Why is involving families so vital to the Lighthouse Mission?

Involving families is a vital and integral part of what we do.  Involving families at Lighthouse is not a tacked-on notion or an option. It is crucial to the attainment of our mission and we view families at Lighthouse as partners in the education of their child. Family involvement might come naturally to some parents and might be difficult for others.  It is often our job as educators to show and tell parents how they can and should get involved in the education of their child.  At the heart of family involvement is getting to know people, building relationships, and authentically involving them.  We involve families for several reasons:

Increasing Student Achievement

• Family involvement can lead to increased accountability and achievement.  Teachers who have open lines of communication with parents have a partner in holding students accountable to our high academic and behavioral outcomes.

Building Relationships

• Involving families and getting to know them builds trust.  This relationship is essential when the “going gets tough.”
• Families and students are our clients.  We need to know who they are so we can best serve them – their names, their contexts, their stories, their frustrations, and their needs.
• Strong family relationships, built on trust and respect, ensure teachers and administrators will have the help when they need it.  Chaperones for fieldwork, volunteers in the classroom and office, an ally – are all important needs we have as teachers and educators.

Supporting the Mission and Vision of the School

• Parent involvement supports the whole child and positive family-child relationships.
• Parents provide input and feedback that is important to the school community.  This input and feedback, along with family-led implementation, ultimately makes the school stronger. 
• Parents who are involved at the school, who have a strong understanding and commitment to what we do are advocates in the wider community.  Word-of-mouth by satisfied parents is the number one way we recruit new students and families.  Additionally, parents who rally around school needs like charter renewal are essential to our success. 
• Parents who are involved at the school, satisfied with the education their child is receiving, who have a strong understanding and commitment to what we do are likely to give of their time and money. In spite of serving a predominantly low-income population, parent donations average about $20,000 per year that helps us reach our overall fundraising goal.

Supporting Parents, Families, and Community Members

• Parents who are involved build relationships with other parents that can help them with their own children or just simply provide friendship. 
• Parents who are involved understand the education their child is receiving and can reinforce this at home.
• Parents who are involved have a deeper understanding of the mission and will work with the school to prepare their child for college or a career of their choice.
• Parents who are involved learn from each other.
• Parents who are involved learn how to be more effective with their child’s education.
• Parents who are involved contribute to something larger than themselves of their families.       

What are the Core Practices we use to involve families at Lighthouse?

At Lighthouse, we involve families in several ways.  These multiple methods for involvement allow for multiple entry points into the school for our diverse families.  There are a few mandatory events and several optional ways for getting involved.

Mandatory Events

Lighthouse has established the following mandatory events to ensure that all families are involved and supported in understanding the school life of their child:

• Individualized Learning Plan meetings.  Three times per year (October, February, and June), parents and students are required to attend ILP meetings to discuss goal setting, progress, and other issues with their student’s crew leader. 
• EXPO of Student Work.  Twice per year, parents are required to attend Expos of Student Work to celebrate joys and successes of their individual child and their crews.
• Back to School Night. Back to School Night provides teachers a chance to introduce parents to their classroom specific policies and curriculum. 

Optional Events
In addition, there are several optional events that families and teachers may engage in to deepen and further develop family involvement. The following types of optional events may be initiated by the teacher or crew leader:

• Home visits. Teachers are encouraged to conduct home visits of their students.  This is a great way to get to know families and to establish trust.  Administrative staff can help arrange for translation if teachers would like to initiate home visits. 
• Potlucks.  A great way for teachers to build community among their students’ families, scheduling out of school potlucks, either at school or at your home or at one of your families’ home is a fun and exciting way to involve and get to know families.
• Performances outside of EXPO.  Does your expedition culminate in a performance?  If so, you can schedule performances outside of EXPO for your families.  Please check with an administrator to calendarize events. 

In addition, the administration takes the lead in initiating additional optional events throughout the year:

• Family Learning Nights.  Twice per year, the school administration with the help of the Lighthouse Parent Advisory Committee will put together Family Learning Nights that will feature workshops and speakers on various topics pertinent to our families’ needs.  Teachers will be invited to present workshops and can serve as great experts to our families. In addition, we bring in external resources to share information with families.
• Lighthouse Parent Advisory Committee.  The first Wednesday of each month, parent leaders get together to discuss issues, ideas, and plan events.  Working committees for LPAC include the Fundraising Committee and the Community Building Committee.  LPAC also designates a classroom representative who will be working with you to help meet your needs.  This is an important relationship for teachers to establish and foster.
• Work Days. Throughout the school year, parents come into the school to help clean, organize, and repair the physical plant of the building.