D’Lisa Crain may have started her career in marketing and public relations at a construction company, but she ended up helping parents of all backgrounds succeed in the school system.
As the family-school partnerships administrator for Washoe County School District in Reno, Nev., Crain assists parents in the 63,000-student system, which is the state’s second largest. Her programs include courses for parents, a home-visiting program, and a new approach to parent-teacher conferences.
Her work earned her a spot as one of 13 educators in Education Week’s Leaders To Learn From special report.
In a story by Alyson Klein of Education Week, Crain explained her approach:
“With so many of our families, it’s not that they don’t want the best for their children, they absolutely do,” Crain said. But for some parents, “It’s hard to know what questions to ask. How do you, in a respectful way, advocate for your children, how do you access district resources when you might yourself be struggling with basic needs?”
Watch a video showing Crain talk about her work, as well as her programs in action:
See stories about all of the 13 influential educators in Education Week’s report.