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District Advisory Council chair says parents want a stronger advisory role; board members pledge to improve engagement
Summary
The District Advisory Council updated the PACE committee on parent engagement. DAC leaders said the council wants meaningful advisory influence rather than being an information forum; board members and administration acknowledged concerns and discussed steps to improve timing, access and communication.
Leaders of the Milwaukee Public Schools District Advisory Council told the PACE committee that parents want a stronger advisory role in district decision making and broader, earlier access to agendas and materials.
Regina Steber, family and community associate in the district’s strategic partnerships office, and Joelle Worm, chair of the DAC Executive Committee and an MPS parent, described the council’s structure (one parent representative from each school), its virtual monthly meetings and efforts to reduce barriers to participation. Worm said parents often feel the DAC is presented with decisions already made and asked for more substantive opportunities to advise policy and practice.
“Parents should be at the center of a school district,” Joelle Worm said, recounting the DAC’s effort to restore meaningful parent advising and noting recent engagement by interim Superintendent Eduardo Galvan and incoming Superintendent Dr. Casselli as encouraging developments.
Board members acknowledged problems with timing and access. Director Zomber said the DAC historically receives agenda items too late to provide meaningful feedback; Director Ferguson said the district needs to stop treating parents as outsiders and suggested practical steps to increase engagement, including better scheduling and use of district notification systems. Steber said the DAC typically averages about 70 attendees at virtual meetings and that the council intentionally keeps membership open and meetings virtual to reduce barriers.
The presentation was informational; no action was requested or taken. Directors asked staff to share DAC materials and membership information with board members and discussed holding additional working sessions to improve parent‑board communication.
The committee closed with a round of thanks for Chair Leonard’s service to families; multiple speakers praised Leonard’s accessibility to parents.
