What is a parent leader?
What defining traits make a parent leader?
What are goals and how do they drive parent-led projects?
Last weekend parents from all over North Lawndale and beyond came together to discuss questions like these at our semi-annual Parent Leadership Conference. We met on the 14th floor of the Nichols Tower on the Homan Square campus.
After families arrived, they enjoyed a continental breakfast before the children left for a field trip to the Adler Planetarium. Over the next few hours, the room buzzed with ideas as parents connected with each other and community partners.
What Makes a Parent Leader?
Before defining the term, parent leadership begins simply – show up. Everyone at the conference braved the tumultuous Chicago December afternoon. The wind howling through the gaps in the windows and icy rain crashing against the side of the building did not deter parents from showing up!
The Morning Session
During the icebreaker, parents and community partners introduced themselves by describing the adjectives of leadership. After that, we discussed the various traits of a parent leader. One parent remembered that her mother was always a parent leader, having raised twelve kids. Another participant defined the role as a “servant-leader.” Repeated themes throughout the day included standing up for others, being problem solvers, being consistent, and being innovators.
While a parent leader can be many things, not every parent leader exhibits every trait. Turning the Page founder Jason King noted that parents can define their own personal strengths and use them to accomplish a goal. Where one parent leader isn’t as strong, another parent may be, and together they can use their respective skills to complete projects.
Then, just like at Community Nights, we read a book called The Little Red Fort, a spinoff of The Little Red Hen. Parents could relate to the protagonist’s struggle of finding the help she needed to build her fort. When the character’s brothers saw all the progress she made, they wanted to help too. Parents could see the protagonist as determined, relentless, self-confident, but also forgiving. Parents echoed the qualities of this strong-willed girl throughout the day.
The Tip of the Spear
The reading was followed by a presentation from Shilanda Hall, a parent and Career Transition Instructor with UIC’s FAmily STart (FAST) program. She spoke in strong, grounded maxims and described herself as a helicopter parent “and proud of it.” “Parents are the first teachers,” she said. This goes for teaching a child how to walk, helping them learn their ABCs, or just being a positive role model. She also noted that some parents are on different levels. But even washing a school uniform to make sure a child shows up to school prepared is the first step in the journey of parent leadership.
We are a team!
She went on to utilize the metaphor of a baseball team as a way of understanding all the stakeholders involved in a successful school community. The team includes parents, community partners, and the many levels of school staff. “How many of you can play all the positions at the same time?” she asked, demonstrating the importance of engaging people across fields to build the best educational experiences possible. Ms. Hall ended with one of her favorite African proverbs: “If you think you are too small to make a difference, you haven’t spent the night with a mosquito.”
The Afternoon Session
After Ms. Hall’s presentation, we moved onto brainstorming what makes a resource-rich school. Parents rotated through a “chalk talk”. One group recorded the types of resources offered in their children’s schools. Another noted programs they’ve heard about at other schools, how these programs support students, parents, and teachers. The last group evaluated the key missing pieces in their own school communities. Then, Glen Miller of Kids Read Now spoke briefly about their programs aimed to curb the summer slide. He suggested everyone take out their cell phones and look at their contact lists to see how truly deep their network goes. “Parents are
the Tip of the Spear at the school,” Mr. Miller said.
We then continued the lively discussion by learning how to set SMART goals so that the pre-work and discussions become actionable.
A major highlight of the day was when 24th Ward Alderman Michael Scott Jr. stopped by. He talked about the importance of parent leaders, echoing Ms. Hall’s lines that parents are their child’s first teacher. Alderman Scott fielded questions from parents, mostly pertaining to jobs and after-school resources. He also mentioned that his office gets free museum passes that constituents can stop by to pick up. Best of all, he broke down the wall that sometimes seems to separate the community from its elected leaders. The Alderman noted his open door policy and office hours at the nearby 24th Ward office and emphasized that his team is available for parents whenever they need the support.
Setting Community Goals
Keeping with the theme of community, a panel of representatives from local community organizations discussed ways they provide resources to parents. Our experts included Briana Davis, UIC Center for Literacy; OS Owen, AARP; Chaundra Van Dyke McGee, North Lawndale Employment Network; Vanessa Richardson, Illinois PTA; and Dr. Betty Green, North Lawndale Community Coordinating Council and Chicago LAMP.
After a catered lunch that provided a space for networking, parents worked in small groups to create
action items, next steps to take on their projects, and
plans for how to engage with other parents, teachers,
and community members.
The Resilient
Throughout the afternoon, parents discussed their ideas, their challenges, and struggles: about having to move because of gun violence, the difficulty of their kids and grandkids finding work, and why development in other parts of the city doesn’t seem to come North Lawndale’s way. Despite these issues, every single attendee to the conference was ready to work towards developing their school community and providing opportunities that help every student thrive. They are all the Tip of the Spear, the first teachers, and stakeholders.
They are parent leaders.
