This National Principals Month, we invite you to learn more about Principal Micah Westerman’s story at Center City Brightwood here in Washington, DC. By embedding family engagement into every aspect of his school, through systems, hiring practices, communication, and culture, he has created a thriving community, together with staff, where students succeed because families and educators work together.
Embedding Family Engagement into the School’s Culture
“Family engagement has just always been a part of who we are. It’s really been a game changer for us in what we’re able to achieve with our kids,” Westerman reflected about his past decade at Center City Brightwood. When he stepped into his role, he inherited a strong foundation, staff across the network at Center City were engaging families through relationship building, strengthening these relationships with consistent ongoing communication, all of which was building academic partnerships between families and students. Westerman realized that family engagement was not just an afterthought and quickly made it the cornerstone of his leadership.
And that decision has had an impact. Center City Brightwood has the lowest chronic absenteeism rate across all charters in DC, and it has been above the district average in Math and ELA proficiency over the last two years. In addition, Brightwood is the highest-rated middle school program in the city, ranking #1 out of all 70 public and public charter school programs, signaling that when families and educators work in partnerships, students succeed.
Westerman attributes this success to consistent and intentional touchpoints with families, starting with 100% of families receiving a relationship-building home visit by the end of the first quarter. But it doesn’t stop there, educators at Center City Brightwood engage families three times a year in academic partnering meetings, like student-led conferences. Westerman, in partnership with his leadership team, works to ensure that families understand that Brightwood is their school as well, inviting families in at regular intervals to ensure they are active partners in their student’s education. “By the time students reach middle school, families are true partners in their kids’ education,” Westerman explained. “They’re invested in their kids’ success. We are all working together as a team, pushing the kids to be their best.”
Embedding Family Engagement into the School’s Culture
Westerman also recognizes that family engagement is a team effort, using distributive leadership to help ensure that this work outlasts any particular leader. “At this point, family engagement is so baked into the fabric of who we are as a school that everyone understands the expectations,” Westerman said.
Center City prioritizes the right mindset for family engagement from the initial steps of the hiring process. From the very first email, candidates are told that family engagement is part of the job. “You’re not just being hired to teach middle school science,” Westerman explained. “You’re going to do home visits, you’re going to be an advisor, and you’re going to partner with families.”
Building Trust Above All
Westerman knows that trust comes from flexibility and meeting families where they are. For families who are hesitant about engaging in home visits, staff are encouraged to arrange alternatives, such as meetings at a nearby park or library. For parents with busy work schedules, conducting a virtual visit provides an additional option to help build relationships.
Language access is also important. Nearly 90% of Brightwood families speak a language other than English at home. All school communication is sent in English, Spanish, and Amharic, and interpreters are available for meetings and home visits. Teachers utilize platforms that facilitate connection with families in their preferred language.
“We never do things only in English,” Westerman clarified. “It’s always in families’ preferred languages. We want to make sure we remove barriers.”
“None of this is going to work if you don’t start with building a strong foundation of trust with your families, he said.” “It’s two-way communication. Not only sharing information but also seeking feedback and input.”
Brightwood ensures this trust is sustained by requiring teachers to log family communications in the student system. Westerman monitors those logs to make sure no family slips through the cracks. Follow-up happens through conversations, celebrations, and continuous check-ins, making family engagement an ongoing practice.
Today, family engagement at Brightwood is so deeply rooted that Westerman is confident it will endure long after his time. Families expect it. At the start of each year, parents are eager to build their relationships with their children’s educators and ask when home visits will be scheduled.
“Once you establish those things over a couple of years, they take on a life of their own,” Westerman said. “The families are a part of the school as much as we are.” It’s principals like Micah Westerman who help create the conditions for REAL Family Engagement, ensuring that expectations are clear for all educators and that the resources exist to prioritize and implement this important work.