About the Radical Family Engagement Cohort
Radical Family Engagement (RFE) isn't only about attendance at Back-to-School Night or parent volunteers. RFE is about truly engaging parents and caregivers in their children's school process by building relationships and changing mindsets. Engage parents and caregivers as authentic partners and start leveraging a child's first and most important teacher ─ their family.
Let's turn the apple cart upside down together. Let's get radical!
Who Should Participate?
Any district leader who is interested in truly engaging parents in their children's school process.
Much of the work will be team-oriented so leaders are encouraged to attend as a district team of up to five individuals (Superintendent, 3 other school personnel and 1 representative from the early learning community - preferably Head Start).
What Will I Learn?
By joining AASA's Radical Family Engagement Cohort you will:
- Innovate and create with some of the boldest school system leaders in the country
- Define and build a strategic implementation plan for best practices around engaging families
- Understand how to align community resources to bring these plans to scale beyond ARP funding
- Engage parents as authentic partners and valuable contributors in their children's school process
- Increase family engagement and district understanding of the need for engagement opportunities
- Build community relationships to foster the whole learner, no learner marginalized and a future-driven culture
- Work on practical projects that you can use NOW to affect change and influence success for your students
Programs Dates & Details
Program Duration: July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023
Registrations are accepted throughout the year.
Virtual Meetings:
Monthly cohort convenings will be held virtually from 1:00 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. ET on the following days:
September 15, 2022
December 15, 2022
January 19, 2023
May 18, 2023
In-Person Meetings:
October 12 – 14, 2022 in East Hartford, Conn.
Spring 2023 Date TBD in New Orleans Parish, La.
Lead Faculty
Deborah Bergeron, Deputy Director for Community Engagement and Innovation, National Head Start Association
Nate Quesnel, Superintendent, East Hartford Public Schools, Conn.
Advisory Committee Group
Minerva Pardo, Family Engagement Coordinator, West Valley School District, Wa. Originally from
Mexico City, Pardo has two undergraduate degrees – one in Bilingual Education
and another in Psychology. She also has a Master’s Degree in Education.
She has been a leader in the Yakima Valley to organize family engagement in
partnership with the Flamboyán Foundation’s National Fellowship program.
Ms. Pardo is also a national trainer for the Strengthening Families Five
Protective Factors Framework and has worked with the Children’s Trust Fund
Alliance to translate framework materials into Spanish. This framework
has changed the way she works with families. She has presented at the
local, state, and national levels to a variety of audiences including
superintendents, school staff, health providers, families, and teenagers.
Email: pardom@wvsd208.org Twitter: @colegiosucced
Avis Williams is an award-winning superintendent and the first female superintendent selected to lead New Orleans schools. A native of Salisbury, NC, she served in the U.S. Army and as an entrepreneur prior to becoming an exceptional educational administrator. She received her undergraduate degree from Athens State University, master’s from Alabama A&M, and doctorate from the University of Alabama. Avis served as a principal at all levels, as assistant superintendent delivering dozens of professional development sessions nationwide. She was awarded the Marbury Technology Innovation award by the Alabama State Department of Education in 2011 and 2019. A champion for equity, Dr. Williams was the 2020 Alabama Black School Educators Superintendent of the Year and the 2019 finalist for Alabama Superintendent of the Year.
Pricing Per Team (up to five individuals from the same district)
Nonmember Price: $2,500
AASA Member Discounted Price: $2,000
Once the primary lead registers, they will have the ability to invite up to four additional team members.
The program fee includes access to all cohort meetings, materials, discussions and more.