It is time for Local Education Agencies (LEAs) to take action to address the attendance crisis and improve academic achievement. With the number of staffing shortages and declining resources\u2014coupled with increased student social and emotional learning needs\u2014most LEAs are strapped to provide the support needed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In school districts with large percentages of Emergent Bilingual students, we quickly learned that we had to do more to maintain family engagement, as many families struggled to meet daily needs and were unavailable during the times that schools schedule events for families. To address this disjoint and work to level the playing field, it became evident that we need to communicate more directly to families in their primary language with materials that are engaging to both the adult and student.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
Families and teachers alike consider communications between home and school<\/a> to be the number one factor in building mutual trust and investment in a student’s ongoing progress. By fostering relationships between schools and families, we can encourage engagement and inclusion in the larger community. When educators and families work together, students benefit exponentially.<\/p>\n\n\n\n