July 8, 2019
Greetings Members, Partners, and Stakeholders,
W
hether or not you'll be in Reno, we hope you'll join us for
NAFSCE's Annual Member Meeting
, which will be held in person at the conference on Thursday, July 11 at 8:00 am PT/11:00 am ET, and virtually via the Zoom video platform. The event will feature lessons learned from ground-breaking new research that will change the way we talk about family engagement and its importance. All those who register will receive a link to the program's recorded archive.
Click here to register.
Many NAFSCE members will be presenting at this year's conference. We invite you to learn more about their sessions
here.
And of course, this
NAFSCE News is filled with new research, stories from the field, and exciting professional development opportunities coming up in the near future. Read on to learn more.
Best regards,
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Vito Borrello
Executive Director
National Association for Family, School, and Community
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You're Invited:
NAFSCE's Annual Meeting Member Breakfast
More than caring: How to talk about family and community engagement so that people will listen
When:
Thursday, July 11, 8:00 - 9:15 am PDT
Where: Peppermill Reno, Tuscany 10, 2707 S Virginia St, Reno, NV
When we talk about family, school and community engagement, what messages work? What should we avoid saying? How do you move people to action?
Participants will learn how to apply lessons learned from ground-breaking new research designed to change the way we talk about family engagement and its importance. These new framing strategies will help shift the conversation from family engagement being “nice to have” to being a “must have.”
Our Presenters:
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Vito Borrello
Vito Borrello is the first Executive Director for the National Association for Family, School, and Community Engagement (NAFSCE), appointed in September 2014. Prior to his current position, Mr. Borrello served as the 19-year president of Every Person Influences Children, a New York-based organization providing parenting education, family engagement in education, and character education programs.
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Shaun Adamec
Shaun Adamec is a veteran communications professional, working exclusively with mission-driven organizations who seek to make a difference in the world. He has had the honor of working with some of the world’s leading advocates, including Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the American Red Cross, City Year, the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, Swanee Hunt Alternatives, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, and many more.
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Marisa Gerstein Pineau
Marisa Gerstein Pineau is a researcher and senior associate, bridging the research and research interpretation and applications units. A sociologist by training, she has focused her research on gender and family, medicine, culture, and public policy. Prior to joining FrameWorks, she served as a program officer with the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, where she worked with panels of leading experts on a variety of topics. Most recently, she co-edited “The Integration of Immigrants into American Society,” a comprehensive review of immigrant integration in the United States. Marisa received her BA in sociology from New College of Florida and her MA and PhD in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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Advancing Systemic Family Engagement in States to Support Student Achievement & School Improvement
When:
Wednesday, July 10, 3:30 - 4:45 pm PDT
Where: Peppermill Reno, Tuscany 12, 2707 S Virginia St, Reno, NV
Presenters: Reyna Hernandez and Vito Borrello,
NAFSCE
Participants will learn about a variety of efforts taking place in 19 states to advance systemic family engagement to support student achievement and school improvement. They will also reflect on their own state context to identify opportunities for change and the role they can play as partners.
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Nothing about us without us: Families' Voices in Organizational Decisions
When:
Thursday, July 11, 10:45 am - 12:00 pm PDT
Where: Peppermill Reno, Naples 1, 2707 S Virginia St, Reno, NV
Does your organization seek to engage families in decision making? We will share the story of the partnership between UPLAN and NAFSCE in developing a Parent and Family Leaders Council. Hear from UPLAN parent leaders and plan for strengthening parent voice in your organizational decisions.
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Reframing the Conversation around Family Engagement: From Research to Practice
When:
Friday, July 12, 9:15 - 10:30 am PDT
Where: Peppermill Reno, Sorrento 4, 2707 S Virginia St, Reno, NV
Participants will learn how to apply lessons learned from ground-breaking new research designed to change the way we talk about family engagement and its importance. These new framing strategies will help shift the conversation from family engagement being “nice to have” to being a “must have.”
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In a new study of more than 480,800 families, psychologists at the University of Illinois found that the more involved parents were in their children’s schooling, the better the children’s academic achievement, motivation and social adjustment, regardless of the child’s age, race or socioeconomic status. Greater parental involvement in children’s homework, however, was linked with lower academic achievement.
Learn more.
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“We need to reassess the way we engage the public. I think we’ve been approaching it the wrong way,” said Dayton Public Schools School Board Vice President Jocelyn Rhynard, who led a series of town hall meetings last school year. “We need to make a better effort of coming to people, rather than expecting them to come to us.”
Learn more about proposed changes.
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Susan Holcomb was a 3rd grade teacher in Georgia when she was introduced to a variation on the traditional parent-teacher conference — one she soon came to see as a powerful way to boost student achievement by turning parents into active participants in their children’s education. The approach, known as Academic Parent-Teacher Teams (APTT) is now being implemented in schools and districts in 24 states.
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Parents from five Minneapolis communities—Somali, Native American, African American, Hispanic, and Hmong—have become information and insight gatherers in their respective communities, using surveys, interviews and focus groups. The district's larger aim is to get better information to use to improve its weak track record on serving students of color and immigrant students, as well as their parents.
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On June 24th, Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) received one of three grants in the country from PBS KIDS to create the GPB/PBS Family Engagement in Schools Initiative in Whitfield County, GA. "Sometimes, families . . .have trouble feeling connected to schools and a formal learning environment. That is what this partnership is all about . . . empowering families to succeed,” said GPB Director of Education Laura Evans.
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Together, Ohio State and the Department have established the Family and Community Engagement Network—a Community of Practice dedicated to advancing and supporting collaboration. This report provides a snapshot of the efforts in Ohio to bring schools, families, and communities together to create the supports all students need to succeed in life.
Read the report.
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Bears Pro Bowl guard Kyle Long, in partnership with First Book, recently sent thousands of Chicago kids in need home with brand-new books as part of the Chris Long Foundation’s “First Quarter for Literacy” campaign. The initiative is designed to get books to children in underserved neighborhoods and encourage family engagement with reading. Kyle is donating $25,000 as part of the effort to support early childhood literacy for Chicago area students.
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Global Family Research Project joined with four other organizations as part of the LEGO Idea Conference to take an in-depth look at letting families guide the creation of programs and services that best meet their needs.
This summary of the event session, held in Billund, Denmark, includes international examples of collaborating with families and the four concepts that can help practitioners truly understand families and what they want for their children.
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At dozens of barbershops and laundromats across the United States, the sound of children reading aloud mingles with the buzz and snip from barbers’ tools or the din of washers. Makeshift shelves and crates hold books featuring cartoon characters, stories about pigeons or the capers of superheroes. It is bringing the book to the child, instead of the child to the book.
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Divorced fathers, especially those who don’t share a residence with their children, often find it difficult to remain involved in their children’s academic development. This can be because schools don't send home information to both parents, assuming the mother is the primary caretaker. However, when fathers remain involved in their children's lives, social, emotional and academic outcomes for students improve.
This article urges schools to ensure fathers are given an opportunity to play a meaningful part of their children’s education.
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Date: August 16, 9:30 am - 4:30 pm
Location: Plymouth, MA
You see necessary change—they see disruption. You say outdated—they say tradition. How can you bring your community together to support positive change in education? This informative, fast-paced, day-long workshop will help educators drop the jargon, communicate more effectively, and design experiences for community members that are engaging, inclusive, and authentic.
Learn more and register.
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Date: November 4 - 6, 2019
Location: Louisville, KY
The Families Learning Conference is focused on innovative strategies and practices in family literacy and learning, two-generation education, and parent and family engagement. Conference attendees will be equipped with tools and strategies to use right away with the students, families, and communities you serve.
Learn more and register.
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Date: October 7 - 8, 2019
Location: Meridian, ID
Registration is now open for the 4th Annual Idaho Family & Community Engagement Conference (10/7/19 - 10/8/19)! The purpose of this event since its inception is to help fulfill the need for school staff personnel in gaining knowledge of practical, effective, and sustainable methods and strategies for community involvement. This year Ms. Elizabeth Smart and other experts within their field will share invaluable information with school staff personnel throughout the state.
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Date: July 22 - 25, 2019
Location: Cambridge, MA
Special notice:
Between now and July 12, NAFSCE members receive priority consideration, including a $250 tuition discount, for Family Engagement in Education: Creating Effective Home and School Partnerships for Student Success program, led by Dr. Karen Mapp.
Learn more about the special offer
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Date: June 22 - 24, 2020
Location: Arlington, VA
This 3-day event will present the latest research surrounding child care, Head Start, Early Head Start, home visiting, child welfare, special education, pre-kindergarten, early elementary, and other early childhood programs.
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Senior Advisor, Early Childhood Education and Development, Save the Children (Washington, DC)
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Save the Children is seeking a seasoned early childhood expert to lead program design, innovation and business growth for our Rural Education programs. The Senior Advisor for Early Childhood Education and Development supervises a team of technical specialists and advisors, works closely with field teams to ensure program quality, supports fundraising efforts and serves as a key representative for Save the Children’s work in the U.S. The ideal candidate will possess deep knowledge of early learning research, curricula and assessment, a proven ability as a leader and a passion for making a difference in the lives of children.
Learn more.
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Project Director, Research & Evaluation, Brazelton Touchpoints Center, Boston Children's Hospital
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Brazelton Touchpoints Center, Boston Children's Hospital is currently seeking a Project Director of Research and Evaluation who will play a lead role in evaluation team projects including collaboration in study design, execution, and writing and presentation of findings. The ideal candidate is a highly qualified applied researcher with the abilities to think strategically, delegate responsibility, and communicate effectively. Preference will be given to applicants with strong writing skills and an interest in and experience with quantitative method and data analysis.
Learn more.
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Manager, Operations, NAFSCE (Alexandria, VA)
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The part-time Manager of Operations will manage NAFSCE’s various operational needs including finance, human resources, office and data base management. The successful candidate will work closely with NAFSCE’s Accountant for all day-to-day finance related duties in supporting the Accountant’s role of creating monthly financial reports, as well as budget planning and monitoring.
Learn more.
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NAFSCE's Career Center
features a searchable job bank focused solely on family engagement opportunities. Posted positions are promoted in NAFSCE News, reaching thousands of family engagement professionals each month.
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When you support NAFSCE, you are supporting initiatives that have the potential to change the way our country thinks about the family's role in our children's education. From our partnership with the NEA to develop higher-education training for future teachers, to our work with the FrameWorks Institute to create a fundamental shift in the way people think about engaging parents and caregivers, NAFSCE's work will have a profound effect on how we all think about family engagement.
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Our members tell us that one of the most important benefits of their NAFSCE membership is the ability to learn from one another. You want to be able to ask for advice, network, share resources, and problem solve together.
To make those connections easier, NAFSCE has created its own
Members-Only Facebook Group.
Join this private group today and let's get the conversation started!
To request to join the group,
click here. A NAFSCE administrator will confirm your membership and then approve your request to join. You do not need to use the same email address you used to join NAFSCE. And if you haven't already, please follow us on
Facebook and
Twitter!
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601 King Street Suite 400-404
Alexandria, VA 22314
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