Family Leadership Organizations (FLO

Family Leadership Organizations (FLO) Milwaukee Public Schools is committed to partnering with families to create more welcoming school environments; where families feel empowered to take on leadership roles . FLOs are an essential component to family empowerment at each MPS school . In addition to providing a forum for families to have their voices heard, FLOs offer families opportunities to become visible leaders in their school community .

What is a Family Leadership Organization (FLO)? FLOs, sometimes referred to as parent groups, are groups of parents and/or family members that meet regularly at a specific school . Many schools have occurring parent meetings, where parents come into the school to hear information that is presented by the school . FLOs differ from regular parent meetings because they give parents/family members to engage and problem-solve real school issues . There are a ton of possibilities when it comes to what a FLO can look like at each school . The important thing is that schools can be creative! It doesn’t have to look like the traditional PTO/ PTA model, even though those are still ok . Whenever possible, allow the parents and family members create groups in which ever way they deem them to create success .

Different Types of Family Leadership Organizations What counts as a family leadership organization (FLO)? Any group of parents or family members, that meet at least 5 times during the year, to work on school issues like raising money . For example, the school might have a group of parents that come together to plan family events . This would count as a FLO .

Family Leadership Organization (FLO) – What counts

] Consists of primarily parents and family members but may also include school staff and community members . ] Meets regularly to work on school issues, raise money, volunteer or plan school events/ activities . ] Meets at least 5 times per school year .

Family Leadership Organization (FLO) – What doesn’t count

] School Engagement Council: Policy states that schools must commit to establishing a parent organization that is separate from the School Engagement Council . ] Parent meetings (such as muffins for moms, donuts for dads, etc .) where there is just information being shared . However, with a little work these can be transformed into

FLOs .

There are two main categories for FLOs: Independent and Dependent .

Independent

An independent FLO is a group primarily organized by family members with connection to a specific school . Although these groups collaborate with the school, they make their own decisions and the school does not dictate their actions . These groups will have elected positions such as a president, secretary, or treasurer . These roles will steer the direction and handle the administrative tasks for the group . Groups like these will typically have their own bank accounts, conduct their own fundraisers, and legally establish themselves as tax-exempt organizations . Annual reports of the group’s activities are submitted to the specific school and/or district .

Dependent

A dependent FLO is a group made up of parents and family members, that is led by the school . While parents participate and hold leadership positions, final decisions are decided by the school leadership . These groups must have a staff advisor who oversees the group and attends all meetings and events . Dependent groups have less responsibilities for the parents . Most FLOs begin as dependent and move to independent after some time . FLOs are as diverse as the schools within MPS . There are many options for schools, and families, to find a FLO type that works for their specific school community . The chart below gives some examples of FLOs .

Independent

Types of Family Leadership Organizations

Dependent

] Collaborates with the school but ultimately makes own decisions ] School cannot dictate the organization’s actions ] Primarily run by families although some allow school staff to become members as well ] Has their own separate bank account ] Is a separate tax exempt organization ] Submits a yearly report to the school and office of finance

Examples:

] Parent Teacher Association (PTA) ] Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) ] Booster Clubs (if using non-school bank account ) ] Formed and run by the school ] Must have a school staff, such as parent coordinator, teacher or administrator as an advisor ] Parents may hold leadership positions but final decision-making ability rests with the school ] Uses fund 60 of the school budget for fundraisers ] Must follow fundraising guidelines established by the district

Examples:

] Parent Clubs ] Event Planning Committee ] Family volunteer committee ] Teacher-Led Parent Group, Booster Club (If using school account )

Parent Teacher Association/Organization PTA/Os are classic examples of FLOs . Generally, they are considered independent FLOs because they are operated by parents . These groups typically throw fundraisers and facilitate their own projects that are funded out of the group’s bank account . Official MPS PTAs are recognized by the National PTA and belongs to the Milwaukee City Council of PTAs . Official PTAs pay membership fees to gets them support from the state and national organizations . PTOs do not pay dues, but they can receive support from the national PTO organization .

Parent Clubs Parent Clubs are groups that meet regularly at the school around a common interest . Examples are mom clubs, single parenting support groups, and grandparent groups . There many groups that form naturally in school communities . If there is an informal one, see if they are interested in organizing and becoming a formal parent group .

Booster Clubs A booster club’s main goal is to develop support for student programs and athletics by supplementing funds with fundraisers . Parents, and alumni, will often meet to plan fundraisers to purchase items for the athletic teams .

Event Planning Committee An event planning committee is a group of dedicated parents and family members that come together to plan school events . This is a perfect example of a FLO that can be very helpful to parent coordinators .

Family Volunteer Committee A family volunteer committee is a group who meets regularly to plan volunteer projects . They also take requests for volunteers from teachers and school staff . Many schools already have a group of regular volunteers and with a little more organization, could turn into a FLO .

Teacher-Led Parent Groups Teacher-led parent groups are led by teachers for a specific grade or class . For example, a kindergarten teacher may have a group of parents that meet regularly to work on reading with the children, or planning classroom activities, in that class .

How to Get Started: A Three-Step Process The goal is for every MPS school to have at least one FLO . Every parent coordinator has the ability to start a FLO . Even if a school has low family involvement, there are strategies that can help get the FLO off of the ground . Here are three basic strategies to help: q Identify informal groups that could be turned into a FLO with some encouragement . These are family members, single parents, friends, grandparents, immigrant/refugee families who are already connected in some way . w Set-up a meeting at the school . The first couple of meetings can be social in nature . Make sure they are fun and relevant to the group . Many parent coordinators use events like “Muffins with Moms” or “Donuts with Dads” . These types of events are popular because they are low pressure, welcoming events that give parents an opportunity to meet other parents . Other examples are volunteer breakfasts, citizenship classes for immigrant families, or a single parenting group . Look at the school’s Family Interest Survey for ideas . e Get the group involved . The final step is to get the group involved in school issues, plan activities, support student learning or assist with school functions . Speak with the school leadership about where the group is most needed and ask the group what they are most passionate about and see where there is some cross-over .