Ninth Circuit Court Appeals Hearing: Parents Fight for Their Right to Advocate in Schools

On May 17th, the Parent Organization Network members supported the named plaintiffs in the Camfield v. Board of Trustees of Redondo Beach Unified School District court case by attending the hearing and coordinating a press conference .   What is this case about? This is a case against school administrators for permanently restricting parents’ access to the public school that their children attended. The restriction is a violation of state and federal law.   Why are parents banned? These bans are issued when parents criticize or raise objections to what is happening in their child’s school. Some school administrators retaliate against parents under the guise of maintaining order.  More information: A court decision is expected by the end of the summer. Visit our website to download our report on disruptive person letters, or see Telemundo coverage of the hearing: https://www.telemundo52.com/noticias/local/Padres-alegan-discriminacion-de-un-distrito-escolar-510091861.html

Professional Learning Network Participants Complete 500 Hours of Training on Family and Community Engagement

In June, t en Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Directors and Family Engagement Specialists from four school districts in Azusa, Lynwood, Pasadena, and Whittier completed a 2-year commitment to strengthen family and community engagement practice. Collectively, they completed 500 hours of training, built a network of support, and are applying what they learned to improve their work. What did the training look like? The training included mostly monthly meetings and some conferences, webinars, and site visits. In the sessions they learned about research, laws and resources; each other's systems for engagement; thought through problems of practice together; and reflected on their work.   What is the impact of the project? A report on the project's impact on participants and their districts will be shared in the fall.

Dual-Capacity Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships Version 2 is Unveiled in July

In 2013 the U.S. Department of Education published Karen Mapp’s Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships. The second version of the framework highlights the need for school staff and families to build trust and relationships as a foundation for collaboration.  For more information on the changes and examples on how to use the framework, please visit: https://www.dualcapacity.org/