This June, we are celebrating the accomplishments of Flamboyan partner schools that have graduated from the Family Engagement Partnership (FEP). The FEP is an opportunity for schools to develop their culture and practices in REAL Family Engagement, with the support and expertise of Flamboyan’s expert Coaches. FEP schools work to grow and sustain their own family engagement practices through four phases, from building relationships with families to long-term program sustainability.
Turner Elementary School, located in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Washington, DC, takes sustainability seriously when it comes to family engagement and academic partnering. Turner has been a Family Engagement Partnership school since 2016 – and they’ve spent that time building both mindsets and systems to support all families with children attending Turner.
“We have been working for many years to develop a school culture that prioritizes families not only in our words but in our mindset and actions,” shared the Turner Family Engagement Leadership Team (FELT), the group of individuals who champion REAL Family Engagement practices at Turner. “We view our graduation from the FEP as an opportunity to celebrate our evolution and build upon the solid foundation that has been established.”
Turner’s FEP Coach, Mamie Hall, could not agree more. She began working with Turner at the beginning of the 2023-24 school year, and was impressed by what she saw. They have a well-established practice of home visits each year and have built expectations about how to partner with families around academics and student learning. The school has also increased the opportunities for students and families to be leaders and experts in their own learning, including offering student-led conferences and individual goal-setting conferences with families.
“Turner is putting time and effort into making sure that family engagement expectations are established from day one,” said Mamie.
Turner’s pre-service training for staff this year featured members of the FELT team speaking to the full staff about how Turner approaches family engagement. They also made the choice to send every single adult in their building – including the custodial staff and security team – to Flamboyan training. In January, Flamboyan honored their commitment to family engagement by awarding Turner the inaugural M. Shanita Burney Award for Excellence in Family Engagement at Standing Ovation.
Turner is a neighborhood school with a long history; it is common for student’s parents or other family members to have attended Turner and have their own memories of the school. The sense of community that Turner has built – and their commitment to meeting the needs of families – has drawn the community together. Turner recently won a federal family engagement grant that helped them create a family resource center in the building. The space includes a food pantry for families who may be facing food insecurity, plus computers and a space for relaxing.
Turner is proud of both their innovative spirit and how they have built family listening into their decision-making about family engagement programs and practices. They think of their FELT members as “relentless problem solvers” and think of family engagement as the forefront of their communications, strategic planning, and professional development. As a result of making REAL Family Engagement a priority, Turner has seen growth in student and family satisfaction surveys, as well as teacher satisfaction surveys. In short, REAL Family Engagement has created a more welcoming school for all.
“They are constantly trying new things,” shared Mamie. “My work with them has made me a better coach, giving me a strong, clear sense of what it can look like when a school truly prioritizes family engagement.”