Meet the Trainers + Ambassadors

Claire was trained to conduct relationship-building home visits when she became a DCPS Pre-K teacher. She worked alongside an experienced teacher at her school who had partnered with Flamboyan in previous school years. She quickly saw home visits’ positive impact on her ability to partner with students’ families. Her Flamboyan “mentor” was also a trainer, and Claire learned many other best practices for family engagement through her. As a direct result of the trust and open communication, she started building with families through home visits. Her whole perspective on working with parents changed and has greatly impacted her classroom. Several years later, an opportunity to apply to be a trainer arose, and she was eager to share what she learned with other educators.

As a special education teacher in DCPS’ Communication and Education Supports program, Claire primarily works with students newly diagnosed with autism or significant developmental delays. Many parents start the school year off nervous about sending a child to a school that may not be able to communicate their wants and needs, and there are all sorts of emotions to process around the diagnosis itself and the next steps to take. Claire noticed that some families are understandably hesitant to open up with her and found that REAL Family Engagement strategies have helped her break down barriers and create a space for open conversations about family members’ hopes, goals, dreams, and even fears related to their child’s disability. REAL Family Engagement has turned her students’ parents into her partners, and she feels proud of what they can accomplish together — one of Claire’s initially hesitant parents was so impacted by REAL Family Engagement that she joined here as a Flamboyan trainer! Claire will never forget the first parent-teacher conference where this parent let her child “lead” the conversation and demonstrate the skills he was using in the classroom. She was so excited about this work! Now they get to share their story together.

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer and Ambassador? 
I love hearing other teachers’ stories about how partnering with families has impacted their practice. At the same time, I also think it’s important to support teachers in having collaborative conversations about how to address some of the common challenges that can come up when trying to build relationships with families — when we come together as a group and discuss this, we can leave with new strategies to try. 

What else is important for folks to know about you?
I’m a parent AND a teacher! I have two children, including one who recently entered elementary school, so I’m new to navigating parent/teacher relationships from the perspective of a family member. It has definitely given me new things to consider. I am always willing to learn more and try new things, and as my own children encounter the highs and lows of education, I’m taking those lessons back to relationships in my own classroom.

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Trainer.
I currently work at a local charter school that partners with Flamboyan to support our Family Engagement practices. When I saw the announcement for the role, I thought it would be a great opportunity to further my knowledge and ultimately be part of the greater community of people who understand the importance and impact of partnership with caregivers in student success.  

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
REAL Family Engagement provides me with a framework and language to help teachers and staff engage families. The tools and materials in this framework structure the core of what we want from our staff when engaging families throughout the school year. 

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer?
I am excited to learn from the team of trainers and ambassadors and interact with educators outside of my school. 

What else is important for folks to know about you?
My role as a parent is at the forefront of the work I do. I believe that parents/caregivers are the best advocates for success in their child’s life and that we all want the BEST for them. It is easy to feel inadequate as a parent navigating school, but with the tools Flamboyan is providing teachers who share with parents, we are all in partnership and working towards the same goal.  

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Trainer.
An email with a link…that’s how my story started. The email presented a chance to positively impact communities and nurture relationships, an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. What truly made me become a Flamboyan Trainer is appreciating my long-lasting connections with families throughout the DMV area. Having been involved in their lives from elementary school through college, I’ve witnessed firsthand how families thrive when equipped with the right information and connections to support their children’s education. Upon encountering the job posting in the email, I recognized that my genuine, ingrained approach to this work aligned perfectly with the role. It was a clear sign to join Flamboyan!  

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
Becoming a REAL Family engagement trainer is at the core of my dedication to equipping adults and students with the essential skills for thriving in school and life. With a rich background as a school counselor in DC for over 14 years and my present position as a director of social emotional learning, I bring a powerful combination of counseling and psychology expertise, fueled by empathy. 

My experiences have fueled my commitment to this work. Leading the charge for educational equity has shown me the crucial role of family engagement in nurturing students’ overall development.  

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer?
As a Flamboyan Trainer, I’m excited by the chance to influence educational outcomes through impactful family engagement. This position enables me to collaborate directly with educators, families, and community leaders, empowering them with the strategies and tools to cultivate strong, supportive relationships. I look forward to sharing my story, absorbing wisdom from families, and collectively striving to empower all children to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically throughout their lives.

What else is important for folks to know about you?
I’m not just someone who listens with empathy; I’m passionate about championing mental health! I thrive on working closely with schools, families, and community leaders to develop inclusive strategies that cater to students’ overall well-being.  
  
And for a bit of fun – I adore exploring international destinations, trying out new foods, and hunting for treasures in thrift stores.  

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Ambassador.
My principal recently commended my dedication to parent engagement, recognizing the efforts I’ve consistently put forth inside and outside the classroom. Through proactive initiatives and fostering open communication channels, I’ve strived to involve parents in their child’s education. My commitment to organizing various activities encouraging parental involvement has not gone unnoticed. Being chosen as a Flamboyan Ambassador and representing REAL Family Engagement is an honor. This recognition highlights my effectiveness in utilizing parent engagement strategies to enhance student learning. I’m deeply committed to building strong partnerships with parents and excited to empower educators to create meaningful connections with families through this program.

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
My “why” for REAL Family Engagement stems from a deep belief in the transformative power of collaboration between educators and families. I see family engagement as essential to creating a holistic and supportive learning environment for students. When parents are actively involved in their child’s education, it fosters a sense of belonging and reinforces the idea that education is a shared responsibility. REAL Family Engagement can bridge the gap between home and school, ensuring students receive consistent support and encouragement across all facets of their lives. By working together, educators and families can unlock the full potential of every student, laying the foundation for lifelong success and well-being. Ultimately, my “why” for REAL Family Engagement lies in its ability to create a stronger, more inclusive educational community where every child can thrive. 

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Ambassador?
The chance to make a real change in the lives of students, families, and the whole school community is what I love most about being an Ambassador for REAL Family Engagement. As a representative, I can talk about how important it is for teachers, parents, and the community to work together. I’m excited to share strategies, resources, and best practices for making relationships that matter and giving parents the tools they need to be involved in their child’s education. As an Ambassador, I can encourage and inspire others to see REAL Family Engagement as an important part of student achievement. I look forward to working with other teachers, talking to parents, and making the school a happy, safe place where every child can learn and grow. Ultimately, being an ambassador for REAL Family Engagement allows me to bring about good change and ensure everyone has a better, more enjoyable educational experience.  

What else is important for folks to know about you?
People must understand that my commitment to REAL Family Engagement runs deep because education is my utmost priority. I am wholeheartedly dedicated to fostering positive relationships with students, parents, and the wider community because I firmly believe every child deserves to feel supported and empowered in their learning journey. By advocating for REAL Family Engagement, I strive to create a world where students and their parents know they have advocates who are genuinely invested in their success. Building strong partnerships between educators and families is not just a professional obligation for me; it’s a personal mission. I am passionate about creating an educational environment where every student feels valued, understood, and supported, both academically and emotionally. This commitment drives me to continuously seek new ways to strengthen connections, enhance communication, and collaborate effectively with all stakeholders.

Ultimately, my goal is to contribute to creating a nurturing and inclusive learning community where every child can thrive.  

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Trainer.
Flamboyan was an active part of my development in my beginning years as a teacher. Over my time in education, I have witnessed the positive impacts of family engagement. I would love to continue to increase those skills to help bridge the gap between families and schools and teach others how to do the same. What I care about most is that all students have equitable access to education free from bias.  

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
Active and honest communication I had with a parent of a PreK-4 student around a student’s behavior opened the door for the parent to be honest and actively trust me as her child’s teacher. We worked together to reduce aggressive behaviors, and she called me for help from her child’s new school when behaviors occurred there. 

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer?
I am excited to connect with other educators and hear their success stories with family engagement. 

What else is important for folks to know about you?
In my spare time, I love hanging out with my dogs, traveling, and trying new hobbies with the people closest to me!  

Before becoming a trainer, Jaleel was a part of his school’s Family Engagement Leadership Team (FELT) and participated in one of the Flamboyan fellowships for family engagement. Being new to K-12 education, it was really important for him to intentionally learn more about how to incorporate families into student success and how he can better empower families in supporting their student’s success.

Leaning into REAL Family Engagement allowed Jaleel to connect with students and families when addressing attendance concerns after COVID. He had a lot of assumptions about what families could do or understand about supporting their students or collaborating with the school. And through the REAL Family Engagement, he truly understood how to best partner with families to make sure that their student’s needs were being met, refer helpful resources, and see the student’s attendance and grades improve in real-time.

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer?
I’m excited about seeing educators take the work many of them are already doing and helping them align their practices to support students and families.

What else is important for folks to know about you?
I believe in family engagement so much because it provides support for everyone to share their stories. Some of my educational background is in screenwriting and playwriting, so hearing the stories of educators, students, and their families is heartwarming. I think all of those stories remind us of the why. 

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Ambassador.
I became an ambassador by showing interest in this position. This role will help elevate and strengthen my relationships with families and friends. 

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
REAL Family Engagement is when all stakeholders, aka “the village,” build trusting relationships with shared power and communication while upholding students to high expectations along with advocacy and monitoring of child’s performance. 

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Ambassador?
I’m excited to collaborate with other people, bring my willingness to be open, share my perspective and experiences, and dive deeper into relationships with families. 

What else is important for folks to know about you?
I’m a great team member. I model positivity by being flexible and having a good attitude when things need to change. I’m always wearing a smile.

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Trainer.
While a member of the FELT team at Stanton Elementary, I witnessed firsthand the power of building strong relationships with families. I felt compelled to share the impact it was having in my classroom! 

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
Families as partners are the cornerstone of my success as a teacher. Flamboyan’s research-based approach helps me understand that reality.  

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer?
I love witnessing ah-ha moments in participants! 

What else is important for folks to know about you?  
I love tacos, cell phone cases, and naps.  

Shareeda is a devoted mother of five and a District of Columbia Ward 8 resident. She fell in love with family engagement in 2013 and loves sharing her input on home visits and family engagement in DC public schools. She has trained many teachers, heard many stories, and changed lives throughout the Metropolitan Washington, DC, area.

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer? Family engagement is my passion, and it has been an honor training and motivating teachers and sharing my wisdom and my authentic self.

Candice became a Flamboyan trainer when she received an email to apply to be a Flamboyan Trainer in the Winter of 2022. As a Family Engagement Leadership Team (FELT) lead at her school, she felt comfortable applying and becoming a trainer. 

Candice believes REAL Family Engagement engages families how she would want her child’s school to engage with her. She wants to give families a good experience and ensure their child’s success is her number one priority. She also is passionate about providing educators with the tools they need to engage families effectively. 

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer? I get excited when I am giving a training, and participants have “aha” moments and can confirm what they are currently doing to engage families, as well as conversations around how they will better engage families. 

What else is important for folks to know about you? I am a special educator of 17 years. I am a mother of 2 daughters. I am passionate about supporting families and have been a Family Engagement Lead at my school for 3 years. I have been a trainer with Flamboyan for 1 year and hope to continue training educators on the importance of family engagement. 

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Trainer.
A colleague and I were discussing the challenges within America’s school systems, and it became evident that schools are disconnected from families and, even worse–families are further removed from decision-making and the educational rights that exist. Later that day, my colleague shared a posting that I might serve as an interest. I applied because I’m passionate about family engagement and building sustainable communities.  

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement?
I’m driven by a profound commitment to empowering urban communities with the necessary resources and educational opportunities for sustainable growth across generations. I’ve realized that healthy relationships with families are necessary to make this possible. REAL Family Engagement, to me, is coalition building—it’s leveraging the perspectives of everyone within a community, aligning on a shared vision and goals, and building authentic relationships. They are all critical to ensuring that we maximize accessibility and learning opportunities for both students and families.  

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer?  
I’m looking forward to mostly learning alongside and engaging with educators, families, caregivers, and community members committed to bridging gaps within the education system for a better future and promise for our students and families of tomorrow.  

What else is important for folks to know about you?  
My unwavering dedication to people, fervor for catalyzing change, and relentless pursuit of efficient and high-functioning teams enables me to effectively support organizations in achieving their goals, realizing their aspirations, and bringing their visions and dreams to fruition.  

Tell us the story of how you became a Flamboyan Ambassador.
I have served as a member of my school’s FELT team for over two years and have noticed that there seems to be a trend of low interest in family engagement for teachers and a disconnect regarding how teachers and families can work together to support our learners. I became a Flamboyan Ambassador not only to share my own stories but also to learn from the stories of others. I realize no one path or strategy to promote engagement between educators and home-based caregivers exists. Each relationship formed has a unique, personalized way of being initiated and sustained. 

What is your “why” for REAL Family Engagement? 
My “why” for REAL Family Engagement is realized when I can build meaningful relationships and engage in collaborative academic partnerships with students and their families. Doing so allows us to develop a strong, supportive community of learners and caregivers.  

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Ambassador? 
What excites me about my role as a Flamboyan Ambassador is the opportunity to share my convictions about and passion for REAL Family Engagement with other educators and caregivers. Being a Flamboyan Ambassador also allows me to glean from the experiences of others who advocate for meaningful relationships and academic partnerships within the school community. 

What else is important for folks to know about you?  
I was educated in DCPS and was supported by strong teacher-parent relationships. 

Chantel became a Flamboyan trainer after her son’s Pre-K-3 teacher, Mrs. Battle, recommended her. She was unsure about what the position entailed but when she did, she was all in. The journey with her son’s education made her want to discuss how she learned to advocate for him and be strategic about building a relationship with his teachers so that he could have continued success. She has been sold on Flamboyan’s vision ever since!

To Chantel, REAL Family Engagement means authenticity. Educators and families have realized what is important to help grow and strengthen students to prepare them for success. One of her student’s parents was frustrated about their child’s behavior and how to manage it at home better. By building a rapport with the family, they trusted Chantel to teach them better reinforcement and behavior strategies through a series of parent trainings. Now they have a parent group where they teach other families what she has taught them, “Now that’s REAL Family Engagement!”

What excites you about your role as a Flamboyan Trainer? I love meeting other people who are serious and passionate about this type of work. I love the different versions of advocacy for our students and how building relationships makes so much of a difference. 

What else is important for folks to know about you? I am very long-winded! I love to share my stories!