Partnering with Your School
Reaching out and being open to creating supportive networks with school staff and other families is the first step in partnering with your school.
Authentic relationships built on trust, shared power, and two-way communication are the foundation for family partnership and community engagement. These
connections with school staff and other families engender a more holistic view of student growth.
Family Engagement Resources for Partnering with Your School
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Building Block 5: Skills and Confidence
Families and staff often want to work together more effectively but don’t know how. Successful partnerships build the skills, confidence, and capacity of both partners. Through training and specific opportunities, staff and families can build the skills and confidence they need.
Building Block 4: Links to Learning
Successful family partnerships are a lever for student achievement and school improvement. When teachers, school staff, and families have shared expectations for students, they can work together to support student learning, goal-setting, and a sense of shared mission.
Building Block 1: Mindset
Successful family engagement starts with a mindset that families are equal and essential partners in their children’s education. Part of this mindset is a view of family engagement as a continuum, with true partnership as the ultimate goal.
Tool to Help Assess & Build Relationships with Families
Building relationships intentionally and consistently is an important step in building trust between families and school staff. Educators can assess their current knowledge of their students’ families by using the following worksheet as a guide. The additional questions provide a starting point for educators to talk with families and fill in any gaps in knowledge or understanding, and can help foster more trusting relationships.
