February 21, 2019
Greetings Members, Partners, and Stakeholders,
Program evaluation and research don't always give us the answers we're looking for, but unexpected results can be as, if not more, important than results that paint a rosy picture. Two research studies in this issue of
NAFSCE News highlight that fact. See
Recent Research, below to learn more.
For the past several years, Mark Warren, professor and author, has been conducting research on one of the nation’s most successful
educational justice movements
, that is, grassroots organizing and movement building to combat the school-to-prison pipeline. In this month's
Effective Practices Webinar
, we'll hear from Mark as well as two voices on the front lines of this movement,
Zakiya Sankara-Jabar, Parent Activist and Co-Founder,
Racial Justice NOW!, and
Jonathan Stith,
National Coordinator,
Alliance for Educational Justice.
We hope you'll
join us
for this important discussion.
Keep reading below for new job postings, funding opportunities, and news on local and national family engagement convenings and professional development opportunities.
Best regards,
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Vito Borrello
Executive Director
National Association for Family, School, and Community
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At first, Zakiya Sankara-Jabar was shocked when her son was repeatedly suspended from his Pre-K program. After doing some research on the experience of Black boys in public education, Zakiya learned that her family's experiences were not unusual. This was something larger, more societal, that was happening to African American parents.
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It turns out that the school-to-prison pipeline starts in Pre-K, especially for Black boys. Suspensions are the beginning of the school-to-prison pipeline, which refers to harsh and racially inequitable school discipline policies that push students out of school, onto the street, and eventually into the criminal justice system.
February's NAFSCE webinar will focus on the ways that parents, youth and communities of color are organizing to change zero tolerance and racially inequitable school discipline policy, and create restorative justice alternatives, including culturally relevant educational practices.
Our presenters, below, are on the front line of this movement.
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Zakiya Sankara-Jabar
Zakiya Sankara-Jabar is the Co-Founder of Racial Justice NOW! and National Field Organizer at Dignity in Schools Campaign and is a leading expert in parent organizing and advocacy.
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January Effective Practices Webinar: Engaging Fathers, Programs that Work - archived recording is now available
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New research by Learning Heroes,
Parents 2018: Going Beyond Good Grades
, shines a light on why nine in ten parents believe their child is at or above grade level, despite the fact that teachers report less than a third of their students show up prepared for grade level work. The report delves into the drivers of this "disconnect," and explores what can be done. Join Learning Heroes for a webinar to discuss the research, Wed. Feb. 27, 2pm ET.
Click here to register.
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In 2013, implementation of the five-year Investing in Family Engagement Project began in 60 “low-performing” elementary schools in Philadelphia. The project’s goals were ambitious: to propel whole school turnaround using a family engagement program called Families and Schools Together (FAST®) and to strengthen the learning and achievement of young elementary students.
The lessons learned over five years are worth considering by anyone trying to initiate and scale up family engagement programs in challenged schools and districts.
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The Institute for Educational Leadership is proud to host the
2019 National Family and Community Engagement Conference
on July 10-12, 2019 in Reno, NV. This convening is a wonderful professional development and networking opportunity for state leaders, school and district leaders, administrators, educators, community-based organizations, researchers and families to come together and focus on solutions that enhance and expand engagement and improve student success through family-school-community partnerships. With pre-conference sessions, site-visits, 8 deep dives and over 70 workshops covering six strands, participants are sure to walk away with new skills and strategies that they can immediately apply to their work.
Learn more about the event.
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Special notice:
Between now and July 12, NAFSCE members receive priority consideration, including a special tuition rate, for Family Engagement in Education: Creating Effective Home and School Partnerships for Student Success program, led by Dr. Karen Mapp.
Learn more about the special offer.
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Alameda County Fatherhood Summit 2019
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If you're in the Oakland, CA area, check out Alameda County's inaugural Fatherhood Summit, taking place on March 16 and hosted by the Alameda County Fathers Corps (ACFC), to celebrate, honor, and acknowledge the critical role fathers and father figures play in their families and communities.
Register here
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A new Family Institute in New Bedford, MA,
emphasizes building the capacity and knowledge for families to understand how they can best support their kids in school, said Jariel Vergne, wrap around manager for public schools.
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Once we’ve engaged, once we’re all working together, what does it look like to build educational opportunities between school and home together... so that we can make sure that our families feel connected and understand what is being asked of their students on a daily basis and how they can achieve their fullest potential,” Vergne said.
Read more.
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“We’re trying to emphasize that you can have fun and still have healthy food for the kids,” she said. “That’s exactly why we emphasize a lot of parent engagement activities that emphasize healthy eating. Children are kind of passive when it comes to choosing foods that their parents purchase,” said Mary Harding, Coordinated School Health coordinator for Lenoir City Schools.
Read more.
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Ready4K offers start-up grants for family engagement program
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Developed by educational researchers, Ready4K is an evidence-based family engagement curriculum delivered via text message.This
Startup Funding Program
represents a unique opportunity for Head Start agencies, schools, school districts, and community-based organizations serving highly-economically disadvantaged families (80% and greater free and reduced-price lunch percentage) to provide Ready4K to their families. Districts that don't serve 80% or greater free and reduced-price lunch families can use the startup funds for individual schools within the district meeting this threshold, and we'll apply a 25% discount to the remaining schools.
Learn more.
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Are you passionate about helping parent leaders advocate for more meaningful and equitable approaches to family engagement? Do you have project management and communications prowess that you want to leverage for bigger impact? The Center for Family Engagement is hiring its first staff person to help grow the organization’s ability to produce cutting-edge resources and support to over 3 million parents.
Learn more.
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The Senior Training Specialist is responsible for developing and providing training, technical assistance and outreach activities to families and professionals to support family engagement and literacy that ensures student success and meets the requirements of SFEC. Learn more
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Learn more.
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MAEC is looking to hire two dynamic professionals who will support the management and development of the newly formed Collaborative Action for Family Engagement Center (CAFE). The CAFE Senior Program Associates will monitor and coordinate the delivery of high quality FSCE programming and technical assistance between four partner organizations to underserved communities across Maryland and Pennsylvania.
Learn more.
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NAFSCE's Career Center
features a searchable job bank focused solely on family engagement opportunities. Posted positions are promoted in NAFSCE News, reaching thousands of family engagement professionals each month.
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When you support NAFSCE, you are supporting initiatives that have the potential to change the way our country thinks about the family's role in our children's education. From our partnership with the NEA to develop higher-education training for future teachers, to our work with the FrameWorks Institute to create a fundamental shift in the way people think about engaging parents and caregivers, NAFSCE's work will have a profound effect on how we all think about family engagement.
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601 King Street Suite 400-404
Alexandria, VA 22314
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