At Brookland Middle School, 100% of faculty and staff agree: family engagement is a part of the school culture and an integral part of their roles.
“When you believe family partnership is core to your work, it transforms everything,” said Dr. Rushinda McCullough, Assistant Principal. “The FELT helped us build a foundation that truly centers families as partners and leaders.”
The “FELT” is the Family Engagement Leadership Team, a group of school-based leaders who have shaped the school’s family engagement strategy from the very beginning of their multi-year Family Engagement Partnership with Flamboyan.
Leadership Sets the Stage
Family engagement goes far beyond a checklist for Brookland—it stands as a shared mission. Dr. McCullough and Principal Kerry Richardson view family partnership as foundational to student success and as a cornerstone of their approach.
They listened to the voices of their staff and built the FELT, a leadership team with grade-level leads who actively shape and guide the strategy.
“Leadership has a dual component here,” Dr. McCullough shared. “Mr. Richardson leads with vision and direct support, and I lead collaboratively with teachers, grade leads, and families.
Turning Point: Redefining Family Engagement
At the onset, the FELT focused on incoming sixth graders and new families. The results? Over 90% of those families have been reached for four consecutive years. That consistency brought powerful change: the percentage of sixth-graders reporting a sense of belonging rose from 53% to 73%, while chronic absenteeism and discipline referrals steadily declined.
“Once students got here and felt this warm sense of community, they wanted to come to school more,” Dr. McCullough explained. “That sense of belonging is everything.”
The Power of Connection and Celebration
Brookland’s approach to family engagement is rooted in listening to students, families, and staff. This intentional listening has shaped meaningful connection strategies that go far beyond traditional communication and has impacted various facets of a student’s experience.
These efforts include:
- Community home visits, where families meet teachers face-to-face to build trust and understanding
- Mystery seat incentives during advisory time that encourage attendance and celebrate presence
- Family dinners that create space for conversation and shared experiences
- A Brookland Pop-Up Store where students earn rewards tied to school engagement
- Translation support to ensure ELL families feel welcomed and heard
Each of these strategies was directed by what families and students said they needed to feel seen, supported, and motivated. By responding to their insights, Brookland created a system that encourages students and strengthens the home-school connection, allowing families to see their children being celebrated and inviting them to participate in that recognition.
“We are an inclusive school,” Dr. McCullough emphasized. “We make sure families can come in and feel comfortable, with translators or our language line—whatever it takes.”
Families as Leaders
What makes Brookland exceptional is its deep commitment to family leadership, which helps families fulfill the five essential roles in their children’s education.
Parents don’t just attend events—they lead, allowing them to guide their children’s education by connecting them to activities that support their unique needs. For example:
- 6th-grade parents have organized a school-wide Fall Festival
- 7th-grade parents hosted a Winter Wonderland Dance
- 8th-grade parents planned a Spring Bling Luau
Additionally, the Brookland Parent Academy offers virtual workshops where parents co-facilitate sessions on topics such as school-family communication and blended family dynamics. It helps support learning at home when families get what they need from educators consistently. They even receive certificates of completion, which serve as evidence that their role as partners is real, recognized, and respected.
“It builds a sense of pride and community,” said Dr. McCullough. “When families are not only invited in—but empowered to lead.”
Shared Leadership for Lasting Impact
The work at Brookland doesn’t rest on one person’s shoulders. Principal Richardson consistently centers family engagement in staff meetings and team discussions. Thanks to his support, the FELT operates collaboratively—designing agendas, facilitating meetings, and leading initiatives at each grade level.
Shared ownership has also changed mindsets. One hundred percent of staff members report that family engagement is essential in their role and integral to student academic success.
“The Brookland FELT is always asking me for examples of how family engagement should be in the secondary space,” said Brookland’s Flamboyan School Partnership Coach Mamie Hall. “I keep holding up the proverbial mirror and showing them that they are the trailblazers and the example of how family engagement can be deeply embedded in the culture of a middle school!”
A Message for Other Educators
Brookland has now “graduated” from the FEP, but the journey continues. To those considering joining this work, Dr. McCullough offers simple advice:
“Just dive in.”
“When you do what you love and see it bring joy to the scholars—that their mom’s name is known, or that you’ve met their family—it makes a difference. You’ll feel it.”
Brookland is a model of what’s possible when educators believe in relationships as a strategy, not just a sentiment. With distributed leadership, intentional programming, and a deep belief in family partnership, they’ve shown that belonging doesn’t just happen—it’s built.
Learn more about the FEP here.