How to advocate for the schools our children deserve
How comfortable do you feel speaking up about something your child’s school needs?
Have you noticed that some parents seem to feel more comfortable speaking up than others?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes rules and policies in school don’t seem to be applied evenly to all students, while squeaky wheels who raise issues that concern them and their children tend to get addressed?
If you have, and you’d like to understand more about what you’re seeing and know what to do about it, then this episode is for you.
My guest for this episode is Allyson Criner Brown, an award-winning equity practitioner, trainer, and scholar who has worked at the intersections of pre-K-12 education, family, and community engagement, environmental justice, and local government.
I also have a co-interviewer joining me, parent Cassie Gardener Manjikian, who asked for this episode after she noticed that the everyday actions she was seeing in her school weren’t matching up with the school’s (and district’s) own goals and plans.
In the episode, we answer questions like:
- What are the valuable ways that parents contribute to their children’s learning, even if they never volunteer in the classroom?
- What kinds of social challenges happen in schools, and how do these affect our kids?
- How can I advocate for changes if the Principal doesn’t seem interested?
- What kinds of tools can we use with teachers and parents if people are on board with doing things differently but just don’t know what to do or how to do it?
- If I’m the kind of parent who is never going to join the PTA, what role can I play?
We all have an important role to play in creating the schools our children deserve - this episode will help you to find yours.
Books mentioned in this episode (affiliate links)
Ready to Support Your Child's Natural Learning
Whether this episode has you considering unschooling, reinforced your commitment to traditional schooling, or left you somewhere in between, one thing is clear:
every child deserves to have their natural curiosity and love of learning nurtured .
Just like Laura discovered, learning happens everywhere - in everyday conversations, through helping with household tasks, during visits to museums, and in those spontaneous moments when your child asks "why?".
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Your child's curiosity is precious - don't let it get lost in debates about educational methods.
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Jump to highlights
00:59 Introducing today’s episode and featured guests
05:33 Allyson Criner Brown discusses her work in equity, explaining that equity is about fairness and addressing needs, while advocacy involves pushing for better schools for all children.
12:15 Parents contribute to their child's education in many ways beyond traditional school involvement, from daily routines to building self-esteem.
16:36 Parents might seem less involved in education due to systemic barriers, cultural differences, and personal challenges like work schedules or transportation.
24:37 Key challenges to building school communities include inadequate funding, unclear school systems, and systemic barriers. Effective engagement needs proper resources, clear communication, and active advocacy.
29:28 School funding disparities often arise from reliance on local property taxes, creating inequities based on neighborhood wealth and race.
38:41 To drive school change, start by gathering information, connecting with others, and leveraging your strengths.
43:52 For advancing family engagement in schools, consider using resources like parent-principal chat guides and publications that challenge assumptions.
52:46 When policies aren't matching practice, take strategic, actionable steps. Persist and engage with the community to address gaps and leverage existing strengths.
