To the Editor:
On September 29, the NYT published an article, 30 Ideas for Fixing US Schools. Notably, one essential ingredient in school improvement was absent, despite years of evidence of its importance: families.
Twenty years ago, Anthony Bryk and his colleagues at the University of Chicago identified strong parent-school partnerships as one of five essential supports for school improvement alongside effective leadership, professional capacity, a student-centered learning climate, and ambitious instruction. He found that improvement is far less likely when one is weak. So, why did your research neglect families?
At Flamboyan Foundation, we have catalyzed and sustained the work of family engagement for nearly 20 years. Families are experts in their children; educators are experts in content and pedagogy. Bringing that expertise together can measurably improve student outcomes.
Better curriculum, strong instruction, and effective implementation all matter. But the potential of these interventions is limited when schools fail to build relationships with families and share real-time information about student progress.
If we want to accelerate student achievement, family engagement cannot be an afterthought. It should be included in studies of essential practices such as yours.
Kristin Ehrgood
Founder and CEO, Flamboyan Foundation