I am excited and honored to be part of the launch of the Partnership for Change! In a nutshell, the PfC’s goal is to work with students, teachers and administrators, families, and community businesses to transform Winooski and Burlington High Schools into student-centered, technology rich learning centers where students choose pathways to become proficient in real-world 21 century skills.
As the Family-School Fellow, I have been busy making connections with the many dedicated people already hard at work to improve relationships with the schools and families. I’ve meet with the Voices for Vermont’s Children community organizers, the BHS Family School Partnership parent outreach coordinator, the BSD Family School Partnership coordinator, the WSD Family Engagement specialist, the BSD multilingual liaison coordinator, and the WHS PACTS president and team. In additi0n to getting to know some of the local experts in my fellowship area and making new professional friends, I have also been learning about past and current family/school initiatives, common barriers to family involvement, and plans thus far for the new school year
Now that I have an understanding of the important work already being done with families and have the support of local family involvement experts, I am beginning to develop a plan for giving families an opportunity to learn about proficiency- based learning so that families feel empowered to help the schools decide the most important skills their students need to succeed in their post-secondary goals. I firmly believe that when families find out what PBL is all about, they will be as inspired as I am to replace letter grades with skill-based, student centered learning opportunities.
So if anyone has any innovative, inviting ways to help me get families on board with PBL, I’d love to hear them.
Partnership for Change 
I love that you referred to ’empowerment’ in terms of families finding new ways to connect with their schools and the larger community. You are doing proactive work!