Fostering Authentic Family and Community Partnerships

1. Fostering Authentic Family and Community Partnerships (TWIN-CS Summer Academy, 2016) Presenter: Luis “Tony” Baez tonybaez21@gmail.com

2. Presentation Goals: • 1. From low-priority parent and community engagement to partners in learning. • 2. Brief overview of the research on parent and community partnerships in dual language • programs and schools • 3. Success of dual language programs; the commitment to self-development of parents • and educators • 4. The lessons from Latin America and other countries … • 5. The lessons from selected programs in US schools and communities • 6. Capacity building of staff and administrators; a renewed commitment to social justice; • and more democracy in teaching and learning and non-school engagement • 7. Your school and parent and community partnerships: Innovative Strategies

3. From low-priority parent and community engagement to partners in learning. • 1. As schools become more student and family focused, they are moving away from “traditional schooling” to new models that promote learning (not schooling) as transformative of the individual and the social context. This applies to students, parents, community, school staff and other educators (including individuals from higher education from all disciplines). • 2. As schools become more accountable for bridging the achievement gap, greater equity, and social justice, staff grows and invites as co-educators students, parents, community, and others. School isolation is viewed as contrary to learning; learning is for everyone; and the conditions that lead to poor schooling are viewed as preventing positive societal change and furthering social inequalities that are not good. • 3. Schools grow into agents of social change and social justice; places where learning is expanded to include high academic performance, multilingual identities, learning of additional languages, cultural sustainability and diversity, and places where learning is fun, desired, and good for all; and the function of all!

4. Brief overview of the research on parent and community partnerships in dual language programs and schools • 1. There is extensive research on why more parent/community partnerships over the past four decades, and it all concludes that it is a good thing for learners and educators, and for the transformation of schools into centers of real democracy and social justice. Unfortunately, the obsession with accountability and the false blaming of schools and teachers for all ills in society has ignored the research. • 2. Ospino and Weitzel-Oneill (2016) have reported on the state of catholic schools calling for more bilingualism, Hispanic staff recruitment, and more parent/community partnerships that increase the draw on a growing Latino population. • 3. Scanlan and Zehrbach (2010) also point to why bilingual services must be improved in catholic schools to effectively recruit and welcome Latinos • 4. Casas et al (2005) provides a very good research report in “Examining the Impact of Parental Involvement in a Dual Language Program: Implications for Children and Schools.”

5. Research Continued • 5. Based on research and practice, since 2007 the federal Head Start program has promoted dual language immersion and greater parent control of the governance of programs and complete engagement in the curriculum. They also require community reps in governance Councils. • 6. Keyes (2000) provides a theoretical model for parent-teacher collaboration and expands on why there has to be a better match between program staff and the community served by dual language programs. • 7. Mapp and Kuttner (2013), together with the US Department of Education, provide guidance in what they called “Partners in Education: A Dual Capacity Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships,” that highlights three examples of how implementing the framework helped Stanton, CA; Boston, MA and Santa Clara County. • 8. And even La Cosecha conference in New Mexico 2015, the NABE conference in 2016, and the CARLA conference of 2016 in Minnesota held much discussion on the research on why dual language schools must built parent/community partnerships.

6. Success of dual language programs; the commitment to self- development of parents and educators • All through US and in many other countries, schools are now much more aware of new trends in learning that engage parents and communities… • Most are moving away from traditional schooling • Bilingualism is growing pushed by parents, community and educators, and strong research that supports it as a way to improve learning and bridge the achievement gap. • Students, parents, educators and others see the importance of self-growth and continue learning in a global reality.

7. The lessons from selected Latin America and other countries … • Lessons from CUBA • Lessons from Colombia • Lessons from Uruguay • Lessons from Costa Rica • Lessons from Chile • Lessons from Peru • Lessons from other countries

8. The lessons from selected programs in US schools and communities • Lessons from Creighton School District in Arizona: Academic Parent Teacher Team (APTT) • Lessons from Milwaukee Dual Language Head Start programs and Milwaukee Public Schools • Lessons from Illinois • Lessons from New York • Lessons from Santa Clara County and other California programs • Lessons from New Mexico • Lessons from Texas • Other

9. Capacity building of staff and administrators; a renewed commitment to social justice; and more democracy in teaching and learning and non-school engagement • Discussion of why we are seeing a rapid movement in this • direction…

10. Your school and parent and community partnerships: Specific Innovative Strategies • Discussion of specific strategies being implement in various successful dual language programs across this country. • What factors best contribute to increase parental/community partnerships with schools • How in many districts parents are co-educators and partners in making successful dual language programs, reducing the achievement gap, improving the academic performance of their children, and advocating for academic excellence. • How parents are increasingly becoming learners themselves and more involved in the governance of their schools • How teachers and administrators are embracing bilingualism and parent/community partnerships, and how they are changing… • How dual language schools are becoming more democratic and socially transformative • Other…