Please join MASFEC and the National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement
Reframing the Conversation: How to Talk About Family and Community Engagement So People Will Listen
This interactive, virtual training institute will take place over three sessions:
- Session 1: Monday, November 16, 2020, 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET
- Session 2: Monday, November 23, 2020, 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET
- Session 3: Wednesday, December 2, 2020, 3:00 – 4:30 pm ET
Learn new strategies to gain support for your family engagement programs and policies, and ultimately shift the conversation from family and community engagement being “nice to have” to being a “must have.”
New research shows that many people believe that family engagement depends on how much the adults in a child’s life – especially parents and teachers – “care.” This leads to a common myth/misconception that lower-income families do not engage because they do not value education. These misunderstandings create big problems for advocates seeking support for well-structured family engagement programs and strategic policies that have the potential to advance equity in our education system, and ultimately close the achievement gap.
What stands between current public thinking and widespread adoption of family and community engagement as a core educational strategy is better communication.
Training Outcomes:
As a result of this training, attendees will be able to:
- Identify the significant differences between how experts explain family engagement and how the public, practitioners, and policymakers feel about it.
- Discuss why these differences are getting in the way of family and community engagement programs and policies getting the support and buy-in they need to succeed.
- Explain new framing strategies that shift family engagement from being “nice to have” to a “must have.”
- Apply those strategies when communicating with parents, caregivers, administrators, practitioners, and others.
Visit famengage.org to learn more about the research and recommendations.
