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CPAC presidents outline family-engagement work, ask for clearer outreach and invitations
Summary
The district’s CPAC presidents described monthly work to reach families, high ParentSquare connection rates and outreach plans; subcommittee members discussed using neighborhood associations and district channels to increase participation and agreed to consider ways to invite parent councils to have a visible role in subcommittee meetings.
Chanel Stewart and Megan Murphy, presidents of the district’s Committee for Parent Advisory Councils (CPAC), told the Parent and Community Outreach Subcommittee that CPAC meets monthly, brings guest speakers, runs resource fairs and helps the district share information with families.
Stewart and Murphy said the district uses ParentSquare to send notices and that flyers and messages are translated into Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Spanish and English. They said community facilitators call families as a follow-up and that ParentSquare connection rates are high districtwide; they reported a connection rate the panel described as about 98 percent and said facilitators notify families if contact information changes.
Subcommittee members asked how to reach younger parents and families who do not attend neighborhood meetings. Members suggested listing neighborhood associations, PTO and council contacts on the district site and exploring a more organized directory of parent councils and meeting times. A subcommittee member proposed inviting parent organizations to give updates at committee meetings or subcommittee hearings; CPAC officers said they welcome invitations and can work with the administration to “have a seat at the table” when agenda items directly affect families.
Why it matters CPAC is a central channel by which parents raise questions about special education, busing, age-of-exit concerns for students with disabilities, and other service needs. Improving outreach and an organized directory could make it easier for families to find and act on opportunities to participate.
Ending The subcommittee agreed to move a related agenda item (a policy on parent-advisory council representation) forward for full-committee review so that the district can consider formalizing which parent groups are invited to participate and how.
