Leveraging Community Expertise to Co-Develop Family & Community Partnership Strategies 10 Lessons Learned Teresa Garcia - Parent Voice Robin Higa Community Café Collaborative - CBO Voice Trise Moore & Martin Boonstra- District Voice

FWPS: Mission, Beliefs, Pillars Honoring the Trust Our Mission Our Core Beliefs Our Pillars Capabilities we must develop to nurture effective instruction and a mission-focused empowering organizational infrastructure Teaching & Learning Schools Can’t Do it Alone Investing in People Managing the Whole Dr. Pfeiffer

Strategic Plan End 2: Academic Achievement End 3: Personal Responsibility and Leadership End 1: Graduation and Attainment 5. Persistence to Graduation: HS Graduation through Successful Transitions 2. Whole Child: Thriving, Confident, Responsible Individuals 4. Content-Area Competency: Mastery of All Subjects 3. Active Learners: Engaged, Empowered, Critical Thinkers Dr. Pfeiffer 1. Early Years: Building the Foundation Strategic Plan

District-Wide: Goal 2

Project Overview In connection with our belief that families are critical partners in each child’s learning, our Strategic Plan and , aligned with promoting a safe climate and strong relationships with families and community… The Federal Way School District Superintendent, Dr. Tammy Campbell asked Principals what they needed to support scholar success. She invited community partners and parent leaders to join the discussion around developing an approach that would help parents partner with each other and schools, to promote scholar success, with a focus on parent leadership. 6 CBO’s, 4 Parent Leaders, 1 FWPS student graduate and 2 District Leaders, spent several months to co-construct the DD3/RTT grant and an implementation plan that would yield improved outcomes for scholars and stronger partnerships between schools and parents, parents and parents and parents and scholars.

“In It Together” to promote scholar success Project Outcomes The team instituted a model that includes 7 weekly leadership sessions in English and Spanish. Each session was led by parents. 6 curriculum modules were created by the DD3 team. Sessions were held at 2 Elementary Schools, 1 Middle School and 1 High School. Over 500 parents and scholars were positively impacted and we learned what it truly looks like when we are all, “In It Together” to promote scholar success

10 Lessons Learned 1. District expectations and needs differ from CBO and Family expectations and needs (identify the needs & expectations of each stakeholder group, early and often). 2. Institutional culture and structures can sometimes make it difficult to support the flexibility needed to develop shared leadership with families and external partners (share power and explain protocols). 3. Families and community partners tend to prioritize informal, relational, trust-building interactions and collaborative decision-making (make time to develop trust). 4. District leads prefer formal timelines, research-based techniques and pre-defined implementation strategies (reduce rigid guidelines that will interrupt the development of authentic co-constructed teamwork). 5. CBO leaders’ goals typically align with family/parent priorities but also require clearly defined contractual agreements with the district, prior to implementation (provide clarity and advanced notice regarding project time, cost and expenses).

10 Lessons Learned cont. 6. Family voice is not the same as CBO voice and families prefer to represent their children/teenagers themselves (establish clarity about dual roles regarding teacher/CBO/Parent voice). 7. Family voice is not always in agreement with CBO voice (know when to defer to scholar/ family voice, even when CBO/Teacher/District voice is more dominant). 8. Districts tend to take the lead as the representative and decision-making authority, for families and CBOs, before partnership agreements are clearly established (create decision-making practices that invite families and scholars to lead discussions). 9. CBOs and families expect or prefer to have the district take the lead to resolve conflicts when complications arise (encourage families and CBOs to share the responsibility for resolving problems and conflicts). 10. Effective partnerships require all stakeholders to adopt a learner stance with a willingness to demonstrate consistent levels of transparency, integrity, humility, patience and a growth mindset (practice grace, love and forgiveness).

Individual Lessons Learned Robin Higa- Community Café Collaborative CBO Voice Teresa Garcia- Parent Voice Martin Boonstra Trise Moore What I personally learned during the process of building effective partnerships for scholars. What we learned together as we worked to build effective partnerships for scholars.

Applying the Lessons Do the following activities with someone at your table or with a member of your team: Reflect on the “10 Lessons Learned” and share one or two lessons that resonated with you or provided you with new insight. Prioritize the top two lessons that were most significant, in order of relevance to you or your work. Consider the ‘individual lessons’ you heard from each of the presenters and share a lesson you’ve learned that was similar or different. Acknowledge your own insights and expertise by connecting what you’ve heard to something you already knew. Apply one of the lessons in a way that will immediately improve your, your team’s or your district’s capacity to develop effective family, school and community partnerships for scholar success.

Group Interaction & Feedback Opportunity for your Feedback-Insights Q&A

Thank You!