Delaware schools seeking to improve parent engagement and student performance need to focus on resources, teacher passion, and communication, Sussex County parents said at the recent Hispanic Parent Engagement Summit organized by the La Colectivia initiative of La Esperanza.
The Summit gathered attendees from across the county, drawing attention to how parents can help their children succeed in school – and then take on leadership and advocacy roles in schools and parent organizations.
The Summit featured speaker Maria Matos, CEO of Wilmington’s Latin American Community Center, and workshops on parenting and learning at home, communication and decision-making, and volunteering and collaborating.
The Summit grew out of the Parent Engagement Project, which began a year ago with research from an Arsht-Cannon Fellow to identify best practices to help Hispanic parents connect with schools. The organization has also been involved in a working group with parents, educators and advocates.
“This Summit was an excellent first step toward creating a space for parents to use their voices and providing tools for success,” said Jen Fuqua, La Esperanza executive director. “The issues identified here will create a roadmap for tackling some of the larger challenges multilingual learners face in our schools.”