Getting parents and families actively engaged in a student’s academic performance and overall school experience can make a difference in a child’s life.
But how do schools and districts best entice families, especially linguistically diverse immigrant families, to give of their time and resources?
Bethzaida Sotomayor, a teacher in the English-for-speakers-of-other-languages department of the Volusia County schools in Florida, and Ana Pasarella, the director of family and community engagement at the Alvin school district in Texas, came together for an Education Week webinar on Nov. 14 to share best practices for engaging English-learner and immigrant families.
Here’s some of their advice for teachers and administrators.
Families need help understanding U.S. education processes
Among some immigrant families—in particular, newcomer Hispanic families—there is a cultural perception that teachers are in charge of students in school and that there isn’t much need for parental or family involvement in their education, Sotomayor said.
That’s why when working with newcomer families, it’s important for schools and districts to explain common policies and procedures early on, as parents may not fully understand how things work in the U.S. education system, said Pasarella, a 2023 Education Week Leader to Learn From.
Schools should explain to families how they can check grades using the student information system and the protocols for what to do if a child wakes up sick on a school day. They should also regularly update families about special events such as early dismissals and school holidays with which newcomer families may not immediately be familiar.
Schools and districts should also translate communications on social media so they’re accessible for all families, Sotomayor added.
Newcomer families in particular should also have a primary contact at school, whether it’s an ESOL teacher, a general education teacher, or another staff member, who can answer any questions or concerns that come up during the school year.
Educators can teach families how to support learning at home
In Volusia County, the school year starts out with meetings at which parents can meet their children’s teachers, including ESOL teachers.
At these meetings, parents can get help in completing the various forms all families must fill out, Sotomayor said. These include the documents that schools use to determine free and reduced-price lunch eligibility, field trip paperwork, and more.
But teachers also take this time to offer guidance to families on how they can support their children’s learning outside of the classroom.
“We also have a section about, how do you support your child at home? How can you support your child with reading, with math, with science? We have libraries here. You get to go to the library and get books, or you can go to YouTube and find specific videos on whatever science topics your child is learning,” Sotomayor said.
Even though the Alvin district works under the mindset that all parents want the best for their children, not every parent knows what exactly this looks like.
It’s why Pasarella has led workshops to teach parents about small things they can do at home to help.
“We as educators assume that everybody knows how to sit down and read with a kid, but the reality is not that,” she said.
She’s come across some parents who believe reading with their children involves cooking and cleaning while the children read aloud nearby. The best practice involves much more engagement with a young reader, including asking them questions about the text.
Educators should meet families where they are
Pasarella has often heard the expression that the measure of good family and community engagement is based on how often parents show up at school events in person.
That isn’t always the case.
Pasarella’s workshops for families on how to support learning at home and her districtwide programming updates garnered more attendance when she switched to online meetings.
And she has found that when families get invitations to workshops directly from bilingual teachers they know and trust, they’re more likely to attend.
In Florida, Sotomayor emphasizes the importance of knowing your audience when inviting families to events or meetings. Some parents may weigh attending an in-person event at school over using that time to cook for and feed their children. If that’s the case, make sure to offer food at the event. Or don’t throw an event around events that are likely to be busy—such as Mother’s Day when many farmworking families will be busy preparing, growing, and collecting flowers to sell for the holiday, she added.
It’s important to think outside of the box when schools are trying to reach the families of English learners.
Pasarella doesn’t solely rely on traditional communication channels to spread the word about family programming in her district. She goes out into neighborhoods and meets with families at local churches.
“Don’t expect to meet parents at school. Go to the local store where a lot of your families go and bring a flier,” Pasarella said.
