How to advocate for the schools our children deserve

How comfortable do you feel speaking up about something your child’s school needs?

Have you noticed that some parents seem to feel more comfortable speaking up than others?

Have you ever noticed that sometimes rules and policies in school don’t seem to be applied evenly to all students, while squeaky wheels who raise issues that concern them and their children tend to get addressed?

If you have, and you’d like to understand more about what you’re seeing and know what to do about it, then this episode is for you.

My guest for this episode is Allyson Criner Brown, an award-winning equity practitioner, trainer, and scholar who has worked at the intersections of pre-K-12 education, family, and community engagement, environmental justice, and local government.

I also have a co-interviewer joining me, parent Cassie Gardener Manjikian, who asked for this episode after she noticed that the everyday actions she was seeing in her school weren’t matching up with the school’s (and district’s) own goals and plans.

In the episode, we answer questions like:

What are the valuable ways that parents contribute to their children’s learning, even if they never volunteer in the classroom?
What kinds of social challenges happen in schools, and how do these affect our kids?
How can I advocate for changes if the Principal doesn’t seem interested?
What kinds of tools can we use with teachers and parents if people are on board with doing things differently but just don’t know what to do or how to do it?
If I’m the kind of parent who is never going to join the PTA, what role can I play?

We all have an important role to play in creating the schools our children deserve - this episode will help you to find yours.

Books mentioned in this episode (affiliate links)

Engagement for Equitable Outcomes, by Allyson Criner Brown
Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection, by Deepa Iyer

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Jump to Highlights

00:59 Introducing today’s episode and featured guests 05:33 Allyson Criner Brown discusses her work in equity, explaining that equity is about fairness and addressing needs, while advocacy involves pushing for better schools for all children. 12:15 Parents contribute to their child's education in many ways beyond traditional school involvement, from daily routines to building self-esteem. 16:36 Parents might seem less involved in education due to systemic barriers, cultural differences, and personal challenges like work schedules or transportation. 24:37 Key challenges to building school communities include inadequate funding, unclear school systems, and systemic barriers. Effective engagement needs proper resources, clear communication, and active advocacy. 29:28 School funding disparities often arise from reliance on local property taxes, creating inequities based on neighborhood wealth and race. 38:41 To drive school change, start by gathering information, connecting with others, and leveraging your strengths. 43:52 For advancing family engagement in schools, consider using resources like parent-principal chat guides and publications that challenge assumptions. 52:46 When policies aren't matching practice, take strategic, actionable steps. Persist and engage with the community to address gaps and leverage existing strengths. 01:01:43 Allyson suggests practices for supporting educational equity, including building connections, understanding school systems, taking action, and engaging in anti-racist efforts. 01:07:39 Wrapping up the discussion

References

Criner Brown, A. (2019). Engaging and embracing Black parents. In Delpit, L.: Teaching When The World Is On Fire. New York: The New Press.

Dauber, S.L., & Epstein, J.L. (1989). Parent attitudes and practices of parent involvement in inner-city elementary and middle schools. Center for Research on Elementary and Middle Schools. Retrieved from: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED314152

Egalite, A.J. (2024). What we know about teacher race and student outcomes: A review of the evidence to date. Education Next 24(1), 42-49.

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KQED News Staff (2014, February 15). Photo essay: Two PTA presidents, two realities. Author. Retrieved from: https://www.kqed.org/news/126468/photo-essay-inequality-in-san-francisco-public-schools

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Tatum, A. (2000). Breaking down barriers that disenfranchise African American adolescent readers in low-level tracks. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy 44(1), 52-64.

Teaching for Change (2016). Between families and schools: Creating meaningful relationships. Author. Retrieved from: https://www.teachingforchange.org/educator-resources/parent-organizing/between-families

Teaching for Change (2017). Parent organization equity and inclusion tool Dos and Don’ts. Author. Retrieved from: https://www.teachingforchange.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/Equity-and-Inclusion-Tool-1.pdf

Teaching for Change (2019). Parent-principal chats manual. Author. Retrieved from: https://www.teachingforchange.org/educator-resources/parent-organizing/parent-principal-chats

Theoharis, G. (2024). The school leaders our children deserve: Seven keys to equity, social justice, and school reform. New York: Teachers College Press.

Weese, K. (2018, November 26). Parent-led fundraising makes some schools better but leaves others behind. Slate. Retrieved from: https://slate.com/human-interest/2018/11/parent-teacher-organizations-education-inequality.html

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