PARENTS MATTER Dr Ramona Reynolds Instructional Specialist III

PARENTS MATTER!!! Dr. Ramona Reynolds, Instructional Specialist III, BPS Amanda Vellake, Director of Adult & Continuing Education, BPS Gellenia Smallwood, Director of Parent & Family Programs, Say Yes Jerrica De. Laney, Adult Education Community School Navigator, Say Yes Joyce Stilson, Community School Navigator, Say Yes Cynthia Collins, Parent Center Engagement Liaison, Say Yes

How do we engage parents and caregivers?

Parent Centers Education Resources Collaboration Supports

Including Adult Education in the Community School Model • Rationale • Building off success • How to reach our Adult Community members

Marketing and Outreach • Getting the word out • Tapping into current community members • Selling our vision and getting buy in

How did we start; what have we learned • Replicated best practices • Surveyed the needs of the community • Collaborated with school administration, Say Yes and Community Organizations • Logistics of implementing and monitoring • Communication and planning • Learning from mistakes and welcoming growth

Saying YES to ALL Parents Navigation + Connections = Authentic relationships enhancing the success of students

Navigator: [ˈnavəˌɡādər] NOUN, a person (Navigators are in 18 schools) who directs the route or course (supports mission) of a ship, aircraft, or other form of transportation (cooperatively works with service organizations, administration, faculty, families), especially by using instruments (programs, services, mentoring) and maps (data).

The “destination” of a Navigator: * academics *engage families *student health

Navigators are more than Saturday Academies… • • • program) SAT Prep • Field Trips Classroom Projects • After School Programs Community Gardens • Summer Camp Dental Visits • Mental Health Service Mobile Health Clinics Connections Book Giveaways Clothing & Food Distribution • Connecting Families With • Area Service Restorative Circles Organizations Mentoring Adult Evening Classes Faculty Support/Education (ex. Grieving Student • and more.

Liaison: • [lēˈāzän] NOUN, • A person (Parent Center Liaisons are in 4 High Schools) who establishes (works with team to create programs/ acquire services) and maintains communication (outreach to families and community members) for mutual understanding (offering educational opportunities) and cooperation (working with stakeholders to identify program topics and service needs).

• • • Parent Center Liaisons work with community stakeholders to provide: Information Outreach Family bonding Parent group meetings Services

A sampling of Parent Center offerings and programs: • Nurturing Father’s • • What To Expect When You’re • Expecting (teen pregnancy • support) • • Single Mom’s Club • • Staff/Faculty Lunch and Learns • • Free Flu Shots • • Holiday Toy Giveaway • • Every Bottom Covered (diaper distribution) • • Sickle Cell Support Group • Book Lending Library • Regent Catherine Collins • Literacy Workshops • Field Trips Most Valuable Parent (MVP) Voter Registration Arts & Crafts Workshops Job Postings Resume Writing Health & Wellness Seminars Kids. Zone/Play Area Family Appreciation Dinners Provide Meeting Space

But the first question is: What do you need?

Community Schools’ and Parent Center’s Metrics • Increase academic achievement (grade point averages, District, school and State assessment results) * • Increase student attendance • Increase student and authentic parent & family engagement* • Increase the access to adult education programs within the community • Increase the number of participants attending the afterschool / Saturday programs • Increase the number of community students within walking distance and 1. 5 miles attending the targeted schools • Improve the school climate, in support of school leadership, to be a welcoming and supportive environment for students and families • Improved student leadership in school / community • Improve the health and wellness of students • Improve the social-emotional well-being of students • Improve community engagement in the schools (higher education, business, city, county, community & faith-based organizations, etc. ) • Improve the community’s perception of the community schools • Improve the safe passage to the community schools for students • Decrease student classroom removals, behavioral issues and suspensions* • Decrease tardiness • Decrease parents barriers to engagement and access* *Denotes Parent Center Metric

Barriers to Involvement • • • Time Knowledge Policies Historical education trauma Training

PARENT ACADEMY STRANDS Strand 1: Academics (Pre-Natal-College/Career Strand 2: Social Emotional Learning And Wellness Strand 3: My Brothers Keeper Strand 4: Parent Leadership & Advocacy Strand 5: Personal And Professional Development Strand 6: Soon To-Be- And New Parent Support Strand 7: Family Bonding E…… Parent Center and Adult Courses: Speed Networking for Employment, What to Expect When You’re Expecting - Parenting Series, FAFSA Completion, Every Bottom Covered, Mini College Road Map for Parents, Tax Preparation, Raising A Reader, Single Moms Club, Extreme Couponing, Computer Classes, Parenting Fatherless Daughters, Understanding Special Education, Citizenship Test Preparation, Translator Courses, First Time Home Buyer Orientation, Fundamentals of Swimming, Community Circles, Home Improvement, Daddy’s Girl Book Club, Understand My Child’s IEP, My Child with Disabilities has been Suspended, Now What? , Creating my Babies Library, Healing Circles for Adults, and much more… 18

Parent Center and Adult Education Programs Adult Education South Zone 4, 500 Parent Centers Northeast Zone West Zone East Zone Total =3, 508 3, 750 Total =3, 146 Total =3, 022 Total =2, 673 3, 000 Total =2, 457 2, 250 1, 000 Total =1, 994 Total =1, 890 Total =2, 048 Total =2, 000 2, 254 Total =1, 447 Total =1, 322 1, 500 750 1, 213 244 1, 940 1, 763 1, 229 781 562 680 171 81 0 2018 -19 789 1, 877 1, 203 2017 -18 2, 574 1, 210 Total =643 1, 673 2016 -17 1, 745 2016 -17 2017 -18 2018 -19 1, 211 517 448 2017 -18 2018 -19 892 93 2016 -17 2017 -18 2018 -19

Authentic Engagement • Comprehensive • Systemic • Integrated

“Decisions made for us, without us, is not for us”