Climbing the stairs that lead to the main entrance of Crescent Elk Middle School feels an awful lot like stepping through a time machine.
It’s not just the building’s 1930’s Art Deco aesthetic that immerses me in nostalgia every time I walk through its doors. I graduated from the school in 1999, sure, but I’ve wandered through those halls for a myriad of reasons over the decades. Most recently, I found myself returning to my adolescent alma mater for an entirely new reason. As the parent of a student, I was invited by the Del Norte County Office of Education and the Del Norte Unified School District to their inaugural “Family Summit” event. This conference, called “Building Bridges”, was an effort undertaken by DNCOE and DNUSD to strengthen student and family connections between home, school, and resources available within the broader community.
As a former DNUSD employee, I am well acquainted with the kind of frustrations caused by poor communication between school staff and student guardians. Now that I am a parent of a school-aged child, I’ve been privileged enough to have largely positive experiences with my son’s teachers thus far. Taking the perspectives of others into consideration however, when it comes to resource allocation and communication conflict between home and school, it appears as though there is much work to be done. Hosting a summit for parents and guardians of students to connect with educators and administrators in person is hardly a cure-all, but it certainly seems like a step in the right direction.
I initially found out about the event on Facebook, and was reminded about it through a communications blast from the school district. Enticed to attend by the offer of free childcare and food, I submitted my registration. In truth, I wasn’t sure whether or not I would actually be able to attend. My son has specific support needs that frequently disrupt our attempts at public outings, and occasionally disqualify him from childcare offerings. Given that one of the workshops offered was specific to navigating Individualized Education Plans, I was optimistic that the district would be able to accommodate my son’s support needs. Thankfully, I was right.
As we arrived at the event, greeters pointed me toward the sign-in table where I was welcomed with a swag bag, name badge, and an event bracelet identifying my son. It wasn’t long before I ran into an old friend who shared my optimism about the event. We made our way into the multipurpose room where I snagged a cup of coffee and a processed pre-packaged muffin. After reviewing the program schedule, I primed my son for the transition, and sent him off with the rest of the littles for their planned group activities.
My friend and I crossed the hallway to find seats in the recently renovated auditorium while we waited for the event to kick off. I found myself longing for the nostalgic creaks and slams of the wooden chairs that once filled the space. (Although I must admit, their fancy cushioned replacements are significantly more comfortable.)
Jeff Harris, Superintendent of DNUSD, took the stage first – welcoming fellow attendees to the first incarnation of this event. “I have never met a parent who doesn’t want the best for their kid, and right now, you’re proving that and I think it’s phenomenal that you’re here.”
Harris admitted that the turnout wasn’t quite what he had hoped for. Although the school district received around 180 RSVPs, the seats of the auditorium were sparsely occupied. He noted that scheduling conflicts with sporting events could have factored into the disappointing turnout, and invited attendees to share their ideas to make next year’s event more successful.
“We talk a lot about families, engaging with us, engaging with schools,” Harris said. “A lot of time, the only opportunity that you have is to go to a concert – or come to a back to school night.”
After Crescent Elk Principal Paige Swann delivered a land acknowledgement and brief history of the campus, Harris returned to the stage to tell the story of how he came to be superintendent in Del Norte County. He went on to explain how his grandfather never graduated eighth grade, and his father dropped out of high school to escape abuse. The sociocultural parallels between Harris’s personal history and the diseases of despair that plague Del Norte County’s demographics were not lost on me.
Harris’s story carried an optimistic tone, and an underlying message: education is empowerment. There was a sense that he sincerely believes in the collaborative power of partnering with parents.
The keynote speaker for the event was Reid Powell, a youth pastor at Crescent City Foursquare Church, the church I attended growing up. He opened the speech with his own adolescent anecdote about a botched battle of the bands in the late 90s, and confessed his own parental sins with stories of his kids calling him out for swearing and fibbing. He went on to speak to the value of accepting external support to assist in approaching parenting struggles from a different angle. Although Powell referenced the role of faith within his own family structure, and shared book recommendations from the evangelical political organization Focus on the Family — his speech was largely secular in nature.
The audience was invited to reflect on the goals we have for our own children. Some shared that they wanted their kids to be successful, or happy. My friend and I laughed with one another, agreeing that mostly, we hope our kids grow up to be kind. There was a sense of solidarity amongst those of us in the audience — that although none of us truly 100 percent knew how to be a perfect parent, we all cared about shepherding a generation of good humans into the world.
The list of workshops and activities available was extensive, and frankly, a bit overwhelming. The pamphlet listed twenty-nine options for panels and presentations, ranging from navigating school transitions, to accessing care closet resources, and empowering families to understand interventions for inclusive education. While I was pleased with the assortment of subjects addressed by these workshops, it seemed like an awful lot to try to cram into one day.
My friend and I shared the concern that families who might benefit the most from the information provided might also be the least likely to attend. Dedicating a full day to an event is tricky for working parents who are trying to cram laundry, errands, AND quality time with their kids all into their weekend. For parents who are unable to work, it might take a little bit more of an incentive than a tote bag and water bottle to make the experience worth their while. In speaking with other parents who were unable to attend the event, similar sentiments were shared.
Some expressed that they would be more likely to participate if there was a webcast version of these workshops to view from home, although, admittedly, that may defeat the purpose of trying to establish in-person connections between home and school. Personally, I was very curious about the assortment of activities planned, but I quickly realized that staying for the entire event would inevitably end in a mutual meltdown for both my son and I, so we took our leave.
Granted, as this was the school district’s first attempt at co-ordinating a parental engagement event of this scale, it stands to reason that they will need public feedback to ensure that next year’s event is more accessible and well-attended. Attendees were invited to complete a survey about the workshops upon completion.
If you have any ideas about improving future events, reach out to the school district. This is our community, and it can’t thrive unless we make the effort to constructively communicate our needs.
