To Foster Parent Engagement, Rural Districts Should Focus on Building Trust
February 23, 2020
In a piece published by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, education expert Christopher Holmes outlines what rural school districts can do to facilitate greater parent engagement. Namely, Holmes writes, “to meet the goals of parent and family engagement policy in ESSA, educators must abandon their own middle-class mindsets and cultivate relationships that value and consider the cultures in rural communities.” Holmes argues that schools can leverage the autonomy provided by ESSA “to develop and implement unique programming that specifically focuses on the needs of their student population.” Ultimately, when rural schools “develop new and innovative strategies that gain them access to the communities they serve,” Holmes argues, parents will become more engaged and aligned with rural school districts across Georgia.