Helping families feel involved in their child’s school experience is a challenge; and underrepresented populations may often feel like their voices aren’t being heard.

While it can help if school staff buy in to the idea of family engagement, it’s difficult for schools to make it happen without the right systems in place. 

That’s why I invited Ari Gerzon-Kessler to episode 200 of De Facto Leaders to talk about the “Families and Educators Together”, or FET team framework he’s developed. 

Ari Gerzon-Kessler is a sought after speaker and professional learning provider. He is the author of “On The Same Team: Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together,” which won the Gold Medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards for outstanding education book of 2024. Ari is a speaker, trainer, and coach working with schools and districts committed to forging stronger school-family partnerships. He also leads the Family Partnerships department for the Boulder Valley School District (CO).

Ari has been an educator since 2000, having served as a principal and bilingual teacher. In 2006, Ari was a recipient of the Japan Fulbright Memorial Fund. As principal, his school received the Governor’s Distinguished Improvement Award in 2013. His leadership efforts to strengthen partnerships with underrepresented families and dismantle unjust practices was featured in Education Week in 2015.

In this conversation, we discuss:

✅How to get and keep families engaged in the “Families and Educators Together” (FET) Team

✅What’s the difference between the PTO and the FET team, and how can these two teams work together.

✅“Event-based” planning versus “Engagement-based” planning?

✅Using a combination of technology and in-person events to increase equity and help families feel more included in their children’s school experience.

✅How to set up systems that enable educators to have regular positive communication with families. 

In this episode, I mention the School of Clinical Leadership, my program that helps related service providers develop a strategic plan for putting executive functioning support in place in collaboration with their school teams. You can learn more about that program here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/clinicalleadership

Learn more about Ari’s workshops, articles, and resources here: https://tinyurl.com/4yaszykn

You can connect with Ari on LinkedIn here: www.linkedin.com/in/arigerzon-kessler

Connect with him on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/ari.gerzonkessler/

Get his book  “On The Same Team: Bringing Educators & Underrepresented Families Together,” here: https://www.solutiontree.com/on-the-same-team.html

Email him at arigerzon@gmail.com.

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