Reimagining and Reconnecting Parent Engagement in a Post-Pandemic World

Kilsys Batista • Cahn Fellow 2021

Family engagement is a fundamental component of student success and school improvement, but at Twin Lakes Elementary there was no comprehensive system in place for it. The school had been declining in performance for several years resulting in an administrative change in the fall of 2019 with the charge of quickly addressing needs for improvement. Plans were made to address staffing needs, instructional pedagogy and systems for behavior management. What soon surfaced was the lack of meaningful partnership with the families of our students. We realized that addressing family engagement would impact and enhance our school improvement efforts. However, as soon as we began to develop a comprehensive system for partnering with families,  the pandemic hit, putting the majority of our plans on pause. For the next two years, we had to pivot our family engagement plans and work within the protocols in place for health and safety. This resulted in an increased disconnect between families and our school.  In the 2022-2023 post-pandemic school year, with a renewed sense of urgency, we reignited our efforts to improve connections with families.