Recently, hundreds of educators from across the state gathered at the Northwest Career & Technical Academy to attend the 2016 Nevada Family Engagement Summit.
Keynote speaker Dr. Steve Constantino defined family engagement as “the degree to which families are empowered to be involved in the educational and academic lives of their children, and the degree to which schools and school districts support necessary relationships to sustain the efficacy of parents in shaping their own child’s academic future.”
It has never been more important to focus on enhancing parental engagement in Nevada, and specifically Clark County, where parents will soon be playing a key role in the operation of their schools under the Clark County School District (CCSD) reorganization. Under the plan, each school will be governed by an organizational team made up of teachers, staff, principals, and parents. That means parents will be making recommendations about school budgets, improving student achievement, and even which principals to hire. Parent participation holds incredible promise and is central to the success of the reorganization.
Dr. Constantino explained to summit participants that families are key to their children’s school success. Attendance, grades, test scores, student attitudes and behaviors all improve when parents are engaged, and that means teachers and families working together can lead to positive student results.
But why aren’t some parents engaged when they can play such a critical role in their child’s education? According to Dr. Constantino, there are the five reasons:
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Self preservation
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Isolation
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Stress
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Anxiety
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Fear
When Educate Nevada Now spoke to parents about the CCSD reorganization and the potential to be involved in the management of their local schools, many of them cited the very roadblocks noted by Dr. Constantino. Many parents felt unwelcome at their schools, intimidated by the staff, unable to participate because of language barriers, or unsure of how to participate. Summit attendees learned that by beginning a two-way line of communication with parents, many of these barriers can be overcome.They also learned that establishing these important relationships with parents begins with providing a welcoming environment and building trust to create a positive school culture.
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