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Subcommittee hears plan to make family engagement core of Cambridge Public Schools; director hire expected
Summary
School committee subcommittee convened to elevate family engagement across Cambridge Public Schools, heard CFCC's Karen Mapp–based framework and district leaders report training for 14 school leaders; no votes were taken and a permanent director of family & community engagement is expected to be hired.
Member Rachel convened the subcommittee to focus on family engagement and opened by stressing that the session was for conversation, not decision-making: "We are not going to make any decisions. There are not gonna be votes," she said.
Jennifer of the Cambridge Families of Color Coalition (CFCC) summarized a Karen Mapp–informed family engagement continuum developed with the Flamboyan Foundation, and Dr. Leith told the meeting the district sent 14 school leaders to Karen Mapp training to build shared practice. Assistant Superintendent Manuel Fernandez said the work must be intentional and accountable and that district leadership will need to create time and supports for staff: "We gotta be intentional. We gotta hold folks responsible... it might mean more compensation if we're asking people."
Why it matters: Committee members and panelists tied family engagement explicitly to student outcomes, reduced absenteeism and a greater sense of belonging. Members said the coming hiring of a director of family & community engagement and embedding family engagement in school- and district-improvement plans are the next steps to make this effort durable across leadership changes.
The meeting closed with invitations for continued community input and a request that the new director review this convening's discussion as the district develops its next strategic plan.
