Welcoming All Families Into the School Community Welcoming
- Slides: 23
Welcoming All Families Into the School Community
• Welcoming all families as part of a path to create a: • Welcoming school climate • Building a trusting, respectful, and inclusive school community • Family-School partnership • Realize that school culture strongly impacts family engagement • Encourage parental participation in school improvement efforts • Communicate with transparency Welcoming All Families – Responsive Classroom 2003
Challenges in reaching out to parents • Parents may: • work long or irregular hours • may have limited English skills • have past education experiences that might make school an intimidating place • have different cultural views regarding education, authority, time, respect, and male/female roles Welcoming All Families 2003
To welcome families - what can schools do? Schools and districts maintain and improve their welcoming and encouraging environment by purposefully: • monitoring • measuring • evaluating • action planning to ensure that the school environment and atmosphere are inviting and that families feel welcomed, engaged, important, and involved in the education of their children
To welcome families – what can schools do? • School staff should be trained in effective family engagement practices and customer service. • Schools should respond promptly to parents’ concerns. • Schools should create Family Centers staffed with trained and qualified personnel that can provide resources.
Creating a welcoming environment for parents and community • Families should feel like they belong • Families should have opportunities to develop relationships and communicate with school staff that serve their children • Is the school atmosphere family-friendly and reflective of the cultures and languages of the community? • Can families easily volunteer and participate in children’s education – even if parents: • Don’t speak English • Have transportation deficits • Lack education
Build a respectful, inclusive school community • School policies and programs should reflect and respect the diversity of the families in the community. • Does the school staff work with families to identify and address barriers to involvement (differences of income, education, language, and culture)? • Are events open to the whole family and offered at convenient times and places? Are we thinking of new, , and creative ways to involve parents?
What parents can do • Ask the school staff about using evaluations and surveys to gauge the schools performance, inclusiveness, respect, etc. • Do volunteer work at home. • Work with and get to know other parents while at school activities and events. • Recruit bilingual parents to help families whose first language isn’t English. • Recognize a Teacher of the Month
What parents can do • Encourage schools to hold meetings in community locations • Participate in school activities created for family engagement (PTA, Site Council, parent-teacher conferences, open house, etc. ). • Work with school staff to designate a bulletin board or hallway as a family celebration area • Work to make a change. If other parents complain, threaten or use ethnic slurs against school staff or other parents: • stay positive • encourage them to speak with building administration and/or staff • discourage the slurs and acts of violence
What school leaders and staff can do • Engage as a team with parents and community members • Review programs for family engagement and professional development • After surveying families, reflect on the results with a team of stakeholders (parents, teachers, and administrators) to: • Identify strengths • Identify needs • Identify policies and practices that impact welcoming all families
What school leaders and staff can do • Improve communication with families • Create customer service guidelines and for school staff • Engage in outreach for families that are not as involved, not commonly heard, and hard to reach • Set up a parents/community help desk outside the office, a bulletin board for families/community or family resource center
What school leaders and staff can do • Address negative treatment and assumptions about families, communities, and students • Publicize the hours of staff availability for parents • Have patience for families with various points of view • You can say you welcome and value families but it’s another thing to show it – Walk the Talk
What school leaders and staff can do National Association for family, school, and community engagement (NAFSCE) recommendations: 1. Champion equity and diversity 2. Value and support families as decision-makers 3. Build the capacity of educators to effectively engage families 4. Provide families with access and resources to be learning partners 5. Support family well-being
NAFSCE Stats From Interviewing Educators, Family Engagement Practitioners, Parents, and Community Leaders • 93% believed that parents should be partners in the school reopening planning • 64% felt that leaders in their school system valued the role that families play in their children’s success • 88% reported that the families they served had a greater need for technology • 89% indicated a greater need for high-speed internet • 88% indicated a greater need for remote learning opportunities
To develop and promote partnerships Developing a strong partnership between parents and educators may be challenging and no one should assume the partnership will automatically work productively, but these tips may help: • Respect: Parent-teacher relationships are based on: • • mutual respect cultural sensitivity a focus on strengths rather than deficits attention to the needs of families, as perceived by families School Learning Support Program – Positively Engaging Parents, November 2010
To develop and promote partnerships - • Communicating: Schools should make parents/families feel valued by ensuring there is a two-way exchange between families and schools. • Are parents asked – “How do we communicate effectively with you? ” • Are parents asked – “What is your preference – email, person-to-person, phone, a translator, etc. ? ” • Use technology to link parents to the classroom
To develop and promote partnerships • When talking to second language learners, try to: • Speak slowly, enunciate clearly, and limit complex words or slang • Offer clarification and ask for confirmation of understanding • Consider using props, gestures, visuals, etc. , as long as they aren’t insulting or offensive • Encourage sharing about home culture or the family Welcoming All Families – Responsive Classroom 2003
How to evaluate your school Staff __ How are you treated when you enter the office? __ Are staff members friendly? Do they smile? __ Are you acknowledged immediately and treated courteously? __ If you have concerns or questions, are they addressed quickly and appropriately? __ Do staff members ask whether you need help? __ In what manner are the phones answered? Physical Environment __ Are entrances well-marked? __ Are signs clearly written in languages meaningful to the student and parent population? __ Are signs welcoming or intimidating? __ Are maps or guides available to help guests get around?
How to evaluate your school Written Material __ Do parents receive information from school on a consistent basis? This includes handbooks, flyers, newsletters, and notices. __ What is the nature of such materials? Is the font size, style, and layout appropriate? __ How does the school communicate with families for whom English is a second language? Practices and Policies __ Are parents encouraged to participate at school on a regular basis? How? __ What is the sign-in procedure for visitors? __ Is there an orientation or information packet for new families? __ Is it a policy for teachers to contact each student before school starts? __ How is voice mail and email handled? __ Are school policies provided to parents in a format they can understand? PTO Today 2014 – Is Your School Parent Friendly?
Additional Suggestions • Create a welcoming committee to provide new families with important information, resources, and a support system • Mail or email welcome packets • Enlist parents as greeters before and after school • Involve parents in decision-making National PTA 2009
Additional suggestions • Ensure that all aspects of the school reflect respect, value of diversity, and opportunities for parents to get involved • Honor parents who contribute to the school • Have an open door policy that allow parents to connect with the school. Listen, learn, and inform! Dept. of Ed. Georgia, Dr. John D. Barge, State School Superintendent 2012
When Schools And Families Team Up To Help Children Learn, Everyone Wins!
THANK YOU! Tamara Huff, Family and Community Network Specialist Wichita Public Schools / USD 259 (316) 973 -4576 Keith Reynolds, Director of Training for Equity and Diversity Wichita Public Schools / USD 259 (316) 973 -4572
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