Parent Leadership Institute
The Parent Leadership Institute helps parents develop their own partnership process for their student's academic success. It is designed to raise awareness of various opportunities for parents to support academic success through home and school partnerships. It's available for every parent, guardian or family member connected to the 22,000 students we serve in our school district.
Parents begin their connection to the Parent Leadership Institute by attending a workshop titled The Advocacy Process. Workshop participants spend three hours identifying ways they can gain a greater understanding of their children's strengths and interests. They also participate in role-playing parent/teacher conversations and learn key tips on becoming effective communicators. Parents are provided a clear step-by-step framework and ideas for helping guide their students to educational success from kindergarten to college. By the end of the workshop, parents have completed their own one-page support plan to use as a resource in future meetings with others (teachers, counselor, mentors or other supportive family members) that will help them support their student's success.
Once they have attended the workshop, parents are introduced to ongoing involvement opportunities based on their student's specific interests and needs. Ongoing involvement is tied to what is already happening throughout the year in schools, the district and the community. The fluid structure allows parents to engage in ways relevant to their family's needs, interests and availability.
Parents are invited to become parent partners and are encouraged to remain connected with other workshop attendees to support ongoing education-related activities. Parent volunteers are available to help parents with the process and stay connected with them as they follow-up on the specific involvement activities of their choosing.
The Advocacy Process
Parents are encouraged to create their own involvement activities as well as consider the activities listed below:
• Student led conferences
• Home study groups/library homework club
• Khan Academy online math and science practice support sessions
• Educational tours of zoos, parks, the Pacific Science Center or museums
• Parent/teacher conferences
• School sponsored family math/reading nights
• Parent/principal introduction meeting
• School board meetings
• School leadership teams
• Key Communicator quarterly collective impact meetings
• District level leadership teams or committees
• Regional education networks, such as the Puget Sound Educational Service Center 'Born Leaders' parent network
• Community Center for Education Results; Education Network Collective Impact Group
• Kindergarten Round-up activities
• What Every Parent Wants to Know Q&A Sessions
To find out more about the Parent Leadership Institute, attending The Advocacy Process workshop or becoming a parent partner, please contact Trise Moore, the district's Family & Community Partnership Advocate at 253-945-2273 tmoore@fwps.org