We’ve long known that parent involvement makes a difference in how students do in school. But parents are busy. It can be difficult for them to find the time and energy to make it to their child’s school for meetings, events, or volunteering.
For parents of English learners, additional obstacles may make it even harder. Many are immigrants, some holding two jobs to make it in a new country. Language differences, cultural norms, transportation challenges, a lack of child care, work schedules and unfamiliarity with the system of education in the U.S. may all contribute to keeping parents away from schools.
But that doesn’t mean that educators should give up on their efforts to involve families of English learners in the school community. There are a range of things that schools and districts can do to promote strong family involvement.
What can schools do to promote the involvement of families of English language learners?
Schools can create family liaison positions, hiring individuals from the communities of their students who are fluent in both English and students’ home language(s).
Schools can provide childcare for students’ siblings during parent-teacher meetings or events, such as Back-to-School Night. Ideally, the family liaison can help find childcare providers who speak families’ home language, as well as communicate the availability of childcare to families.
If transportation to school for meetings or events is a challenge, schools can help arrange carpools to bring family members to the school.
If parents are busy working two jobs or caring for family members at home, schools can communicate that it doesn’t have to be a mother or father who participates in events or meetings; schools can welcome grandparents or others involved in raising a child.
In communities where a lack of supplies at home might make it hard for students to do homework or parents to read with children, schools can send home learning kits. This might include children’s books in students’ home language, or picture books without words. Schools can communicate that supporting reading in any language helps the development of reading skills in English.
Also, in communities where many struggle with insufficient income, schools also have the opportunity to support families ensure the healthy development of their children. Healthy children are ready to learn; by attending to unmet needs for food, health or dental care, mental health assistance, clothing, or other needs, schools can help families give their children the solid foundation they need.
What is the district role in fostering the involvement of families of English language learners?
While so much direct support to families occurs at the school level, districts have a crucial role to play to make schools welcoming and supportive places for families of English learners.
Provide professional development and adequate resources to principals so they can take active leadership of community involvement efforts.
Districts can provide administrators and teacher opportunities to learn about cultural and contextual information relevant to their particular setting so they better understand the environment students and families are coming from.
They can also give families guidance and support for navigating the educational system, which may be very different from what they are used to at home. This might include in-person workshops, online videos in appropriate languages, and/or home visits.
Finally, districts can encourage and model outreach and two-way interaction, rather than relying solely on more traditional use of volunteers and requests for donation. They can reach out to local community leaders, soliciting input and asking for community representation on school or district committees.
Involving parents of English learners in meaningful ways may require a different approach to parental involvement, but the effort has the potential to transform the home-school relationship and, ultimately, the academic success of students.
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