BUILDING EFFECTIVE AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH PARENTS AND PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS

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BUILDING EFFECTIVE AND POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS
WITH PARENTS AND PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS

• Linda C. Knicker
• Assistant Superintendent Special Education CUSD
  200- Wheaton IL
• And
• Deb Durrbeck
• Parent Mentor

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OUTLINE OF SESSION

• INTRODUCTION
• BRIEF HISTORY PARENT MENTOR AND PARENT MENTOR
  PROJECT
• CHALLENGES DISTRICT-PARENTS
• WHY COLLABORATE
• STRATEGIES AND TOOLS
• IS IT WORKING HOW DO YOU KNOW
• PERSONAL REFLECTIONS
• QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

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INTRODUCTIONS

• Deb Durrbeck parent and mentor
• DISTRICT 200 PARENT MENTOR
• Wheaton-Warrenville Public Schools
• Linda Knicker Assistant Superintendent Special
  Education District 200

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SEA200 and THE PARENT MENTOR PROJECT

• Special Education Alliance 200 (SEA200)
• Summer of 2002 A different kind of parent
  group!
• First meeting of SEA200 and new CUSD200
  leadership

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• Parent Mentor Project
• Initiated by the ISBE in 2004
• Modeled after the Ohio Parent Mentor Project
• Taking a traditionally adversarial relationship
  and creating a collaborative partnership with
  one mutual goal focusing on the needs of the
  student.
• CUSD200 and SEA200

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PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

• Every Parent has a story to tell let them tell
  their story.
• There are many stress factors raising a
  child/children with special needsthese take a
  toll on family relationships.
• Dont be afraid to say I dont know.
• Parents are proactive, protective and
  preventative in nature.
• Meet parents where they are in their special
  education journey and bring them along.

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PERSONAL REFLECTION CONT.

• Parents pick up on turmoil within the team.
• Many parents try to make decisions in the present
  for the future. (i.e. preschool IEP
  meeting.thinking about middle school)
• Many parents feel that self-contained classrooms
  are a life sentence.
• Sharing information about the vision, challenges
  and successes within your district is
  priceless!!!

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CHALLENGES

• Demand for services threaten available resources
• What is mandated is often inadequately funded
  sets up a conflict situation
• Traditional tug of war experiences cause
  parties not to listen, check for understanding
  and problem solve together
• Expectations for student performance are not met
  with data and collaborative goal setting

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CHALLENGES CONT.

• Old rules cause parents and teams to be limited
  in their thinking out of the box re. services
  and placement
• Differentiation in regular education classrooms
  can be mandated but understanding and flexibility
  about differentiation take collaborative
  partnership with specialists and parents

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WHY COLLABORATE?

• ITS THE LAW
• COLLABORATE OR DUE PROCESS
• ITS YOUR CHOICE

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• When schools and families work together, a
  partnership of support for children develops.
  Education becomes a shared venture, characterized
  by mutual respect and trust in which the
  importance and influence of each partner is
  recognized. Although children, families,
  teachers, and schools benefit individually, their
  partnerships enhance the entire process of
  education. -Rebecca Crawford Burns, author
  of
• Parents and Schools From Visitors to
  Partners

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TOOLS AND STRATEGIES

• ESTABLISH A RELATIONSHIP WITH THE FORMAL OR
  INFORMAL LEADERS OF PARENT GROUPS
• LISTEN CAREFULLY TO THEIR CONCERNS
• BECOME TRANSPARENT
• BUILD A SHARED VISION
• ESTABLISH GOALS FOR THE YEAR
• MEET REGULARY-CHECKING THE CLIMATE
• DONT SAY NO
• STAY PROFESSIONAL THIS IS NOT PERSONAL

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WHAT DOES IT MEAN

• WORKING TOWARD A COMMON GOAL
• ARRIVING AT A WIN-WIN OUTCOME
• EACH PERSON HAS THEIR NEEDS MET
• CREATES A DESIRE TO IMPROVE AND NOT POINT BLAME
• MORE IS ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER
• STUDENTS WIN

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

• Administration and Parent Groups meet regularly
  to share information and resources
• Parent Mentors (formal or informal) are available
  to meet with parents to navigate the system and
  problem solve
• Parent Groups sponsor speakers to address
  critical parent issues

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WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?

• Administration and Parent Groups seek Grants and
  Funding sources to enhance District programs
• Trust is developed by open, honest and respectful
  dialogue and interactions
• Student achievement guides all we do together

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PERSONAL REFLECTIONS

• Commitment to collaboration
• Listen before speak
• Seek to understand before expecting to be
  understood
• Show up
• Eat breakfast
• Be open to new things

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Resources

• For more information about having a parent
  liaison in your district
• Parent and Educator Partnershipwebsite
  www.pepartnership.org
• Other Resources
• Special Education Alliance 200 (SEA200)website
  www.sea200.org
• Parents and Schools From Visitors to Partners
  by Rebecca Crawford Burns