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School-Family Partnerships: Why They Matter
For the next two months, we'll share details about teachers making decisions with parents and families. This month we are focusing on why it’s essential to partner with parents and families. Next month, we’ll focus on how to do it.
Seeing Students as Children FirstWhen we see students as children first, we focus on their wellbeing as humans. Our partnerships with their parents and family members can help us know students more completely. Then, we can design classrooms and lessons that are matched to their talents and interests.
It is our combined responsibility as parents and families, teachers, and community members to create good learners and good citizens.
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A teacher and paraprofessional from Beach Court Elementary conduct a "home visit" with a student and parent at McDonald's.
Leah Schultz-Bartlett, principal at Beach Court Elementary in Denver, Colorado, weighed in: “As a district and a school, family involvement is a critical aspect of the work we do. We share a collective belief that as educators, we are in partnership with families and communities in the service of educating their children.”
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Schultz-Bartlett has served as a member of the Center for Urban Education’s Principal Cohort since 2018. Cohort members work in concert with the Center’s staff to fill the teacher pipeline for Denver-area schools.
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Benefits for StudentsAs researcher Joyce Epstein pointed out, “With frequent interactions among schools, families, and communities, more students are more likely to receive common messages from various people about the importance of school, of working hard, of thinking creatively, of helping one another, and of staying in school.”
Short term, some partnership practices will influence students' skills and scores, while others will influence behaviors and attitudes—about parents, school, and themselves. Students have more of a sense of ownership in their achievement goals. They see more consistency between the school’s goals and their parents’ goals for them. The result is an overall better and more positive experience at school and a sense of pride in their schoolwork and the learning process.
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Interested in becoming a teacher? Join us for one of these three upcoming informational sessions.
PARAPROFESSIONAL OPEN HOUSE
in partnership with
Adams 12 School District
Thursday,
February 20, 2020
4:15 to 5:15 PM
Thornton Elementary School
991 Eppinger Blvd.
Thornton CO 80229
RSVP here.
PARAPROFESSIONAL OPEN HOUSE
in partnership with
Cherry Creek School District
Monday, March 9, 2020
4:00 to 5:00 PM
Cherry Creek School District
Office of Human Resources
4700 S. Yosemite St.
Greenwood Village CO 80111
RSVP here.
PARAPROFESSIONAL OPEN HOUSE
in partnership with
Aurora Public Schools
Friday, March 13, 2020
10:00 to 11:30 AM
North Middle School
12095 E Montview Blvd, Aurora, CO 80010
RSVP here.
PRESENTATION:
THE ESSENCE OF BRILLIANT TEACHING
Dr. Yemi Stembridge will define brilliant teaching and explain how it empowers students. Friends of the Center are invited.
Friday, March 20, 2020
1:30 to 4:00 PM
Center for Urban Education Auditorium
1059 Alton Way
Denver, CO 80230
RSVP here.
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The same Beach Court teachers conduct a family visit at a student's home.
Long term, we expect the partnership to yield confident learners who are prepared to contribute to their families, work places, and communities.
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Benefits for ParentsParents benefit from joint decision-making, too. They feel seen and heard. They feel a sense of ownership in the school and in their children’s achievement. They increase their knowledge of and confidence in parenting, and they gain leadership skills. Because they are acknowledged as unique, they feel pride in their culture and family dynamic.
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Benefits for TeachersTeachers benefit from an increased understanding of different cultures and parenting styles. They get the satisfaction of getting to know the students at a whole new level, because they work with the parents to understand the home environment and their hopes and dreams for the children. Teachers use the information they glean to improve the curriculum and make all students feel more included.
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| Overcoming Misconceptions“Families that don’t attend school events don’t care about their children’s success.”
“Families are too busy to be involved with their kids’ schooling.”
“Illiterate or non-English speaking families can’t help their children with school.”
Have you heard these or other assumptions? Maybe you’ve made one of these arguments yourself? Unfortunately, they hinder collaboration with parents and families. It’s time to rethink.
Schultz-Bartlett puts it into perspective: “As a building leader, I operate with the philosophy that all families love and want the best for their children. As a staff and as individuals, we have to reframe how we define ‘involvement.’ If a child comes to school every day, that shows a level of involvement. If a parent comes to you with concerns, that shows a level of involvement.”
“I don’t accept the idea that parents don’t care or don’t want what’s best for their child,” she continued. “I’ve asked my staff to consider whether the attendance at their event was low because it was held it at 10 AM. As a working mom, I couldn’t go to that party or meeting.”
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Let’s replace the old misconceptions with more friendly, open, collaborative language. Consider:
“Families from different ethnic and racial groups may have alternative and vital ways of supporting their children. How can I get to know them better?”
“Not every family can make it to events, and not every family feels comfortable coming to school. It doesn’t mean they don’t care.”
“Busy, working parents have other ways of staying in touch with the school. Let’s think about how to facilitate that.”
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Self-Assessment These three questions will help you do a quick assessment of where you are when it comes to successfully partnering with parents and families.
1. I create positive relationships with families so that we can work as a team to best meet their children's needs.
- Most of the time
- Some of the time
- Never
2. I encourage all families to give me feedback.
- Most of the time
- Some of the time
- Never
3. I believe that all parents and families want what is best for their children.
- Most of the time
- Some of the time
- Never
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How Do You Partner with Parents and Families?Email us to share how you’re working with parents and families, and the difference it’s making in your school. We’d like to share your success in a future issue of the Chronicle!
Resources
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How School and Community Leaders Partner with CUEOn Tuesday, February 11, school and community leaders from across the Denver area met at the UNC Center for Urban Education at Lowry. The agenda: learning more about the Center’s unique teacher-preparation program and exploring ways to work together.
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Current CUE students spoke about why they love teaching and what they appreciate about this program.
Pictured, left to right: Sedric Miller, Devon Reese, Stephanie LeClair, and Jessica Williams
Not pictured: Caitlynn East
Current students talked about their experiences and why they were drawn to teaching. A principal asked how she should coach the paraprofessionals at her school who are interested in becoming teachers. Teacher candidate Devon Reese (pictured on the right in the first photo, above) said, “I’d tell them to just dive in. I’m not going to say it’s easy, but it’s not overwhelming, either.”
Other teacher candidates talked about how the homework assignments relate directly to their jobs and in fact are often a part of the job.
The community is always ready to reach out to our impressive students. These students have summer jobs if they want them, and several principals want to hire them as teachers when they graduate from the program.
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Newsletter Archive
Did you miss previous issues of the Chronicle? Visit the Leadership Council page on our website, scroll down, and click on past newsletters.
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