Our team is ready for a fantastic school year supporting schools, teachers, and education leaders to grow REAL Family Engagement in public and charter schools in DC (and across the country!) We are excited to introduce some of the most critical members of our team – our School Partnership Coaches! Coaches work closely with a portfolio of Flamboyan’s partner schools to ensure that the REAL Family Engagement model is embedded within the school’s culture and way of being. Deeply committed to racial equity, coaches are always focused on elevating the agency and voices of people and communities most impacted by inequity. We sat down with our coaches to find out more about them and their hopes for the upcoming school year.
Meet Josh, School Partnership Coach
Josh coaches a portfolio of Flamboyan’s partner schools to ensure that the REAL Family Engagement model is embedded within the school’s culture and way of being. He coaches teams of educators on this framework to help his schools sustain these family engagement practices on their own. Josh is committed to working in education because educational equity and access is his form of social justice. He believes our students deserve to grow, to be curious, and to succeed.
Prior to joining Flamboyan, Josh served as a fourth-grade STEM teacher in DC and coached tutors and interventionists in DC elementary and middle schools to improve math instruction.
Outside of Flamboyan, Josh spends his spare time as a video content creator and photographer. He also loves working out, curating music playlists, and cooking for others.
What drew you to Flamboyan?
What drew me to Flamboyan was the amazing work that the organization does around fostering sustainable relationships between schools and families. Relationships are the foundation of the work that educators do daily. Fostering a strong relationship between school and home can lead to academic growth and successes for our children. I wanted to be a part of that.
Why does REAL Family Engagement matter to you?
REAL Family Engagement focuses on building the capacity of the staff member, educator, and school leader by shifting mindsets to intentionality and connection. As a former teacher, I know the power and importance of relationship-building with families that is individualized, proactive, and comes from a place of respect and partnership with each student’s family. We need that perspective at the classroom level and at the school level, which is why it’s so exciting to partner with schools to build those mindsets school-wide.
What are your hopes and dreams for the schools you’re coaching this year?
This year, I aim to foster strong relationships with my Family Engagement Leadership Teams and build my capacity to push their thinking around the purpose of family engagement and what it can look like. I also want to elevate my own thinking and my own practice around equity within relationship-building at my school sites.
In your role as a coach, what are you most excited about in the coming School Year?
After a few years away from the classroom, I am most excited to be back in the school building, where the REAL (pun intended) work lives. I look forward to learning more about my schools and their communities.