Reconsidering Family Engagement and Parent Leadership (Anne Henderson, Parent Leaders)

August 31, 2020

Information

The abrupt change to at-home learning required a reboot to traditional family engagement practices where teachers, families and students had to work more closely as collaborators and partners. This session helps use that disruption to propel a new era of family engagement that welcomes families as leaders and co-creators of their children’s education.

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00:00Hey everybody, welcome back.
00:02I hope everyone got a chance
00:05to take a little break.
00:07Maybe grab and snack and I want
00:10to thank everyone for joining
00:12and thank all of our panelists
00:15in today's last session of the
00:17day is on family engagement and
00:20specifically parent leadership,
00:21which is a direction that are we,
00:24presenter Anne Henderson has spent a
00:26lot of time thinking about recently.
00:29Family engagement as all of you.
00:31Have experienced from one side
00:33or the other as as an educator
00:36or as a parent yourself.
00:38Family engagement has recently been
00:40flipped on its head and we have
00:43families at home trying to act in
00:46the best of their abilities as
00:48educators and we also this flipped
00:51model works in both directions where
00:53we have families also appreciating
00:55in a new light the job that teachers
00:58do and teachers appreciating what
01:00an invaluable resource.
01:02Families can be so,
01:03so in this panel we're going to mainly
01:06here from three parent leaders,
01:08and we've got no one.
01:10No one better to tell the story
01:12of family engagement during this
01:14time then parents themselves.
01:16But we are also very pleased
01:18to be joined by Ann Henderson.
01:20Ann is one of the foremost leaders
01:22in the field of family engagement.
01:25She's been involved from the inception
01:27of it as as a growing field,
01:30but continues to lead the way in.
01:32New research,
01:33and to that extent we're very
01:35pleased that she's working on
01:37a book with doctor Karen.
01:39Map for us compiling some of the
01:42latest and greatest research on the
01:44evidence behind the effectiveness
01:46of family engagement.
01:47So welcome and thank you very much.
01:50I'm in specialty is the relationship
01:52between families and schools,
01:54especially families,
01:55who are often marginalized because of
01:57low income, race, language and culture.
02:00And she's written many books, including.
02:02Which many of you may know beyond the
02:05big sale and and other publications.
02:08She's also a co-founder of nasci,
02:10the National Association for family,
02:12school, and community engagement.
02:14So thank you Anne Anne Anne for panelists.
02:17We have you here.
02:18I can't see yet,
02:20so I'll help you go has joined
02:23and there you are.
02:24How you go have the pleasure to meet you.
02:28Go doing some practice sessions and
02:30she's a proud parent of a rising 7th.
02:34Greater choose one of the founding
02:36members of the West Hartford
02:38parent community equity,
02:39diversity and inclusion group and
02:41works with various parent leaders,
02:43community organizations,
02:44and the school district in West Hartford.
02:48She's a former high school teacher,
02:50so she knows this from both sides
02:52in the Boston area and spent more
02:54than a decade advocating for public
02:56school students and families,
02:58particularly in the Asian American community,
03:00and continues to advocate for racial
03:02and educational equity as a parent.
03:05Over the last two years you have
03:07been honing her parent leadership
03:09skills that participating in parent
03:11leadership Training Institute PLT,
03:13an University of Connecticut's people,
03:15empowering people program.
03:16Thank you usually look forward
03:18to hearing
03:19from you in the discussion and we
03:22also have Janine McMahon hi Deneen,
03:24nice to see you not behind the wheel of
03:28your car on zoom that was frightening.
03:32It's great to see you, Janine is also
03:35the mother of two living in Hartford.
03:38Ann is apparent leadership coordinator,
03:40a graduate and facilitator of PLT.
03:42I and you can pass the same programs
03:45that Yukio is involved with.
03:47She's also apparent consultant in
03:50Connecticut's two Gen Advisory Board and a
03:53co-founder of the two Gen Parent Academy.
03:55In addition, Janine is a national parent
03:58advisor for ascend at the Aspen Institute.
04:01Postsecondary success for parents initiative,
04:02and just one last bit from Janine's
04:05bio is that she is a mentor and
04:08has worked on the race,
04:10equity and parent leadership manifesto for
04:12the Center for the study of social policy.
04:15So thank you very much for joining our panel,
04:18Janine, with a lot to learn from you.
04:22Leo, nice to see you.
04:24I'm Leo is married and the
04:26father of four boys,
04:28ranging in age ranging in age from 3 to 13.
04:32He was in Fairfield,
04:33CA and loves to go on trips and he's very
04:36involved in helping his local community
04:39and the Hispanic community in particular.
04:42So welcome Ann and our Pam list
04:44and I'll send it over to him.
04:48OK. Next slide.
04:54So what we're going to do today is
04:57we consider family engagement and
04:59parent leadership which is upping
05:02the game on family engagement.
05:04To really think about parent voice
05:08and working with parents as partners.
05:11And our parent leaders are
05:12going to tell you the story.
05:14I'm just going to spend a
05:16couple of minutes framing it.
05:18Next slide.
05:21You can see our panelists names
05:23are here and there spelling next.
05:28So we're going to interview them
05:30about their experience with this
05:32whole New World of remote learning,
05:35where parents are being put in a
05:38much more educational role than
05:41they have been used to doing an R.
05:44Needing to work with teachers
05:46as real partners all of a sudden
05:50with no training last March.
05:52And we're going to discuss how parent
05:55educators collaboration can make
05:57everybody's job easier and will take
06:00some time to answer your questions.
06:02Please put your questions in
06:05the Q and a box and we will.
06:09Address them as they come up,
06:11but also have some time at the end of
06:14this panel for some more discussion
06:16between the panelists and our audience.
06:19Next
06:22I've just finished working on a major
06:25study of parent leadership initiatives.
06:27This is an area that has not been
06:31well studied, but it turns out
06:34is pervasive across the country.
06:36There are literally hundreds of initiatives.
06:39Some of them are local,
06:41some of them are state to develop
06:44parents as leaders in their community
06:46as partners as people with ideas as
06:49problem solvers as advocates next.
06:54So this book is the story about how people
06:58who saw themselves as just apparent.
07:01Became transformed into powerful leaders
07:03and have made important major changes
07:06in their families and communities,
07:08and they define themselves as parent leaders
07:12as people who take action who do things
07:15and who mobilize others to solve problems.
07:19People who become experts on their
07:21families and their community and have
07:24valuable information to share with public
07:27officials and other community leaders.
07:29And as we looked at what?
07:32These parent leaders have accomplished.
07:35It's really astonishing.
07:37More funding for schools,
07:39new community facilities,
07:41community education programs,
07:43expanded early childhood programs,
07:45changes in policy's that were hindering
07:50parents and children from advancing.
07:53The list goes on,
07:55but let's think about this in the
07:58context of our current dilemma,
08:01which is moving from.
08:03A public education system where
08:05children go to school everyday with
08:08teachers and parents go to work to
08:11one where parents may be working
08:13remotely may have lost their jobs.
08:16May be single parents.
08:17Their children are at home,
08:19teachers are trying to reach
08:21them in various ways,
08:23mostly using technology and we've
08:25all been trying to figure out how
08:28to make this work so our children
08:31are learning what they need to
08:33know or not falling behind.
08:35And parents can somehow manage
08:38this feat at home next.
08:44My organization, the National Association
08:47family school community engagement just
08:50did a survey of families and teachers
08:52and people who are hired in the education
08:56system to work with families and what
08:58they found is that there's just a
09:01groundswell of support and appreciation
09:04for family and community engagement.
09:06But they feel the policies and practices are
09:10not keeping pace with what needs to happen.
09:14And all of this has revealed deep in
09:18equities in our education system,
09:21including families access to
09:22technology and broadband,
09:24and to devices that can access that
09:28and be used at home.
09:31So technology is a vital tool for
09:33bridging these barriers and also for
09:35bridging cultural and language barriers.
09:37Just think of this pandemic had
09:40happened 30 years ago and we had.
09:42We just didn't have this technology at all.
09:45Where would we be?
09:48And community partners are playing
09:50a vital role in providing resources
09:52for engaging families.
09:54So working with them as well as with
09:57families in schools is vitalie important net.
10:00Text.
10:03So let's hear from our panel.
10:06We're going to ask them about the
10:09challenges they've experienced,
10:10what they wish their schools and
10:13districts do to support them,
10:16and how parent leaders can help
10:18schools cope with this crisis.
10:21So you go.
10:23As we think about moving forward
10:25into a new school year,
10:28we have to reflect on this abrupt
10:30moves that we went into last spring,
10:33and what we've learned from it.
10:36What would you say are the
10:38top challenges you and your
10:41family experienced last spring?
10:43Great
10:44thank you everyone for joining us today.
10:46Anan for listening to
10:48parent voice as a part of.
10:51Your professional development,
10:52or just knowledge,
10:54and so the two things for us.
10:57We have an only child and
10:59she's a middle schooler,
11:01and the academics were OK,
11:03but it was that social, emotional,
11:06and like the social interaction
11:08piece that that she felt a really
11:11deep deep sense of loss for an
11:13myself being Asian immigrant,
11:16I am no role model for self
11:19care and mental health.
11:21And so for me,
11:23as a parent trying to support
11:25my daughter transition from,
11:27you know,
11:28being this lively environment
11:30where she has these relationships
11:32in the middle school setting
11:34and new friendships to just
11:36being at home by yourself,
11:38you know, facing the computer,
11:40that was kind of hard.
11:42But thankfully,
11:43as one of
11:44her remotes classes
11:46she had help.
11:47So she was kind of forced
11:50to talk about her own.
11:52You know emotions and practice
11:54mindfulness and different coping skills,
11:56so I think that was really helpful that
11:59she was a little bit forced to do that
12:02because I know that I wasn't able to
12:05fully tend to those aspects because
12:08I really wasn't sure how to do it.
12:11And also I was really appreciative of
12:13the school being cognizant of the fact
12:16that that this is emotionally draining
12:18for our children and they did send age
12:22appropriate information and resources for.
12:24How to talk to your middle schooler about
12:27their emotions or what they're going through,
12:30and you know what kinds of things to
12:33lookout for and how to keep them on a on
12:37a physically and mentally healthy place.
12:40So those were really great aspects of the
12:43communication that came out of the school.
12:46But even before school shut down
12:48one of the other challenges that
12:50were that was really on my mind was
12:54the rise in Anti Asian racism.
12:56Because of Kovid and.
13:02In Connecticut, so we're from Connecticut.
13:04In Connecticut, there's a cross
13:06state why there's about 5% that
13:08identify as Asian or Asian American,
13:11and in our district there's
13:13about 10% and we are.
13:16In terms of demographics,
13:17it goes white as the largest Hispanic.
13:20Latino is the next Asian Asian American
13:23and then black and African American in.
13:25That's the order of,
13:27like the number of students and
13:29families that identify as such an,
13:32even though we are in a district that has
13:34a pretty large Asian American population.
13:40I kept waiting for that
13:42communication from the district.
13:43You know, as they were.
13:46Just canceling large scale events
13:48and ultimately closing schools.
13:49And I was just waiting for that like hey,
13:53we see you, we acknowledge this
13:55is a hard time for our community
13:58members and we've got your back
14:01and that didn't quite come out.
14:04And so I was able to organize some
14:07Asian American parents to meet with
14:09district leadership and say how is the
14:12district going to support our Asian
14:15and Asian American educators students?
14:17And families through the racial trauma
14:20and job loss because many of our
14:23parents are small business owners.
14:26Anna lot of the Asian restaurants were
14:29getting hit even before March and so
14:33we were able to have that conversation.
14:37But it was just so much more going on.
14:42And it still continues to be one of
14:44the things that we are, you know,
14:46fighting for and advocating for, but.
14:49But at least you know I had access
14:51to the right people to be able to
14:54start that conversation in getting
14:56the ball rolling
14:57on that. So you go, that's important example
15:00of what parent leaders can do to call out
15:04issues like that and raise awareness of
15:06them with the schools in the district.
15:09Because, as Michelle Obama said,
15:10the other night, what when we go high?
15:13That doesn't mean ignoring things like that.
15:16It means calling them
15:18out and doing something.
15:20And so thank you for that, Leo.
15:22Thank you. Tell us about your
15:25challenges for boys at home.
15:27I have two grandkids who are here and there.
15:30Adorable but driving me nuts.
15:32How have you managed 3 for children at home?
15:36With remote learning,
15:38what were your challenge is definitely.
15:41Definitely and in appreciate the time right?
15:45Everyone is here to here as his parents.
15:50An yeah like you measure right there,
15:53there's four. We have four boys,
15:55three of them are in school at Little.
15:58One is in a adult school program,
16:00so it was kind of hard
16:02to keep him up with pie.
16:04So much attention that he needs to three
16:07years old while the same time have to
16:10having to manage with or or first grade
16:13at that time because being a first
16:15grader right requires also a lot of.
16:19Hand holding being there constantly
16:21with that with him and or later
16:25what they have anything.
16:28Nothing to do but just to come in
16:30and I know he's been scrolling.
16:32I mean, I'm there.
16:35So that's what that that's one
16:38of the challenges.
16:40Other challenges where you know,
16:42obviously tried to format schedule.
16:47At that time there was not much structure
16:51that that that was able to be share.
16:54There was a. I learning experience.
16:58Obviously technology was a was a challenge.
17:03I had to be working.
17:08But it's in time I had to be helping.
17:11The kids and then my wife
17:14to navigate through the.
17:16Challenges of getting to
17:18learn how to navigate.
17:20In our case, Google Classroom
17:21Google needs and and all those
17:23tools that our district uses.
17:28Yeah. Thank you and it must
17:32have been very interesting.
17:33Did that? Did the children sort
17:35of help each other at all?
17:39Yeah or? At that time world now 4th
17:44grader and 2nd grader 4th grader helps
17:48or second grader a lot reference to
17:51help him navigate on how to utilize
17:54the tools and then or 8th grader,
17:57now is the oldest is the more tech savvy.
18:01He I leveraged his knowledge and.
18:06Interesting technology to go and help
18:08out when I'm not really needed, right?
18:11'cause obviously that takes away from
18:13me to be doing other important things.
18:16So yeah, I definitely did the delegates,
18:19right? I learn to delegate who my kids.
18:23It's something that I definitely want
18:26to continue doing my Commission right
18:29before I went to also empower them to
18:32be able to solve some of the problems
18:35to have that direct connection with
18:38their teachers to make sure they are.
18:41Uh, even the communication and
18:44go into the expert, right?
18:47Yeah.
18:48My goodness and did you have enough?
18:53Connectivity in your Wi-Fi for.
18:56You know you and three kids
18:58to all be on at the same time,
19:01and enough devices that. How did
19:04that work? Yeah, that's a challenge.
19:07Or our Internet has range here at House.
19:10I've been having some issues with
19:13expanding the Internet so they all
19:15can be spread out specially now
19:18you know before it was more of A.
19:22Not too much live interaction meetings,
19:24but today they just started,
19:26so it's been kind of a crazy
19:28morning and all of them had to be
19:31on meetings at the same time 'cause
19:33we have my knees here helping her,
19:35so that's four little ones.
19:38That they are in their learning, so it.
19:41But but we need that that space we need
19:43their room so they can be spread out and nut.
19:46It's doing feedback with each other, right?
19:48When they're in the clouds and
19:50obviously there something somewhere
19:52to range or in, and it has.
19:54The speed is fine. It's
19:55the the range, etc. Yeah,
19:57thank you Leo. Mean. What about you?
20:01What were the challenges you faced?
20:08Hi Good afternoon everyone
20:09and thank you for having me be
20:12apart of this important discussion.
20:14One of my main challenges.
20:16I have a 17 year old who was about
20:19to finish high school and I have a 9
20:22year old who is in the third one was
20:26in the third grade and one of the
20:29main challenges is just having two
20:31kids in two totally different grades,
20:33learning totally different things
20:35and knowing how to support them.
20:37Each that's the main one.
20:39The second one was trying to learn
20:42an navigate Google Classroom along
20:44with the multiple other apps that
20:46we had to tap into to complete
20:49the course work on a daily basis.
20:51I am pretty computer savvy for the
20:54most part an I had difficulty,
20:56so I oftentimes thought about
20:58other parents and other families
21:01that might not be as savvy with
21:03the with technology who might have
21:05had the same struggles over worse.
21:08Because there's you know,
21:09like they had no real experience,
21:12experiences navigating Google
21:14Classroom and these other apps so
21:17that those were my main challenges
21:19and my ultimate challenge was.
21:22Router my router not having that
21:25bandwidth to support everybody
21:26working at home at the same time.
21:28So I live in a three family house.
21:31I'm on one floor.
21:32My mom's on the other and then I
21:35have a tenant downstairs so we
21:37had my mom working from home.
21:39My little brother who was about
21:41to graduate Wesleyan University
21:43working from home.
21:44My son,
21:44my daughter and myself all at the
21:47same time and I would constantly
21:49get kicked off of the Internet.
21:51I may have been running.
21:53Meeting zoom meetings with some of
21:55my parent leaders or doing a panel
21:58like this and I've got kicked off
22:00at the same time my daughter is
22:02working on some school work and is
22:04needing that assistance and that
22:06attention and I wasn't able to
22:08provide exactly what she needed
22:10at that given point in time.
22:11I also did not have that connection with
22:14the teacher that I hoped I would have.
22:17I was able to email call every now and again,
22:20but the teachers I think could
22:22have connected a little bit more
22:24with the children they did.
22:26'cause I think every Tuesday and Thursday.
22:28From 10:00 to 10:30.
22:29So it was a half an hour for 20 something.
22:33Kids to engage, you know, on a weekly basis.
22:37So in total,
22:38one hour a week for these children
22:40to interact with their their peers,
22:43an interact with their teachers.
22:45And I didn't think that that was sufficient.
22:48And just like Ukyo,
22:49there was that social emotional aspect to it.
22:52My daughter had many breakdowns.
22:54She was talking to friends who had cousins,
22:57who was also her friends,
22:59and they were at each others houses.
23:02She didn't have those luxuries.
23:03She was at home by herself and
23:06would oftentimes end up crying like
23:08she would be crying hysterically
23:10because she wasn't engaging and
23:12interacting with her friends.
23:14She's in cheerleading.
23:15She was unable to connect with her
23:17cheerleading team,
23:18so she went through a lot.
23:20It was. It was a lot.
23:22It was difficult.
23:24And I think of myself as as us as a.
23:27You know, like middle income family
23:29with access to a lot of different things.
23:33And we struggled through that that process,
23:35so I only could imagine what other
23:38families went through as well,
23:39yeah? So what do you wish that schools
23:43would do to improve the way they're
23:48working as partners with parents?
23:51But I heard you say you wanted more time
23:54to to be able to talk to the teacher
23:57you wanted your your kids to have
24:00more instruction time with teachers.
24:02What else? One
24:03of the things I would love schools to realize
24:07is that parents are now assuming a new role.
24:10This is unique to their parenting on a
24:13regular basis and and we all say that
24:16parents that the child's first teacher.
24:18However they are not doing
24:21this educational piece.
24:22You know what I mean?
24:24So like they're teaching them about how
24:26to engage in community and other things,
24:29they might assist them with homework,
24:31but now they're stepping into
24:33this role of being that Childs
24:35instructor with no real training.
24:38So I think one of the things
24:40that schools could brainstorm or
24:41think about is possibly doing the
24:44professional development for students.
24:46I mean, sorry for teachers and
24:48parents simultaneously so that they
24:50are learning from one another.
24:52And then also providing some level
24:54of training for parents so that
24:57parents know how to really effectively
24:59engage with their children at home.
25:02Yeah, thank you Janine Leo.
25:04What would have helped you?
25:06What do you wish that your school had done?
25:11I like a lot versioning said,
25:15you know that that a resource.
25:20And I think teachers and parents
25:21and both have a value interest in
25:24helping price the kiss which is
25:26the stake holders of our schools?
25:30Why not do the interactive
25:33piece where we can develop each?
25:36We can do that development
25:39and see that communication.
25:41Yeah indefinitely other.
25:44They're separate resources that a
25:47district could perhaps offer will be.
25:50Uh. And I saw that I saw in the in
25:55the during the spring up person and
25:58enough they still doing it right,
26:00but that person over a couple of
26:03persons dedicated to the support
26:04of making sure if the kids are not
26:07attending there following up to that
26:09the personal do either site visits
26:11or or visits perior calling right to
26:14make sure there's some type of follow
26:17up to understand why is that kid pool enough?
26:20Is it so for their support that is needed?
26:24And again,
26:25right could be that that's happening,
26:27I just I know it was
26:29happening during the screen.
26:31Now that I visit part,
26:32but it could be that site base it degraded.
26:35I like the speech that was given
26:38that very first power of this
26:40where the person going to speech
26:42nation the the time the teacher
26:44should spend a little more about
26:46building the relationships with.
26:49With their families over oriented student,
26:52yeah.
26:54Ukiah, what about you? What do you wish?
26:58With the schools would do more of.
27:01Work partners with families. Yeah,
27:04I think I think there should be a little
27:07bit of a distinction made between what's
27:11happening at the micro level, right?
27:14Like your individual situation,
27:16with an educator in your school building
27:20versus what the district the macro
27:23level is doing to engage families.
27:27'cause I think for the most part
27:30educators that your kids have access
27:32to on a day to day basis are pretty
27:35responsive or have been pretty good about.
27:39You know. Checking in with kids,
27:41checking in with families.
27:43And again this probably varies,
27:45but you know, for our school of 900
27:48some middle schoolers I got a personal
27:52call from the principle at one point
27:55during when school was closed.
27:57Into just know that that someone
27:59was thinking about you in that way,
28:02even though I did I,
28:03I didn't necessarily call her
28:05back to engage with her,
28:07but just knowing that they knew you
28:09existed was really, really helpful.
28:11Ann. And this is all relational Ann,
28:13and about trust,
28:14and so just having her leave a
28:16voicemail saying, hey, you know,
28:18like thank you so much for doing something
28:21something like right before school closed,
28:23you know, like we're here.
28:25If you need something.
28:26It made me feel really seen.
28:28Even though I am one of 900,
28:32something right?
28:34But?
28:35That level, yeah,
28:36in that you know in that level is very
28:40different than right now here and now.
28:43While schools are really,
28:45the district is really making decisions
28:49about policy and about how to go
28:51back to school and how to reopen.
28:54Or in Leo's case,
28:56school has already started.
28:57But these are huge policy pieces
29:00about the day-to-day of our educators,
29:03an our children and we.
29:05As parent leaders and as community
29:07members all working towards ensuring
29:10that that all their kids have,
29:12you know,
29:13a safe environment and and
29:15equitable access to education.
29:17We need to be at that table to be
29:19able to collaborate and share in the
29:23power of making those vital decisions.
29:26And so I think the micro level
29:29for the most part.
29:31Educators are trying the best that they
29:34can to connect with families and students,
29:38and I hope that this time has really
29:42made the districts aware that they
29:45cannot make these policy changes
29:47indecisions without engaging fully an
29:50authentically with all stakeholders
29:52and that includes parents, students,
29:55educators, community organisations.
29:57Because we're all working together
29:59to provide.
30:00Access to basic needs to education so.
30:07I think there's you know I.
30:08I think there's more that at the
30:10district level that leadership can do.
30:14That's a really good point,
30:15because the two levels are very different,
30:18and they're not necessarily
30:19working that closely together.
30:21Anna lot of districts aren't. Prepared.
30:24Haven't really even thought about how
30:26to engage their community in a deeper
30:29way other than just putting out the
30:31usual PR stuff about the district.
30:33So as we were saying at the very beginning,
30:37this pandemic is revealed a lot of
30:39deep in equities and problems in the
30:42way schools relate and districts
30:44relate to families that are revealed.
30:46Or, you know, just laid bare for right now.
30:50Now the last question I want to ask you.
30:55Is how parent leaders can help.
30:59People at the school level and at the
31:01district level cope with this crisis.
31:03What do they have to offer?
31:05What can they do? So I'll start with you.
31:08You go since we have you and then
31:11I'll move onto Janine and Leo.
31:13Great.
31:16I
31:16think parent leaders are everywhere, right?
31:19It's not just in your traditional
31:22environments that parent leaders exist
31:24and we all have expertise and we all
31:28have various networks to pull from.
31:31And so I think.
31:34Because education is so relational.
31:38Relying on parent leaders to
31:40help with that community building
31:43in to do the outreach to those
31:46people that the schools or the
31:49district can't necessarily reach.
31:51I think is 1 powerful way that we can be
31:55that connection between families and schools.
32:00And just, you know?
32:04And I think because all three of us,
32:08Leo, Janine and I have gone through
32:10these parent leadership institutes.
32:12We can also offer some of that
32:16mentorship and some of the.
32:18The connection to learning and advocacy,
32:21and we can impart some of those
32:24knowledges to to some parents that
32:26don't necessarily have like the 20
32:29weeks to invest in a program like that.
32:32And so I think we we are everywhere
32:36and we are ready to be activated and
32:39we're excited to be able to help.
32:42Our educators are district or families
32:44so that our kids all our kids can
32:48be really successful in whatever
32:50educational environment there is.
32:52Yeah,
32:53and of course you are the experts on
32:55what the situation is in your homes
32:58and schools just often have no idea
33:01they don't know their families well
33:03enough to know who was a single mother.
33:06Who is like Janine living in sort of
33:09a multi generational household and has
33:12you know a lot of people there who can
33:16help but also people who have needs and
33:19you know broadband users of their own.
33:21So Janine what would you add
33:24to what you go said about?
33:27How parent leaders can help?
33:29So schools need to be thinking of
33:31parents not as just passive recipients
33:34of information and people who
33:36have all the time in the world to
33:39just educate their kids at home to
33:41understanding what the situation is
33:43with families and to listen to families.
33:46Ideas about what can help like the
33:48best ways to communicate and so on.
33:51So
33:52I think parent leaders have this really
33:55unique position where they understand
33:58systems and policies and then they also
34:02live like they walk the walk right
34:04or walk the talk so they understand
34:08what other families and communities
34:10are experiencing and they're able to
34:13talk to those systems and policies and
34:16bring those experiences to the people
34:19who can actually affect change, right?
34:21But then as Ukyo said,
34:23we can also use our experiences to help
34:27those parents to learn how to frame
34:29their story and how to tell their story
34:32so that their stories are indeed effective.
34:36So icy parent leaders as that bridge between
34:39community and some of the powers that be.
34:42But I think it's also understanding that
34:45all parents are leaders in their own right,
34:48so they might not have done
34:51any formal leadership training.
34:52But they are indeed leaders,
34:54so honing in on that help we as
34:57parent leaders could help them to
35:00identify their strengths and then
35:02they could give us the information
35:04that we need that could help systems
35:07and policies to understand some of
35:10the changes that are necessary.
35:12So I think that's how the partnership
35:15between parent leaders and people of
35:17authority can work and how we can help
35:20to influence and improve the situation
35:22that we're currently going through.
35:25It's so unique we've never been.
35:27We've never had this experience before.
35:30We're all learning together,
35:31so like that's for me that simultaneous
35:34learning is is pivotal for us.
35:37To ensure that the kids are
35:39receiving exactly what they need,
35:41the the families are receiving
35:43the support that they need.
35:45And I think it's also important for
35:48us as leaders to help school officials
35:51to understand and identify that where
35:54we are embracing this unique role.
35:56Teachers are also embracing this
35:58unique role as well.
35:59So,
36:00as Yukio talked about the teachers on
36:02the individuals on the micro level,
36:04doing their due diligence to reach out
36:06to parents, maybe another portion of it,
36:09and it might be a daunting task on teachers.
36:12I'm not sure,
36:13but maybe what they can do is equip
36:15themselves with some knowledge and
36:17information of resources so that if
36:20families open up to them they can
36:22give them information on where they
36:24can go to address some of the issues
36:26and challenges that they are facing.
36:28And that might actually help to
36:30put them in a mind frame to better
36:32help their children at home.
36:34That's those are really good points.
36:37Janine about the critical and pivotal
36:40role the parent leaders can play
36:42and connecting people in school and
36:45district with other parents and
36:47relaying their concerns and information.
36:50Leo, I know you do a lot of work
36:53with your Hispanic community in your
36:55neck of the Woods in California.
36:58What are some of the.
37:01Unique issues that.
37:02Families in your community or facing?
37:06And how can parent leaders help schools?
37:09Understand what that is
37:11and be more responsive.
37:20Yeah, great question. So
37:23a lot of the challenges that I that I hear
37:26and see it's obviously language barrier,
37:29but at the same time this year
37:31in the Hispanic community or
37:34migrate community, right?
37:35It's cool, it's cool if they still see
37:38it as a government entity and their
37:41stuff here right to be able to reach
37:44out to the school district and not
37:47understanding that it won't affect right?
37:49There won't be judged for that one affect.
37:53The IT won't matter there there
37:55there if there's an issue with
37:57the legal status or not.
38:01And so this is something that
38:03obviously we're current leader,
38:05so I can help communicate and and
38:08can help educate or parents and
38:11share information that look at.
38:14This is the kisses.
38:16Are there stakeholder?
38:17Serious that there's no issues with.
38:21Or or there so close earned
38:23at that you that you need
38:25to have and there's No Fear,
38:27you should feel right to be able to
38:30reach out and speak up for children.
38:35So that that's a little bit about
38:38the the issues that I see here.
38:40Obviously there's all
38:42the things we let it too,
38:44and I think I shared this with US.
38:47Story of key just moved to US from Guatemala.
38:51Get bumped from 3rd grade to 5th grade
38:53and the parents were Dennis speak English.
38:57They speak English because they just
38:59move and I'm sure there's many stories
39:02like that where the kids maybe.
39:05Left out in situations like we are
39:08today simply because there's there's no
39:10knowledge of what needs to happen at.
39:13Parents are working right to two
39:15jobs or three jobs,
39:17and they may be totally out
39:20and their young siblings,
39:21the one that may be in charge.
39:27It said that that story
39:30that that sticks out an.
39:33Other things that that they may come
39:36up in reference to. Challenges is.
39:40Uh, probably child care resources, right?
39:43One of the parents have to be there.
39:48Spell childcare said to to
39:50help out on the parents,
39:52maintained a pairing that is in charge.
39:54May not be the one that may have the.
39:59At any call, knowledge or.
40:00And a academic knowledge to be
40:02able to help that the kid was the
40:05language barrier couple that.
40:08Yeah. So it's.
40:12It's a big deal this whole thing,
40:15and the complications arise.
40:16I know in the special needs community
40:18how to children with special needs.
40:21Get that extra support that they need.
40:24And I know parents with younger
40:26children or telling me that their
40:29kids need a lot more support from
40:31their parents to do the work that
40:34the school sends home for them to do.
40:37To watch the YouTube videos to go on,
40:39to connect to the classroom,
40:41to do the worksheets or whatever
40:43that have been sent home.
40:45And yet when I talk to parents who have
40:50older children you know those those
40:52kids in high school and middle school,
40:54you think?
40:54Well, at least you know they
40:56know how to sort of operate the
40:58computer and do their stuff,
40:59and they can be more independent.
41:00But I'm hearing well, yeah,
41:02but they seem to be spending a
41:03lot of time on their screens
41:05doing stuff that doesn't look
41:07like it's academically related.
41:09How do you monitor that?
41:11And then you're dealing with us.
41:13All of you have said so eloquently.
41:16The whole social and emotional
41:18implications of this and how.
41:20Hard it is for children to go
41:22from being with their friends and
41:25their kids and having that all of
41:27those social connections to just
41:30being home at law alone or with
41:32siblings that they you know may
41:35not be getting along that well
41:37within close quarters etc.
41:39Um?
41:40So I want to thank you all for
41:42the things that you said and all
41:45the things that you're doing.
41:47I see that we have some Q&A's and
41:49I'm going to ask Karen to relay
41:51some of those questions to us.
41:55Hi everybody, thank you so much
41:58for that informative discussion.
41:59You were really wonderful.
42:01I have one quick question from
42:03myself and then some better
42:05coming in from the audience.
42:07But how many schools have lost
42:10reopening with complicated plans of,
42:12you know some families coming and
42:14staggered schedules and then only to
42:17be open briefly and have to shut down
42:20again for maybe 2 weeks and then decide
42:23to reopen my question to you is like.
42:26Need to in order to successfully gather
42:29that input from families in real time.
42:33As situations change.
42:34How would you recommend the educators
42:37who are listening today that they
42:40best get that sort of rapid and
42:43sensitive feedback from families?
42:45As our situation continues to change?
42:53You go, you wanna
42:55tackle that? So that's
42:56kind of a big question.
43:02Yeah well so.
43:06If you are a educator or a school or
43:09a district that has been really open
43:13about getting feedback and having
43:16that communication that two way
43:19communication and families are used to it,
43:23I think that's great, right?
43:26But a lot of the information from schools and
43:30districts have been a lot of top down right,
43:34and there hasn't been that aspect of,
43:37you know, we want to hear
43:40from you traditionally,
43:41so it's a little hard to, you know,
43:44because of Kovid because of
43:47pandemic it because of racism.
43:49Because of all this, like uncertainty,
43:51to start trying to put those
43:54practices in place of here, you know.
43:57Is information that we're putting out.
44:00We'd love to hear back from you.
44:03I think it's hard to make that
44:06switch suddenly, right.
44:07If you don't have that in process already,
44:11and I think because there are so
44:13many different families in different
44:16ways that communication is taken in.
44:18So anytime you can do any sort of
44:22multi modal would be wonderful.
44:24Not just one email.
44:27You know,
44:28rely on those community leaders
44:30to to be like that phone chain
44:32that we used to have, right?
44:36To check in and disperse the message
44:39and really have a consistent
44:42plays in a consistent way too.
44:45Collect that feedback.
44:49So you know it's consistency,
44:52I think.
44:54Frequent, consistent in multimodal.
44:56Those are those are good
44:58takeaways for district leaders.
45:00On the on, the on the Symposium.
45:03Here's the question from an audience member.
45:06It focuses on English language
45:08learners and says that we have so
45:11many kids from different countries,
45:13cultures and backgrounds.
45:14So to most of them the isolation
45:17from Covid is not their first
45:20experience with isolation.
45:21Please let me know how to support them.
45:25Through this pandemic, I'm so.
45:27Do you have any advice for the?
45:31I guess the educators of families
45:33of ELL students or Ald student?
45:41Leo Leo Tiana or Janine Janine sure.
45:45Of the things I think is great,
45:48I think teachers play this really
45:51important role right now and I
45:53think teachers are able to identify
45:56some of the parents that are
45:58multilingual or bilingual, right?
46:00And they could possibly try to peer
46:03them with other parents that might
46:06struggle with English as a first
46:08language or whatever the case is,
46:11and maybe start doing some type of
46:13peer or mentoring between families.
46:16To help, yeah, right?
46:17I think doing some unique and innovative
46:20things like Ukyo said like a lot
46:22of stuff has not happened before,
46:24but because this is a new normal
46:27we have to think of some new
46:29ways to kind of group parents.
46:31So maybe it's them.
46:35Integral. Learning together,
46:37working together,
46:38sharing their experiences and
46:40building relationships to
46:41help address that situation.
46:45Leora here, already
46:46doing some of that work,
46:49connecting with other families.
46:52Who are new to the guy
46:54helping them through this?
46:57No, no, just me directly
47:00right but. Also have.
47:05I have a good contact with the
47:08person special certificates from the
47:10district that that wasn't working.
47:12Testing situation, call their families
47:14and helping with the make sure they
47:18understand the technical piece.
47:20Uh, the kids I've been.
47:23I've been trying to or understand.
47:26I will try this just trying to
47:29understand what the district is
47:32doing for ESL learning learners.
47:35Maybe I, I know that something
47:38that was starting I I I didn't.
47:41But clearly understood that
47:43part of plantation.
47:44But I know that that's definitely
47:47a discussion had just taken
47:49place as a district level.
47:52Terms of what can be done due
47:54to help from my perspective.
47:58This time I don't think
48:00I have any ideas, but.
48:04Something that perhaps that that.
48:08That I know my district that was
48:11happening right by that Leah.
48:13Some personal that support person with
48:15this because I know some districts are
48:17you did action funds to have that person
48:20that is actually contacting families.
48:22Make sure that they understand how to do it.
48:26I think is important.
48:27Find who that person is Indiana
48:30if that person is not in place.
48:32Definitely have teachers and
48:34parents advocate to have at least
48:36one or two person right there.
48:38That is doing that back technical work.
48:43Yeah, this is one of the equities that
48:45were in equities that we're discovering.
48:48Karen, other questions. Sure,
48:52this is a question that may be
48:54difficult for you all to answer.
48:56I'm not sure if it's appropriate,
48:58but some of you may have a good
49:00response to this woman writes in
49:02that millions of children are
49:04influenced by domestic violence.
49:06An covid makes that situation even worse.
49:08Do you have any advice to moms who
49:10are struggling to break out of the
49:12relationships but still live with the
49:14abuser in this special situation?
49:16How can moms protect their children
49:18from a bad role model and tell
49:20right from wrong as they are
49:22greatly influenced by the abuser?
49:24And ultimately be compassionate to others
49:27so I know this is a real issue that many,
49:30many districts are dealing
49:32with with their families,
49:33as has anyone on this camel have any
49:36ideas for our audience member about this?
49:41You know, as it happens, my daughter,
49:44who has a Masters in social work is
49:47the director of victim assistance
49:49unit in the Brooklyn District
49:52Attorney's office and a great deal
49:54of what they are dealing with now
49:57is a spike in domestic violence.
50:00And so. Parents need to know who they.
50:03There's help available.
50:04No, via phone and and so on and
50:08services in their communities.
50:10And that's something that school
50:12districts need to help parents gain
50:14access to that information Janine or me.
50:17Or you go. Do you have other?
50:21Are you dealing with this in
50:23your communities? Well,
50:24I'm not dealing with this personally,
50:27but this is one of the reasons why
50:29I suggested that teachers will play
50:32this unique role where they're like.
50:34They're like this information hub or
50:37resource hub, and could, you know,
50:39align parents with resources based on
50:41the information that the parents share
50:44with them and justice have making sure
50:47that they are equipped with some of
50:49that information so that it's quick.
50:52It's in real time,
50:53and they can actually communicate
50:55with the parents and follow up.
50:56Maybe do a little bit of case
50:58management there not case managers,
51:00but they might be playing a role
51:02of such to a degree.
51:04So that was one of the reasons why I
51:06talked about teachers being equipped
51:08with resources and being able to
51:11align parents to resources because I
51:13do know and I have heard that that is
51:15something that families are facing right now.
51:18I don't know if anyone that's
51:20currently dealing with that.
51:22Specific issue,
51:22but I think that would be
51:24something that might be helpful,
51:26and then maybe just like openly
51:28sharing the information so that
51:30it's available because folks might
51:32not be willing to open up about
51:34those situations at home,
51:35especially if they are working at
51:37home and the abuser is right there,
51:40but just having access to
51:41the information would
51:42be really helpful.
51:44It's really good point.
51:45Thank you, thank you.
51:47Hey, I say something.
51:49I say something. Yeah
51:51sure, not not. Not that I have any.
51:54I seen this happening but I know our
51:57County right has what we call family
52:00Research Center in our district.
52:02Specifically they are the one they run.
52:05This family Research Center which is a
52:09research point for families in our schools.
52:13I understand and I'm I'm strong in
52:16her believer in delegate right and
52:19leave the information to the expert.
52:21Features may not have all the
52:25resources but can can the teachers
52:28be a bridge to be able to?
52:32You know direct parents to places
52:34where those resources can be found,
52:36like or family resource centers where
52:38there's a lot of information that and
52:41they actually funded by the District,
52:43County and the County have a lot of those
52:47resources related to mental health.
52:49In our situation, right?
52:50So yes, the teacher perhaps
52:52may not have the resources,
52:54but at least I think it's a good
52:57idea to build those communities
52:59and relationships to be able to.
53:02Guide the parent is.
53:04If somebody comes in with asking
53:06for help or if the teacher rise
53:09concern on one of their student
53:11and want to do more to help the
53:14students find out what's happened.
53:16So just that that that that needs to
53:19build those communities from teachers too.
53:23We will be able to.
53:26Get support from experts and notice
53:29there's nothing new for the teacher
53:31to be the the you know the person
53:33knows everything resources but build
53:36those relationships with communities.
53:38I think it's important.
53:40Thank you, Leo. That idea of having
53:43family resource centers is vital.
53:45Really, every school or every community
53:47should have one of those with easy
53:50access for families and students.
53:52Sometimes it's students who report
53:54the domestic violence, not the parent.
53:59And I think the role of an educator in
54:01the school system has changed drastically
54:04from just like the academic piece to
54:08really supporting the whole child
54:10and the whole family at this point,
54:13because the schools have become
54:16such a hug for, you know,
54:18taking care of the basic needs during
54:21this time when we are not in school,
54:25they have become like the
54:27resource clearinghouse and and.
54:29And I I'd like to really acknowledge
54:33the pressure that that these educators
54:36are under in trying to really support.
54:39The students,
54:40which also means supporting the families,
54:43and that's an you know an added layer to
54:46their responsibilities and so you know,
54:49thank you for for sticking and
54:52being in this field.
54:54Still, despite this whole last
54:56six months and salute Lee.
54:59It's a hard job and I think the district
55:02also just having a clear guideline
55:06around mandated reporters is also important,
55:09especially in this time of distance learning,
55:12and we're not physically together.
55:15What does that look like?
55:17Or how can?
55:21You know students approach
55:22educators are social workers.
55:24Or how can schools with the
55:26resources to translate in some
55:28places be that clearinghouse of the
55:31information that comes out of state
55:34organisations around domestic abuse?
55:36Or, you know, hotlines to help
55:39parents just talk it out so you know,
55:42I'm sorry to put a lot more responsibility.
55:46No schools, but but this is
55:48another way that we can really
55:51be innovative in how we leverage
55:54everyone's expertise and skills.
55:56I think and not just rely
55:58solely on educators.
56:00That's why it's important to have
56:02something like a family Resource Center,
56:05so it's not all falling on teachers as
56:08we want to make teachers jobs easier,
56:11not harder, and we want to support them,
56:14and I've heard so many wonderful
56:16comments from parents I've talked to
56:19about all the efforts that teachers
56:21are making now and principles to make
56:24this work and connect with families.
56:30OK, thank you all.
56:31You both in such a great job of
56:33helping show us the difference
56:35between family engagement,
56:37an parent leadership.
56:38I think before this panel I wasn't quite
56:40sure what that differences and now we can.
56:43I think all see it very clearly.
56:46So thank you.
56:47Thank you so much for being parent leaders
56:49and and for for leading the way before
56:52ioffer some like closing remarks for the day.
56:55Do you have anything else
56:57you and that you want to?
56:59Sage wrap things up for your discussion.
57:03At the at the close of my PowerPoint,
57:06slides are a number of useful resources,
57:08OK, and I'm hoping that the slides will be
57:11available to all participants and their,
57:13and they're putting the slides
57:15up and I both know posted those
57:17links in the chat and I'll post them
57:20again in the chat so that people
57:22will post them in the chat right
57:24now so people can copy them and we
57:27will share the slides as well.
57:29OK, that's wonderful because
57:31we're in a moment now that.
57:33So many things are happening in coming
57:36together and we're realizing how deep
57:38and pervasive the problems in our
57:41society are and there seems to be a
57:43coming together of people about we're
57:45going to do something about this.
57:48So we need to turn this moment
57:50into a movement and we can't do
57:53that without our parent leaders.
57:55It's in fact investing in developing
57:57parent leaders and hearing their
57:59voice and inviting them to the
58:01table when the problems are being.
58:03Raffled within SMS.
58:04That's going to make the difference
58:07in our country going forward.
58:10So thank you everybody.
58:14Thank you Ann and thank you
58:16to all our our panelists,
58:19an audience members.
58:20We invite you all to come
58:23back tomorrow at 10:00 AM.
58:25We have three sessions tomorrow.
58:27The 1st one is on ensuring equity
58:30and access in a changing climate.
58:33Then we have a panel.
58:35After that an education in the anxious
58:38child and then we have a closing
58:41panel with educators and experts.
58:44From Scholastic in yell answering,
58:45audience questions about the reopening,
58:47so we also just encourage you all to
58:50share the link to others you know
58:53who may want to register for tomorrow
58:55and if you have a question that was
58:58unanswered and you're in the audience,
59:00I invite you to go to the collaborative for
59:03child and family resilience as a website,
59:06and that website has a help dev where
59:09you can submit any questions and we will
59:12get answers from the experts at yeah once.
59:15Elastic and get them back to you directly
59:17and we also have an email address there,
59:20so please go to our website and look
59:22forward to seeing you back here tomorrow.
59:25So thank you everyone.