Get to Know FACE: Who We Are, What We Do
We’re dedicated to creating and supporting partnerships among schools, families, and communities. As a central resource for family engagement, FACE staff strive to engage and inform parent leaders and families as essential partners in helping students achieve academic proficiency and college and career readiness. FACE is here to assist families in navigating the School District, and we are proud to offer opportunities for families to actively take part in their children’s academic lives.
Get to Know Us: Who We Are
We have 20 Family Engagement Liaisons who serve 8 - 10 schools, which they visit 2 - 3 times per month. The Family Engagement Liaison’s primary function is to connect the home and school in a positive, respectful, and welcoming manner. Some of the roles and responsibilities of Liaisons include:
Building relationships with family members
Promoting family engagement events at the school
Supporting the creation of a School Advisory Council
Facilitating parent workshops and trainings
Developing bulletin boards, flyers, and resource tables
Meeting with parents to mediate school-level situations and concerns
Don’t know who you Family Engagement Liaison is? Click here to find out!
The Liaisons are grouped into five teams, each of which is led by a Family and Community Engagement Coordinator. The Family and Community Engagement Coordinators are responsible for managing their teams of Liaisons and working with one another to create effective, engaging training materials and resources for Liaisons to take to schools. The Coordinators work out of the Central Office, but they are also responsible for visiting high schools.
Get to Know Us: What We Do
Other programs and services that live in the FACE Office include:
District Call and Information Center: The District Call and Information Center provides front-end information about District services, initiatives, and programs, acting as a link between customers and appropriate District offices. It also works directly with schools and Principals’ Learning Networks to address parental questions and concerns, engaging with parents and serving as a one-on-one case management support. The Call Center answers general inquiries from families calling the District’s main number (215-400-4000).
Parent and Family Resource Center: This is a one-stop-shop that provides families with support in resolving concerns, exploring ways to better support their child’s education, and navigating the School District of Philadelphia. The PFRC provides information about the District’s policies, procedures, programs, and services. The PFRC also shares information about community-based programs and resources, conducts a variety of parent workshops, and has a fully equipped computer lab for family use. Our Customer Support Liaisons are available to assist you from 9:00am-5:00pm, Monday-Friday, located at 440 N. Broad in Suite 131.
Multilingual Family Support Services: Our commitment to multilingual families extends to direct service via our 75 school-based Bilingual Counseling Assistants (BCAs), who collectively speak over thirty (30) languages and dialects. The Multilingual Family Support Office coordinates BCA school assignments, manages and offers monthly technical assistance sessions. We provide live interpretation at School Reform Commission meetings, District and school-wide events, disciplinary and expulsion hearings, and community meetings; coordinate outreach services to immigrant and refugee communities; and build partnerships with immigrant and refugee-serving organizations. The Multilingual Family Support Office offers professional development sessions to District staff in order to better meet the educational and psycho-social needs of immigrant and refugee students and their families; and support families through Welcome Wagon activities.
Translation and Interpretation Center: We have dedicated Language Access Coordinators who translate School District-wide and school-specific documents into various languages. The Translation & Interpretation Center provides translation of written documents, both District-wide and specific to individual schools or students, free of charge. While the focus of translation is on the 8 official languages of the District, rare emerging languages, such as Nepali and Burmese, are also translated. Every effort will be made to accommodate any translation request in any language. Documents that need to be translated can include public announcements, District-wide documents, flyers, forms, and other communications intended for parents and/or students, in addition to transcripts or immunization records for enrollment or student placement.
Pregnant and Parenting Teens Services: Our Pregnant and Parenting Teens program is called ELECT, which stands for Education Leading to Employment and Career Training. ELECT offers FREE case management and supportive services to expecting or already parenting teen mothers and fathers 21 years old and younger to help them as students achieve their highest potential personally and academically, so they become successful parents and citizens, by providing the support they need to stay in school through graduation.
STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES:
Be enrolled in a school or GED program in Philadelphia
Participate in program activities at least 4 hours a month
Ensure home is available for quarterly home visits
Strive for 100% school attendance
Agree to complete school assignments and maintain grades
Supporting School Advisory Councils: We are supporting active and engaged SACs by creating new resources, guidelines, and accountability measures to ensure that SACs are implemented in all schools with fidelity. We also host professional development workshops for SAC members through our SAC Academy Workshop Series, which focuses on topics like how to run a SAC meeting, how to write SAC Bylaws, recruitment and marketing, and more.
Volunteer Program: Starting in the 2017-2018 school year, the FACE Office has started managing the District volunteer program. This includes creating new materials and flyers for interested volunteers, building the Volunteer Orientation, and fielding questions from volunteers far and wide about what they need in order to volunteer in our schools!
FACE Office Mission Statement: The Office of Family and Community Engagement will build capacity, and develop programs and strategies to support meaningful district-wide engagement and partnership among schools, families, and communities that results in shared responsibility in the creation of thriving schools where every child succeeds.
FACE Office Vision Statement: Through full partnership, all schools embrace a collaborative culture for students, families, staff, and community that sustains quality family engagement and promotes school improvement and the social, emotional, and academic success of every child.
