7 minute read
Family Engagement: It's Time to Get Out of the Silo
from Better Schools Summer 2025
by CCOSA
By Laura Beaver and Jill Nolen, Silver Ink Publishing
For years, schools measured family engagement with headcounts. If more parents showed up to math night or literacy bingo, we counted it as a win. Food helped. Fun themes helped. And that was the gold standard – get them in the door. But thanks to years of research from experts like Karen Mapp, Ruby Payne, Dr. Steven Constantino, Joyce Epstein, and Anne T. Henderson, we now know better.
True family engagement goes far beyond attendance. It’s not just a number – it’s a call to collaboration That call, though, is big. And let’s be honest – it’s also a little abstract. It requires a major mindset shift. One that moves us:
■ From involvement to engagement
■ From individual responsibility to shared responsibility
■ From random acts to systems and processes
■ And from checking the box to ownership and continuous improvement
Dr. Steven Constantino puts it this way: “Family engagement is not an initiative, it’s a culture, a belief system. It is never about doing more, it is about doing what we already do – only differently.”
For many of us whose job titles include “family engagement,” that shift can feel lonely. Like we’re working in a silo.
Is Family Engagement in a Silo?
A silo is a tall, closed structure that stores grain – but in school systems, “working in silos” means departments or individuals operate in isolation. They don’t share information or collaborate. They plan events, design outreach, and develop strategies alone. The result? Disconnected efforts that don’t reach full potential.
Family engagement has lived in a silo for far too long. It’s often viewed as one person’s responsibility – whether that’s the family liaison, the librarian, an administrator, or the Title I team. One box to check. One event to plan. One pot of money to manage.
But if we want to answer the call to real collaboration, we have to break down the walls of that silo. And maybe the first step is as simple as zooming out.
Family engagement has been boxed into one-time events and compartmentalized communication. Don’t believe it? Picture this: you’re on Family Feud and it’s “Family Engagement Week.” The prompt? Name something your school does to engage families.
The top answers would roll off easily – Open House, Literacy Night, parent conferences, Math Night, Fall Festival. But what about answer #8 on the list? Or #12? That’s when it gets tricky.
You might start listing things that happen more frequently but seem smaller – newsletters, text messages, car rider line chats, a phone call home, a quick checkin at dismissal. Honestly, some of those might earn you a big red “X” and that dreaded buzzer sound.
But here’s the irony: Those everyday interactions are where real engagement lives.
Not in the big, planned, once-and-done events – but in the small moments that build trust over time. Every handwritten note. Every text message home. Every interaction in the hallway, at the front office, or in a phone conversation – those are opportunities. Opportunities to shift the culture from eventdriven involvement to everyday collaboration
Sounds great, right? But also…a little idealistic.
Looking at everything as family engagement – big and small, formal and informal – can start to feel overwhelming. It suddenly seems bigger than before.
That’s why we don’t just need a new lens. We need a better filter. One that helps us make sense of the everyday without trying to fix it all at once. One that turns this work into a journey, not another compliance task. One that helps every staff member – from the front office to the classroom – see their role in this shift.
It starts with asking three simple questions across every interaction:
Engage: How are we sparking interest and increasing family participation?
Equip: Are we providing families with helpful information or tools to support learning at home?
Enrich: How are we building trust, showing respect, and strengthening relationships with each encounter?
When we use these three questions as a filter, we begin to see things differently.
■ That warm smile and greeting to a parent in the hallway… it enriched.
■ That reminder text about a skill the students are learning and tips to help at home… it equipped.
■ That vibrant invitation to families for a student-led conference… it engaged.
Every interaction doesn’t have to do all three, but when we start looking at what we do through this lens, we recognize what’s already happening and where we can grow. We move from isolation to integration. From silos to systems.
And here’s the good news –creating that culture doesn’t require a complete overhaul. The most effective change doesn’t come from overhauling everything. It comes from recognizing the value of what’s already happening and building on it. When we help staff integrate small, purposeful changes into everyday interactions, the shift becomes manageable, not overwhelming.
Let’s move beyond events and initiatives. Let’s equip every educator and staff member with a shared understanding, a common language, and a simple framework they can use daily. When we do that, family engagement stops being one person’s job and starts becoming everyone’s responsibility. The silos begin to disappear. And before long, we move from compliance to collaboration –and from collaboration to lasting culture change. ■
Family Engagement & the Law: True or False?
Test your knowledge of what federal law – specifically Title I – requires when it comes to family engagement. You’ll find answers at the end of the article.
1. Schools must develop their Parent and Family Engagement Policy on their own and then share it with families. True / False
2. Title I schools are required to hold at least one annual meeting to inform families about their Title I program. True / False
3. Parents must be provided with information about their child’s progress only if they request it. True / False
4. Title I schools are only required to host one family meeting per school year. True / False
5. Schools must offer multiple opportunities for families to
give input – not just rely on one annual survey. True / False
6. Only teachers and staff working directly with students need training on family engagement strategies. True / False
A Meaningful Moment at the CCOSA Summer Leadership Conference
Recently, we had the pleasure of presenting sessions on family engagement at the 2025 CCOSA Summer Leadership Conference – and one moment has really stayed with us.
During the conference, Dr. Clarence Oliver stopped by our Silver Ink Publishing booth. Visiting with him was such a gift. His wisdom, warmth, and legacy in Oklahoma education were deeply moving. Before he left, we shared our children’s books with him, and a few days later, he sent the kindest email letting us know he had passed them along to his great granddaughter, Evelyn.
We hope she enjoys them again and again – and that her family finds the read-aloud strategies helpful as they support her on her journey to becoming a confident, joyful reader.
Moments like these are a beautiful reminder: When we engage, equip, and enrich families – even in simple, everyday ways – we help build a foundation that lasts for generations.
Laura Beaver and Jill Nolen are the owners of Silver Ink Publishing, based in North Carolina. Laura is a District Title I facilitator supporting schools with family engagement, staff development, and federal compliance. She holds a Master’s in Education and is licensed as a K-12 Reading Teacher and Academically and Intellectually Gifted Teacher. Jill is a Tier 3 Reading Interventionist, Literacy Specialist, and Parent Involvement Coordinator at an elementary school. She holds a Master’s in Education and is licensed as a K-12 Reading Teacher.
Answer Key: 1. False 2. True 3. False 4. False 5. True 6. False
