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Parents praise district’s family and community engagement programs as board hears plans for mental health and tech training
Summary
District staff outlined parent workshops, interpretation services, home visits and partnerships; two parents described how classes and the family resource center helped them learn English, digital skills and access food and other supports. The program leader proposed a mental-health series, financial-literacy workshops and a parent tech training pathway.
At the board’s Aug. 4 meeting, the district’s family and community engagement lead described an expanded set of services for families, including parent-led workshops, a monthly family bulletin, translation and interpretation services, home visits and partnerships with local food pantries.
Alejandra Fulton, introduced by staff as the leader of the family and community engagement team, said the program’s goals are “removing barriers, increasing access to resources, and ensuring every family feels welcome, valued, connected to our school.” She outlined plans for mental-health presentations (including an Oct. 29 session on recognizing signs of depression), a bimonthly “cafecito and conversation” series, a financial-literacy workshop on Oct. 8 in partnership with Chase, and an AI/technology training track that could include Chromebooks for parents who complete a six‑week course.
Two parents spoke in support. Maria Avila thanked the family resource center for English classes and computer-skills training that she said “opened a new door” for her ability to support her children’s schooling. Another parent, Alma Valle, said the workshops “have transformed my life” and praised the center’s staff for making parents feel “welcome, respected, and valued.”
Board members commended the outreach and asked staff to provide a six‑month update on engagement metrics. One member noted that while interpreted document counts fell, the workload increased because of longer, more complex translations and the district completed thousands of interpretation calls and hundreds of home visits last year, illustrating demand beyond summary numbers.
The presentation closed with a request that staff work with principals to include SRO introductions in newsletters and to continue outreach to expand food pantry and community resource partnerships.
