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Parents stand and applaud after a Black History Month program at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Families & the Community Project

Turning Family Engagement Into Better Schools

Parents have taken center stage in political debates over K-12 education in the past four years.

Contentious school board meetings over COVID-19 safety protocols, library books, and instruction about race and gender have garnered outsized attention. Eight states have passed parents鈥 bills of rights to give parents more control over what their children are taught at school. A federal parents鈥 bill of rights passed the U.S. House of Representatives.

That鈥檚 only one picture of parent involvement that doesn鈥檛 represent the day-to-day reality for most families and educators. But it didn鈥檛 manifest out of thin air. Experts say it鈥檚 the result of a lack of trust between the adults in a student鈥檚 life: their parents and their teachers.

But many schools are looking to rebuild that trust.

This special reporting project documents some of the efforts schools, districts, teacher-preparation programs, and state education agencies are undertaking to make parents and caregivers partners in their children鈥檚 education.

In Southfield, Mich., a community schools model that establishes the school as a hub for support services has robust family engagement as its foundation. In Rocky Mount, N.C., an after-school program run by an education professor teaches parents of students with special needs how to effectively advocate for their children. And in Denver, a home visiting program brings teachers and parents closer.

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Parents take photos of their children during a Black History Month program at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Parents take photos of their children during a Black History Month program at Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich., on Feb. 28, 2024.
Samuel Trotter for 澳门跑狗论坛
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North Carolina Wesleyan University professor Patricia Brewer gives education major Makaela Stokes a hug after a tutoring session at the school in Rocky Mount, N.C., on March 18, 2024.
North Carolina Wesleyan University professor Patricia Brewer gives education major Makaela Stokes a hug after a tutoring session at the school in Rocky Mount, N.C., on March 18, 2024. For the past nine years, Brewer has hosted an after-school program for local families of students with disabilities where students receive tutoring from special education teacher candidates while Brewer teaches their parents to advocate for their kids.
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Irene Perez and Yolanda Cosio type in math equations on their calculators during their general education development class within the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School on March 13, 2024 in Denver. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
Irene Perez and Yolanda Cosio type in math equations on their calculators during their GED class held at the community hub at John H. Amesse Elementary School on March 13, 2024, in Denver. The Denver school district has six community hubs that provide a range of resources for families and students.
Rebecca Slezak For 澳门跑狗论坛
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Parents log into Zoom to watch their students participate in a 鈥淏asic Facts Bee鈥 on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich. Schools often use technology like Zoom to connect and build relationships with parents.
Parents log into Zoom to watch their students participate in a 鈥淏asic Facts Bee鈥 on Wednesday, Feb. 28, 2024, at Adlai E. Stevenson Elementary School in Southfield, Mich. A number of technology-based tools have emerged in recent years that make it easier for schools to communicate with parents.
Sam Trotter for 澳门跑狗论坛
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Various school representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement think tank discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have serviced 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
School representatives and parent liaisons attend a family and community engagement think tank discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district.
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Emmanuel Trujillo-Beas, family liaison at Marie L. Greenwood Early-8, talks with other school liaisons during a group discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024 in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has six community hubs across the district that have served 3,000 new students since October 2023. Each community hub has different resources for families and students catering to what the community needs.
Emmanuel Trujillo-Beas, family liaison at Marie L. Greenwood Early-8, talks with other school liaisons during a group discussion at Lowery Conference Center on March 13, 2024, in Denver. One of the goals of the meeting was to discuss how schools can better integrate new students and families into the district. Denver Public Schools has seen thousands of new students enroll this school year, many from families who recently arrived in the United States. The district has used a variety of strategies to build relationships with those families.
Rebecca Slezak for 澳门跑狗论坛