Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City’s Post

When I was thinking about Hairiette of Harlem, my thought was that I could create a brand for just for kids--adults were frustrating. I did a hard pivot on that idea while I was at school and realized there would be no way to reach a child without parent/caregiver engagement. In fact, family engagement may well be the heart of child learning (the 74million.com shared a great article called 'The Biggest Blind Spot in Education: Parents’ Role in Their Children’s Learning). It got me thinking: how can teachers and parents work together as PARTNERS in the education of a child? Here are three solutions to consider! 1. Teachers might consider doing home visits—if parents are reluctant, then maybe coffee at a location that works for both parties? 2. Text messaging is likely the quickest, easiest way for parents and teachers to stay connected. Maybe it’s as simple as a daily inspirational message! Also, parents tend to get frustrated when the only time they hear from their child’s school is when something goes wrong. Should something happen in school, at least there’s a prior relationship in place between the parent and the teacher. 3. Collaborate with students to get their input in any direction the school is consider taking. For example, why not have the students create a committee that helps the staff, school and administrators design an ideal parent/caregiver/teacher day? Are you a teacher? What are some of the things you/your school is doing to help foster a healthy relationship with parent/caregivers? https://lnkd.in/eUU6JhcM

Check out this article highlighting an exceptional school that serves more than 115 students in our community with a holistic environment!

Enormously grateful to Natalie Bennett for her continued support of Square Peg’s work in highlighting the links between schools, mental health & wellbeing and the harms of fines & prosecutions for persistent absence. The full transcript of the session is here: https://lnkd.in/e4NfZCEU And do read Natalie’s reflections on the debate here: https://lnkd.in/evgKAAdh It’s vital we keep these courageous and collaborative conversations going. Our children and young people are relying on us to do so. The school to prison pipeline is already evidenced and established. No one wants to talk about the school to CAMHS pipeline. Reports by Mind, YoungMinds, Edge Foundation, Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition all highlight children and young people clearly identifying school and academic pressure as negatively impacting their mental health and wellbeing. Many schools and leaders are wanting to find Another Way. Many professionals show up every day to try to make a difference in demonstrating to our kids they’re valued and important. But within a framework of top down pressure, central government ideological control, performance targets (both for workforce and pupils), high stakes testing and scrutiny via OFSTED, the messages of belonging and care are too often lost. I’d like to put care at the centre of education, for schools to understand the value of a care-based delivery model, for families to feel safe, welcomed, wanted, for children to feel they belong, are individually known and supported to be their best selves. Because when we do that, children, young people and their families will feel safe when all else around them may not be. Schools should be, could be, safe harbours, communities of life-wide learning, engagement, participation. In the same way we love our NHS, wouldn’t it be incredible to love our schools too? Maybe then the old adage that school is the best years of our lives might actually ring true. Liz Robinson Margaret Mulholland Dr Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE Jo Malone, FRSA Alastair Falk Ian Gilbert Lord Philip Hunt Jim Knight Kate Longworth Hugh Viney Debra Kidd Michelle Storer John Hassall Paul Rose Paul Kissack Ali Durban Dame Alison Peacock DL, DLitt Alison Kriel Alison Waterhouse James Blomfield FRSA Dr James Mannion Dr Chris Bagley 👇🏻

The journey of raising a child with special needs is unique for every family, often accompanied by triumphs and challenges. As educators, we have the opportunity to be more than just teachers; we can be allies, understanding partners, and supporters in this journey. Recognizing parents' daily lives, struggles, and victories is crucial in forming a partnership that transcends traditional teacher-student dynamics. At Distinctive Method Interventions, LLC, we advocate for a collaborative approach, where educators and parents work hand-in-hand to support the child’s learning and growth. This partnership is built on open communication, mutual respect, and, most importantly, understanding and compassion for the experiences of parents navigating the special needs education system. Let's strengthen this partnership. Together our voices can inspire change and promote a deeper connection between families and educators. We can create a more inclusive and empathetic educational environment for children with special needs.

❝The truth is, community colleges and early care and education are extremely vital and worthy in their own rights, providing foundational support to children, families, and students,❞ Warfield said. ❝They are distinct and noble spheres that increasingly require our collective attention and advocacy, and we must find common ground to allow the two to lift one another up for the sake of children’s health, family well-being, and economic mobility.❞ Read more: https://lnkd.in/gQcSw7Py

Chapel Hill Academy (CHA) has fostered academic excellence and nurtured the social and emotional development of more than 3,500 students over the past 16 years. However, the educational needs of our community have changed over the past 5 years. The rise of numerous quality charter schools has added new options for families, coinciding with CHA’s enrollment numbers beginning to decline in 2019. This, paired with shifts in educational funding, has posed significant challenges. In response, we have sought various remedies to sustain operations at CHA. Despite extensive efforts, it has become clear that Lena Pope must make the incredibly tough decision to close CHA effective August 31, 2024. Lena Pope’s remaining education, counseling, and juvenile diversion initiatives are thriving, and our commitment to children and families is as strong as ever. The demand for mental health services and early childhood education has grown exponentially. These are areas where Lena Pope can fill a vital gap, providing support and services that are currently in short supply. We are entering a phase where our resources and expertise in these services areas need to be expanded. Read more here: https://hubs.ly/Q02vc27d0

In what ways are your own schools engaging parents, families, and caregivers as allies to the teachers and staff in the buildings to support great learning for young people? #education #learning #schools #teachers #parents #families

Counting down to our 10th anniversary of #teacherpowered in a few weeks by sharing all things we support & do. One impactful #teacherpowered schools practice is involving families. Check out this Edweek article for one way to do it: https://lnkd.in/gJ6kx3s6?

We know that chronic absenteeism is an emergency, with nearly 16 million students missing almost 4 weeks of school. My recent op-ed in The 74 Media uncovers the challenges youth and families face, and highlights some creative solutions.   The 20 community schools in the Children's Aid network are on the frontlines of this educational emergency. In the 2022-23 school year, these schools saw a 4% average decrease in chronic absence. How exactly are community schools keeping students in school?   Starting success mentors programs  Forming social-emotional support groups Prioritizing accountability We must continue to work together to keep students learning; lessons from community schools are just the first step. Read my full op-ed to learn more: https://lnkd.in/dvMpfuua

Dynamic and hard-hitting conference today at UC Berkeley's Center for Cities and Schools on addressing the needs of homeless students and families, organized by the one and only Deborah McKoy,. Oakland High School's participation in the YPLAN (Youth Plan, Learn, Act, Now) project, where high school students do their own research in partnership with Cal students to propose policy solutions, was repeatedly mentioned. Oakland got a shout-out when state Board of Ed chair Linda Darling-Hammond cited Latitude High School's student construction of tiny homes as a great initiative. Asked what schools can do to most help their unhoused students, one of the student panelists said: Teachers and school staff should do something when they notice that one of their students has their head down or is very stressed out. When you just got a 14-day notice of eviction, there's no way you can think about homework during those 14 days. USC Dean of Education Pedro A. Noguera (who was my professor when I was an undergraduate 30 years ago at Cal!) called out Bay Area districts like Berkeley, where he was once a school board member himself, for calling themselves progressive when there's so little progress. We need stronger policies for effective support for homeless families, including stronger oversight by county offices of education on the use of LCFF supplemental and concentration funding. Lots of food for thought on how to make policy meaningful, for homeless students and all students in California!