Guest Post by Joe Mazza

Each year, schools have the opportunity to engage and re-engage families in the education of their children. The success of these efforts depend on many things including but not limited to current and past strategies put in place, leadership, current and past relationship with family and community stakeholders, access, fear, socio-economic status and school/district policies in place. However, if the building principal is not fully invested in ongoing relationship-building and differentiating for the needs of the school families, the best plans will fail and any home-school advancements will be limited at best. The school leader is the key player to best practice family & community engagement at your school.

During this Wednesday night’s Parent-Teacher Chat (#ptchat), parents, teachers and leaders will discuss the following six keys for success. Join us at 9PM EDT / 6PM PST for a lively discussion with the creation of a Google Doc for school leaders to use in planning for the new school year. 

According to the CCS Principals Share What Works in Community & Family Engagement study, the following six keys to community engagement were identified as a guide for school leaders in engaging school families. 

1–Know Where You’re Going

Create a vision of what your school should look like and develop a plan for how to get there. Begin by seeking input from school staff, families, partners, and community residents. Any vision must incorporate the diverse interests of all members of the school and community. Make sure that the vision’s goals and objectives are broadly owned.

2–Share Leadership

Invite those partners from the community who share your school’s vision to also share resources, expertise, and accountability for targeted objectives. Work deliberately with staff, families, and the community to reach established goals.

3–Reach Out

Learn about the community and become a visible presence in it. Listen to what families say they want—not just what others think they need. Respond honestly. Make changes that advance the school’s vision.

4–Don’t Ignore the Elephant in the Room

Acknowledge and address issues of race and class and define diversity as a strength. Create opportunities for honest conversations about differences from the earliest stages of vision building. Distinguish between assumptions and facts.

5–Tell Your School’s Story

Know how to make your school’s vision come alive. Use stories and data to engage all kinds of community groups in conversations about why public education matters and what they can do to help. Create the political will to support school efforts.

6–Stay on Course

Only engage in partnerships that are demonstrably aligned with your school’s vision, goals, and objectives. Regularly assess your progress. Focus on long-term sustainability.