Back to School: The Village Creates Success

How Families, Communities, and Businesses Can Unite for a Successful School Year

Starting a new school year can be exciting for children, families, and the community. Learning who your teacher will be, starting a new school, and transitioning to a new grade level are all milestones within a child’s educational journey. The success of a student is directly correlated to the family’s engagement with the school and teachers, as well as the school district’s partnerships with community stakeholders and local businesses. The African Proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” is true when it comes to having a successful school year for children and families. Take a moment and check out the steps families, community stakeholders, and local businesses can take to ensure each child in their community has a successful school year.

Families

A child’s education does not begin at school, it begins with the lessons taught and modeled by parents and family at home. The partnership that exists between a family, a child, and the school is essential to the success of the student. Each group has a set of skills and knowledge to help the student grow, thrive, and become their best self. To ensure your student has a great school year below are a few steps parents and families can take to become collaborative thought- partners with their child’s school.

Be Present. Attend your student’s school events at ALL grade levels including elementary, middle, and high school. Educators and the school district can only make the best decisions for their students if they are present and engaged.

Connect. Connecting with your child(dren)’s school and school district is the best way to stay abreast of current events. Ensure the school and teachers have your most up-to-date contact information including your phone number and email. This will allow you to network and advocate with your child’s teacher and school. Collect the emails of the teachers and counselors, join the school and school district social media sites, and read or listen to the communication sent from the school and school district.

Stay Informed. Each school district requires schools to administer a district student code of conduct and share access to school board policies. Also, each school district requires schools to have a school handbook that provides families with the operating procedures. Review these handbooks which include important information about the school day, transportation, medication administration, and best practices for supporting your child(dren). Be proactive and stay informed so you know how to handle an issue should it arise.

Advocate. Families are their child(dren)’s first teachers and the knowledge they have great value for ensuring the success of the student and best practices for schools and teachers to support the student.

Community Stakeholders

Communities want children to sow back into their local area by attending local universities, gaining employment within the community, and planting roots for their families. According to Greater Good in Education, the success of community and school partnerships thrives when there is a partnership of equals. A partnership of equals is when there is mutual respect and value seen by community stakeholders, educators, and families of diverse backgrounds. Community members are viewed as helpful contributors and supporters of the schools in their community for the prolonged success of the children matriculating through elementary, middle, and high school. A successful partnership between community stakeholders, families, and the school district can set students up for a successful school year. Below are some steps community stakeholders can take to be a positive partner for schools and families.

Connect. Connect with the schools and school district to be made aware of how you can be a support based on the needs identified by the school district. This can ensure the support provided fills a need of a community.

Honor diversity. Children have a variety of family dynamics and are from diverse cultural backgrounds. Community stakeholders must acknowledge and value the diversity to ensure they are advocating for ALL children in the community to ensure their positive well-being.

Share knowledge and get knowledge. Share the knowledge of resources available to families and children to support their positive well-being. Attend the school and community events to ensure the information is shared with families. Become familiar with the school calendar, teacher workdays, holidays, and events observed by the school system.

Become an ally. Children, families, and schools need allies who will advocate and support them in ensuring positive well-being. Community stakeholders need to ensure support is within the guidelines of the school district. Districts have board policies and regulations on how they can share information with families.

Businesses

Communities thrive through the vital connection between schools, community stakeholders, and business development. Businesses play an integral role in creating a pipeline of employees from the local school district, attracting new companies and recruits from across the nation, and providing revenue and services to the local community. A school system’s ability to thrive is attached to the partnership between the school district and local businesses. Below are some steps local businesses can take to continue to support schools, communities, and families.

Employee flexibility. Many employees have families with school-aged children. Business owners and employers should create a family-friendly environment where there is flexibility for employees to attend key events such as open houses, parent-teacher conferences, field trips, and school-based events. This flexibility can increase employee workplace happiness, productivity, and recruitment.

Connect. Connect with the schools and school district to be made aware of how you can be a support based on the needs identified by the school district. Your partnership with the school district can create a pipeline of local talent with the skills necessary to be employable by the business.

Sponsor. Sponsor clubs, sports, and organizations of the local schools. Business sponsorship can help provide enrichment activities and fill financial gaps for schools to support children in finding their passion areas, exposure to careers and opportunities they might not have another way of being exposed.

Volunteer. Volunteering at the local school as cafeteria support, reading buddies, mentors, or any other need shared by the schools and school district can be rewarding for children and families. This is yet another way businesses can connect and sow back into the community, children, and families they serve.

It truly does take a village to raise a child. It is a collaboration between children, families, community stakeholders, and businesses to create a safe, thriving, and positive well-being for posterity. Get involved, be the change, and do what is best for the positive growth of children, families, and communities.

If you have any questions or comments about the content in this Lightbulb Moment article, please get in touch with our Research Lead, Madeline Attianese, at mattianese@chsnc.org.