PARTNERING FROM WITHIN other drugs, I assign a“ parent interview” in which seventh graders interview their parents regarding family expectations. Parents are given a heads up with the questions and enough time to clarify their point of view( and can choose to opt out). This assignment may be repeated in upper school as the social landscape shifts.
• Host parent book clubs: A few years ago, a group of parents independently decided to read the books assigned in the 11th grade English curriculum. What resulted were some very important conversations about the decisions their children were facing as juniors with respect to healthy relationships, substance use, and identity. Consider hosting a parent book club reviewing books relevant to parenting at different stages.
“ Invite families to join an informal monthly walk and talk around campus, led by a rotation of faculty or staff to discuss topics relevant to their area of expertise.”
• Offer hot topic meetings: Set norms and hold space for periodic parent forums to consider the challenges that arise as the school year unfolds( at times when working parents can attend either in person or virtually). Such forums are handy for responding to current events in and out of the community.
• Invite families to join an informal monthly walk and talk around campus, led by a rotation of faculty or staff to discuss topics relevant to their area of expertise. The Director of Technology might walk-and-talk about managing screen time at home.
• Eventually, I hope to offer parent curricula that mirrors what’ s happening in their child’ s health education classes, enabling families to make more meaningful connections with their children around a variety of social-emotional topics.
Partnering with families can be tricky; teachers remember the vulnerability of holding classes virtually during the pandemic, with watchful parents just offscreen. And trust me, as a sex ed teacher I’ ve had moments of wanting to retreat in the current political environment. But I believe that school-family partnerships are good for kids and not just to help parents be their best. By building connections across families, schools strengthen the“ it takes
Continues on page 16
CSEE Connections Fall 2025 Page 15