For generations, it wasn’t common for educators and parents to connect in substantive ways.
They might share brief hellos on back-to-school night. Perhaps there were phone calls (and, in more recent generations, emails), if problems arose. But months could pass without a word.
Teachers had few roadmaps for inviting parents to be their collaborative partners, and parents saw few inroads beyond volunteering at the occasional class party.
Today, though, schools are aiming to close that traditional distance. Many school districts in western Pennsylvania — including South Fayette, New Castle Area, and Fox Chapel Area — are leveraging support from The Grable Foundation to pursue real engagement with their communities and building authentic connections with families.
Michelle Miller, superintendent of the South Fayette Township School District, believes that real engagement between schools, families and caregivers can have a measurable impact on student success.
Tabitha Marino, assistant superintendent at New Castle Area, agrees that attracting and connecting with families is not only possible; it’s pivotal. “I have seen firsthand that family-school engagement is a vital way to improve students’ engagement with learning, boost attendance, and make meaningful progress with behavioral issues,” Marino says.
At Fox Chapel Area, families decorated cardboard coffee sleeves with messages of kindness, which were handed out at local coffee shops. Meanwhile, the district’s annual wellness and safety fair has grown, with the help of a Tugboat Grant from Remake Learning, into a community wellness fair held at a centrally located municipal parking lot, rather than tucked inside a school building.
SCHOOL LEADERS OFFER TIPS TO CREATING PATHWAYS FOR PARENT ENGAGEMENT
Today, educators are seeing the value in that more than ever – and the result of their efforts strengthens not only schools themselves, but the families they serve.
Dr. Michelle Miller offers these tips for parents looking for ways to get involved as the new school year begins:
• Build a relationship with at least one adult at school.
• Volunteer in ways that fit your life.
• Look for school events that you can do with your child.
• Change your perception: sometimes parents and families don’t feel welcome on campus. We want to lower the bar for contact. “One of the things that we’ve really looked at in the past two years is being more invitational — really inviting people onto our campus, especially those who may not have always felt welcome before,” Miller says.
Tabitha Marino, Ph.D. Assistant to the Superintendent New Castle Area School District believes that School-Family relationships are an essential piece to student success! Maintaining and building positive, trusting relationships by providing continued opportunities for parents/guardians to be informed, involved, and engaged is an ongoing goal in our district. She offers suggestions for parents:
- Stay in the know, ask questions, share concerns and ideas.
- Join when you can.
- Talk about school and learning at home
- Be aware that your child notices.
Like South Fayette and New Castle Area, Fox Chapel Area School District has participated in the Parents as Allies family-school engagement project. The project, funded by The Grable Foundation, pairs teams of parents and school staff to work together to build stronger bonds, and they aren’t just focused on students and their learning. They’re also thinking about how to turn it outward, to the larger community’s benefit.
These districts belong to Future-Driven Schools, a regional alliance of school districts working to prepare every learner for tomorrow with support from The Grable Foundation. Together, these districts help teachers, administrators, and board members do what they do best: innovate and collaborate in ways that benefit students and beyond.
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