Speed Read (tldr) of August: What We Are Thinking About - Monthly Round Up
Family and Community Engagement: Research highlights that involving families and communities in schools significantly boosts student performance and wellbeing. Effective engagement strategies should ensure diverse voices are included, and barriers to participation are addressed to enhance school resilience and community connections.
Onboarding New Teachers: Successful onboarding of new teachers involves creating a comprehensive orientation program, providing mentorship and peer support, offering ongoing professional development, and fostering a sense of belonging through social activities. This approach helps improve teacher retention and effectiveness.
Prioritizing Educational Goals: Shani Dowell’s op-ed stresses the need to focus on educational outcomes rather than political disputes. It calls for thoughtful policy changes and increased support for teachers and family engagement to ensure schools effectively meet students’ needs.
Read below for resources, tips, and the why!
Possip’s Manager of Knowledge and Content, Mandy Wallace, provides a compilation of what we’ve been thinking about this August.
We summarize each piece and suggest ways to leverage these ideas for better communication and engagement in your community.
Quick Links
- Put kids, parents and school staff ahead in education discussions. Set the politics aside | Shani Dowell, Opinion, The Tennessean
- 4 Tips for Successfully Onboarding New Teachers | edutopia
- The Case For Community Engagement | Great Schools Partnership
- Family Engagement Core Competencies: A Body of Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions for Family-Facing Professionals | NAFSCE – National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement
- More Bullying and Violence, Modest Declines in Depressive Behavior: 5 CDC Updates on Today’s Teenagers | The74
What We Are Reading - 8/30
More Bullying and Violence, Modest Declines in Depressive Behavior: 5 CDC Updates on Today’s Teenagers | The74
Have you read the CDC’s latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey? Here are the 5 key takeaways according to The74:
- Violence and bullying increased from 2021
- Kids report experiencing less sadness than in 2021 but still significantly more than in 2013
- The CDC asked about experiencing racism at school for the first time: ⅓ of teens have experienced it and ⅕ report they were unfairly disciplined.
- Teen sexual activity is the same from 2021, decreased from 2013
- Drugs, alcohol usage by teens is lower, with caveat that LGBTQ, Native youth, and girls usage is higher than other demographic groups.
What We Are Reading - 8/23
Family Engagement Core Competencies: A Body of Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions for Family-Facing Professionals | NAFSCE – National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement
Here are the latest eight core competencies in family engagement from NAFSCE, which emphasize a holistic and inclusive approach to education:
Reflect
- Respect, Honor, and Value Families
- Embrace Equity
Connect
- Build Trusting Reciprocal Relationships with Families
- Foster Community Partnerships for Learning and Family Wellbeing
Collaborate for Learning
- Co-Construct Learning Opportunities with Families
- Link Family and Community Engagement to Learning and Development
Lead Alongside Families
- Take Part in Lifelong Learning
- Advocate for Systems Change
I was drawn to the description of seeing families as funds of knowledge: “Funds of knowledge is a term that underscores how family-facing professionals can activate and capitalize on building on the strengths of students and their families as resources for learning.
How Possip Can Support These Competencies:
Possip facilitates effective communication between schools and families by providing a platform for feedback and engagement. You can use Pulse Checks to build trusting relationships through transparent communication, support co-construction of learning opportunities by sharing insights from families (your funds of knowledge!), and aid in fostering community partnerships by highlighting family needs and responses. You can use Possip’s reports as data to reflect on engagement practices and push for systemic changes aligned with family and community needs.
What We Are Thinking About - 8/16
The Case For Community Engagement | Great Schools Partnership
Research shows that students perform better academically and socially when their families and local communities are actively involved in schools. This engagement not only boosts student achievement and reduces absenteeism but also enhances students’ ability to address real-world problems and adapt to economic changes.
Here are some meaningful questions you can use to evaluate and improve family and community engagement in your school:
- How effectively are we engaging all family and community members, particularly those from historically marginalized groups?
- What strategies can we implement to ensure diverse voices are heard and included in shaping our school policies?
- In what ways can we improve our school’s resilience and effectiveness by strengthening community connections?
- How are we sharing decision-making power with our community, and what barriers to participation need to be addressed?
- What steps can we take to build trust and foster mutual respect through meaningful roles in school discussions and decisions?
What We Are Thinking About - 8/9
4 Tips for Successfully Onboarding New Teachers | edutopia
In this article, Victoria Thompson lays out four keys to creating a welcoming and supportive environment and programs for teachers new to your school this year. Getting people acclimated and feeling productive bodes well for the school year and for teacher retention in the long run.
Here are the main keys:
- Create a comprehensive ‘new teacher orientation’ program – including keeping procedural documents and expectations in a shared folder for easy access.
- Establish guidelines for mentorship, resources, and peer support
- Offer ongoing professional development for new teachers
- Encourage instructional coaches to provide both support and feedback
I would add that, in thinking through the world’s longest happiness study and work life, we know that teachers need to feel a sense of belonging and purpose. If your new teacher program already covers all the bases above on a professional level, consider creating a few opportunities – lunches, coffee talks, happy hours – where teachers can connect and build relationships with each other. This is what will keep teachers engaged and committed when they face challenges throughout the year.
What We Are Reading - 8/2
Put kids, parents and school staff ahead in education discussions. Set the politics aside | Shani Dowell, Opinion, The Tennessean
In an op-ed published in the Tennessean, our company CEO and founder Shani Dowell emphasizes the importance of prioritizing educational goals over political disputes to focus on what truly benefits students. She advocates for implementing policy changes thoughtfully, with feedback from those directly affected, to prevent overwhelming schools and families. Additionally, Shani calls for enhanced support for teachers and sustained family engagement, recognizing these elements as crucial for creating and maintaining effective and supportive educational settings.
Do you agree with Shani’s points? Let us know if the call to action – staying focused on what really serves kids – rings true in your community as well.
