Beyond the Bake Sale: A Community-Based Relational Approach to Parent Engagement in Schools

Abstract

Background/Context Parent involvement in education is widely recognized as important, yet it remains weak in many communities. One important reason for this weakness is that urban schools have grown increasingly isolated from the families and communities they serve. Many of the same neighborhoods with families who are disconnected from public schools, however, often contain strong community-based organizations (CBOs) with deep roots in the lives of families. Many CBOs are beginning to collaborate with public schools, and these collaborations might potentially offer effective strategies to engage families more broadly and deeply in schools. Purpose This article presents a community-based relational approach to fostering parent engagement in schools. We investigated the efforts of CBOs to engage parents in schools in low-income urban communities. We argue that when CBOs are authentically rooted in community life, they can bring to schools a better understanding of the culture and assets of families, as well as resources that schools may lack. As go-betweens, they can build relational bridges between educators and parents and act as catalysts for change. Research Design Using case study methodology, we studied three notable school-community collaborations: the Logan Square Neighborhood Association in Chicago, Illinois; the Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in Los Angeles, California; and the Quitman Street Community School in Newark, New Jersey. Each case represents one of three types of collaboration identified in previous research: community service, community development and community organizing. Findings Although differences in context mattered, we found three common dimensions of parent engagement work across the cases. The three core elements of this community-based relational approach are (1) an emphasis on relationship building among parents and between parents and educators, (2) a focus on the leadership development of parents, and (3) an effort to bridge the gap in culture and power between parents and educators. We contrast this community-based approach with more traditional, school-centric, and individualistic approaches to parent involvement. Conclusions There are a number of lessons from this study for educators interested in broadening and deepening parent participation in schools. First, educators can benefit from taking a patient approach, building relationships over time. Second, schools may not be able to do parent engagement work alone; they can profit from the social capital expertise of community-based organizations. Finally, educators would benefit from understanding that communities bring different needs, aspirations, and desires to their children's education. If educators collaborate with community partners and help to develop parent leadership, they can form initiatives that meet the interests, values, and capacities of any particular school community.

Leadership for Family and Community Engagement: A Qualitative Policy Analysis of State Principal Evaluation Processes

“…FCE is especially important for principals who work in schools where concentrated disadvantage causes complex interlocking problems that schools cannot alone address (Lawson & van Veen, 2016). Creating healthy, safe, and supportive learning environments for all children requires principals to acknowledge the contributions of families and community members and center them as leaders and change agents in the school (Bertrand et al, 2018; Noguera, 2001; Warren et al, 2009).…”

“…The nexus of the discussion about schools, families, and communities has shifted from a narrow focus on participation and school-based goals to a broader understanding of families and a recognition that schools are more likely to succeed when principals actualize equitable FCE (Ishimaru et al, 2016; Lawson & van Veen, 2016; Warren et al, 2009). Equity and social justice FCE literature demonstrates the criticality of principals to engagement efforts when leadership is bi-directional, governance is shared, and schools and communities empower each other to support students in purposeful ways (Flores & Kyere, 2020).…”

“…Alternatively, these leaders may simply see the family sphere as completely separate from the school, and think, “the family is expected to fulfill parenting roles for student development and leave the education of children to the schools” (Epstein, 2018, p. 11). Such educators reject efforts to increase FCE as unnecessary additions to their workloads (Peña, 2000) or act as gatekeepers who resist having parents and community groups in the school (Baker et al, 2016; Warren et al, 2009).…”

“…Leaders’ must therefore engage in practices that move beyond symbolic gestures of inclusion to two-way communication whereby school and family stakeholders co-construct equitable collaborations that honor the strengths diverse parents bring to the school (Flores & Kyere, 2020; Ishimaru, 2020). Principals inclined toward authentic FCE seek to be in relationships with equalized power dynamics and recognize families and community members of all racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds for their assets and cultural knowledge (Crawford, 2017; Ishimaru & Galloway, 2014; Wang, 2018; Warren et al, 2009). Community development may become an explicit aim of authentic collaborations; thus, school leaders encourage collective advocacy and they go into the community in the same way the community is welcomed into the school (Green, 2015; Khalifa, 2012; Noguera & Wells, 2011).…”

“…The exclusion of families and communities from positions of power and leadership within the traditional school hierarchy is challenged by critical scholars advancing a more inclusive, asset-based approach to equitable family and community engagement (FCE) (Bertrand & Rodela, 2018; Fernández & Paredes Scribner, 2018; Ishimaru, 2020). Creating and maintaining healthy, safe, and supportive learning environments for all children requires a collective approach that includes meaningful FCE by principals who acknowledge the contributions of local stakeholders and centers them as active leaders and change agents in the school (Bertrand et al, 2018; Noguera, 2001; Warren et al, 2009). Schools that dismantle deficit-driven narratives around FCE, by implementing comprehensive and supportive engagement practices, yield positive outcomes such as improved attendance, positive student behaviors, and higher academic achievement (Anderson-Butcher et al, 2017; Biag & Castrechini, 2016; Oakes et al, 2017).…”