Many teachers and school leaders are working to move from communicating with families to collaborating with them, while still honoring staff voice and supporting school improvement. That tension surfaced in a recent coaching conversation with Laurie Marchland, principal at Edward R. Martin Middle School.
Laurie named the challenge of making the work school wide without losing authenticity. “If I try to make it school-wide, I worry it will be directive rather than genuine. I do not want it to feel like one more initiative. We connect with students often, but we want educators to collaborate with parents without it being ‘the principal said I have to do this.’ I want educators to want to do it.”
Rather than rushing to solutions, Laurie reflected on the value of slowing down. “If I did not have the knowledge base from our current systems and the PLANS structure, I might not have been prompted to invite the people we brought to the table. Those systems helped encourage parents and families to lean into this work.”
Small shifts can make this possible. For example, at the beginning of the year, the eighth grade team sends families a document framed as an interview. “It says, ‘I will be with your child the entire school year. Work with me to understand their strengths and needs.’ Who knows a kid better than their parent?” Laurie shared.
“This information becomes a way to bridge the gap when collaborating with parents,” Laurie explained. The same document supports high school scheduling conversations and transition IEP meetings for students turning 14, helping educators collaborate with both parents and students.
Laurie returned to a shared purpose. “We are not just here to teach content. We are here to teach kids how to be good human beings, and we need to collaborate with parents to get there.”
CLEE’s Continuous Improvement services support schools in leveraging collaboration with families, staff and community partners to strengthen systems and improve outcomes. Learn how these services can support your work.
