Family Success at the Heart of Engagement Efforts in Mass. District is the headline of an Ed Week article last month.

It describes what appears to be a fairly extensive parent involvement effort at the schools in Springfield, MA.

Here’s how it begins:

If parents in the Springfield, Mass., school system want to help their children with the college-application process, figure out how to balance the family budget, learn to knit, or even become a certified lifeguard, there’s a class for that, thanks to the district’s Parent Academy.

Now in its fourth year, the academy, started by Patricia A. Spradley, the chief parent and community engagement officer in the 26,000-student district, offers more than three dozen courses. Some are geared toward academics, some toward student well-being, some are just for fun.