job of engaging families in a dialogue. Too often as teachers we talk at parents and don’t listen. We tell parents when to come to school, where to go when they come and what to do when they get where we tell them to go.

Finally, we talked about the importance of educating parents (and even teachers, sometimes) about the special programs in our schools. Most parents in Title I and LAP communities don’t have any idea what those terms mean or what kinds of services available for their students. Although schools with such programs are mandated to have a parent involvement component, most parents in these communities are unaware of their role in the process. We need to do a better job in schools of creating effective communication strategies with our families and more opportunities for parents to engage in the everyday life of school.

Although there is much that must change if schools are to become effective models of education, I believe there is hope in this system. I want to do whatever I can to support all of you in the work you do as teachers, administrators, parents, concerned citizens… I hope to continue this conversation with you as the year progresses. My hope is that you will be helped by this information and running commentary. Keep up your hard work.