Workgroup Leaders:

Arnold Gaither, Community Leader
Dennis Pearce, Facilitator
Lisa Deffendall, Project Coordinator
Debbie Boian, Staff Leader

Why Consider Family Involvement?

• Families are not only their children's first teachers, they are essential school clients and partners for educators.
• Teachers, administrators and students all benefit from family involvement.
• Families have insights about their children that can be of substantial value to teachers as they design learning experiences.
• All families want the best education possible for their children.
• Family involvement can positively impact a student's attitude, attendance and achievement.
• To reap its benefits, schools must actively encourage and promote family involvement, by developing a welcoming atmosphere, training staff on family involvement strategies, being sensitive to diversity, keeping lines of communication open between home and school, involving families in school governance and accommodating parent work schedules.