This week, I will be joining MASFEC and FCSN colleagues Heidi Harris and Rosalie Rippey along with Cape Cod parent leader Sarah Rock for a discussion titled "The Power of the Parent" with Marie Younger Blackburn on her web series, Conversations that Matter.

We're so excited to join this conversation and spotlight our efforts to build the capacity of schools and families to partner with one another in support of student success. As the title of the conversation suggests, this kind of partnership can be immensely powerful! We hope you will join us!

The stories in this month's newsletter point to the power of parents, families, and educators who work together with a shared goal of equitable opportunity for all students. If there are more stories you'd like us to share, we hope you'll reach out to us at sfecma@fcsn.org!

Despite widespread respect for the practice, home visits are not as widely used in school settings as we might hope. Which raises the question, is it worth the investment of time and resources to try to expand this practice?

A recent study by Institute for Education Sciences strongly suggests that the answer is yes. A recent study from Washington, D.C. schools measured the impact of one home visit on student attendance, disciplinary involvement, and academic performance. Read about it here.

Have you ever felt mentally exhausted, dreaded going into work, and found your work troubles were negatively affecting your personal life? If you answered yes, you might be burnt out. The newest member of our MASFEC team, Mikayla Metcalf, offers recommendations for ways to address the dramatic increase in reported educator burnout. Read it here.

The Secondary Options Family Engagement Project has been working closely with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop family-friendly, translated information about career, vocational, and technical education options. New web-based resources have now launched, with more changes planned in response to parent and caregiver feedback.

The new, human-translated version of Massachusetts School Finder includes content in six languages and a map to visualize school and program locations. Check it out here

A new section of the DESE website has been developed to respond to the questions and concerns raised by families. Also human translated - view this information here

In honor of Black History Month, FCSN and MASFEC Project Manager Rosalie Rippey helped to develop a social media campaign highlighting the impact of African American parents and self-advocates on both racial desegregation and disability rights. Rosalie shares some lessons learned, including from the story of Lucille Bridges, pictured here with a famous painting of her daughter, Ruby. Read her reflections.

FCSN offers a wide array of workshops and trainings for families, educators, healthcare and service providers in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Haitian Creole, and Vietnamese. Check out upcoming workshops including: