Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together “On the Same Team highlights the research-based approach of having a school-level action team to lead high-impact family engagement initiatives. I recommend this book to any school, district, or state leader looking to take their family engagement efforts to the next level.”
— DA R CY H U TC H I N S Director, Family, School, and Community Partnerships, Colorado Department of Education
“This book begins with a thorough diagnosis of the reasons that family-school partnerships are not normative, despite evidence of the benefits. It is a daunting set of ‘symptoms.’ But few maladies can be reversed without a thorough diagnosis. That willingness to look deeply at what has not happened and why has enabled Gerzon-Kessler to outline a key curative element: Families and Educators Together teams. Read this book, follow its practical guidance, and you will see the benefits for your students, families, and teaching staff.”
—MAURICE J. ELIAS Codirector, Academy for SEL in Schools, Rutgers University; Coauthor, Morning Classroom Conversations and Emotionally Intelligent Parenting
READERS WILL:
• Discover a collaborative pathway for narrowing achievement and opportunity gaps • Launch a team that helps educators grow their capacity to effectively partner with families • Explore action projects that create transformative individual- and school-level changes • Foster the habits and skills of a successful FET team leader • Use sample calendars, timelines, agendas, team-building activities, and other practical resources Visit go.SolutionTree.com/diversityandequity to download the free reproducibles in this book.
ISBN 978-1-958590-01-0 90000
SolutionTree.com 9 781958 590010
ON THE
SAME TEAM Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together
ARI GERZON-KESSLER
To help students flourish, it is essential that educators establish a sense of community and a foundation of trust for parents and guardians. In On the Same Team: Bringing Educators and Underrepresented Families Together, Ari Gerzon-Kessler illuminates how to create strong family-school partnerships, foster a culture of belonging and support for underrepresented groups, and establish a more equitable school community. Informed by research and the author’s experience designing and facilitating hundreds of Families and Educators Together (FET) team meetings, On the Same Team is a useful resource for K–12 district leaders, school leaders, and educators who want to strengthen relationships and collaboration with underserved families. Discover how the FET framework can help you cultivate authentic, mutually beneficial partnerships and an inclusive school culture.
ON THE SAME TEAM
ON THE SAME TEAM
ARI GERZON-KESSLER