Parent Engagement as a Lever for Equity and Achievement: A Discussion

In this keynote conversation from Education Week’s Leaders To Learn From event in Washington, D.C., 5 exceptional school district leaders explore the evolving field of parent and family engagement. Guests included: • Michele Brooks, 2013 Leader To Learn From, and Principal, Transformative Solutions • Tracy Hill, 2014 Leader To Learn From, and Executive Director, Office of Family and Community Engagement, Cleveland Metropolitan School District • Patricia Spradley, 2015 Leader To Learn From, and Chief of Parent and Community Engagement, Springfield Public Schools, Springfield, Mass. • D’Lisa Crain, 2016 Leader To Learn From, and Family-School Partnerships Administrator, Washoe County School District, Reno, Nev. • Trise Moore, 2017 Leader To Learn From, and Director of Equity & Family Engagement, Federal Way Public Schools, Federal Way, Wash. They discussed key conditions and practices for creating a culture in which parents and educators work as partners to support student success and school improvement. Among the topics they tackled: • The shift from family engagement as a program to family engagement as a practice • The intersections between instruction and engagement • How engagement strategies linked to learning have a greater impact on student outcomes • How to overcome barriers to effectively engage every family