Liaison Interview: Engaging Families by Building Relationships
- Mar 3, 2017
- 2 min read
Bringing families into schools is difficult work. It takes coordination, constant and consistent follow-up, and, most importantly (and perhaps most challenging), relationship-building. Creating genuine relationships also requires the knowledge and comprehensive understanding of the neighborhood in which families live.
We interviewed Family Engagement Liaison Meeka Outlaw about her work in Neighborhood Network 1 and 2 to engage families.
Focus on FACE: Many schools struggle to recruit parents to workshops, SAC meetings, and other school events. As a Liaison, what barriers have you seen that may prevent parents/families from attending school events/meetings?
Meeka Outlaw: The hardest thing about recruiting parents for events, workshops, and SAC meetings is the time frame. The average parent wants to be involved with their children's school but their jobs may prevent them from coming because they may work similar hours that school is in session.
Even if you have something at nighttime, you run into the problem of the parent who gets out of work at 5:00, and usually the school has to shut down by 6:00 or 7:00. So by the time the parent gets off of work they are rushing to get to an event. Saturdays seem to be better, but even that becomes an inconvenience for the school engineer, who may have to come in on his day off to open the school.
FoF: How have you as a Liaison helped your schools overcome these engagement barriers?
MO: I have tried through cold calls and putting flyers in markets or corner stores that parents may frequent in the area.
FoF: How do you make parents/families feel welcome in a school?
MO: The way I try to get parents to feel welcome is by telling them something about myself. For instance, when I tell them about my seven-year-old son and the highlights and lowlights of life with raising him as a single mom. They realize that we have a lot in common and they are not alone in their struggles.
FoF: What advice do you have for schools that are struggling to bring families into the school for meetings and events?
MO: My advice is meet them where they are at and let them know you are a human and can empathize with them. As my aunt used to say, ‘Let them know you were raised in the same briar patch as them.’ Lastly, go out into your community, walk the neighborhood, see what life is like. Instead of bringing your lunch to school, go to the corner store and get lunch. Don't just make your life coming into the building at 8:00am, staying inside, and only leave at the end of the workday.
Comments