Rowan County invites parents and community members to witness 5th grade defenses of learning. Photo provide by Casey Hall
My name is Casey Hall, and I serve as the principal of McBrayer Elementary School in Rowan County. We decided to start our journey with the Family Friendly Schools initiative to help improve our partnership with our families.
To begin our work, we formed a committee of stakeholders that represented our population. We sought out parents to join the partnership who were from diverse populations represented in our school. On our team was a parent of an exceptional student, a parent of a 504 student, a bilingual student parent, a social-emotional coach as a teacher representative, and 5th-grade teacher as a representative.
When we met with our committee, we started with a pulse check of what type of school we were. After completing the check, we completed the self-assessment individually. After looking at the self-assessment we compiled our responses to rank which areas were our strengths and areas of growth. Based on these areas, we determined that communication was an area of growth, and a welcoming environment was a strength for our school. To help us determine goals, we first discussed what we would like for our school to look like in that area. We created a vision and then discussed the steps we would take to get there.
When looking at the goals, we really focused on things that were already embedded into our school partnerships. We looked at each section and intentionally listed all the items we could put under each category. We then looked at how we could elevate our practices. It was beneficial to have parent input on these steps. There were areas that the school staff felt that we fell short on, but the parents on the committee felt like we were excelling in those areas. Differing perspectives are crucial for growth.
Regarding the certification process, the process was easy once we began looking at all the evidence we had in each area. It was time-consuming to compile the evidence and write the overviews for each, but it allowed us to reflect on our partnerships and how we had grown in each area. We took each piece of evidence and provided a summary that explained what we were doing as a school to achieve each domain. After thinking through all areas, we saw many connections to other domains in the rubric. We noticed that evidence from one domain could be intertwined with other areas. The most beneficial part of this process was the intentionality of the process. It truly made us look at what we were doing and if it was beneficial to our families.
In Rowan County, we strive to incorporate community partners into our schools. We have begun intentionally embedding our Profile of a Learner, Valiant Viking, into everything that we do. That includes keeping parents informed and allowing them the opportunity to come into our schools and be a part of the learning community. We have begun 5th grade defenses at our school. Not only do we invite the parents, but we also ask community members to come be a part of our panels.
This initiative has changed the way we plan for events, communicate expectations, results, and even how we interact with parents when something does not go as planned. We heard what our parents wanted, and we wanted to make sure they felt valued and supported. We have already begun involving parents in decision-making this school year. For example, we invited parents to come up with a shared mission and vision for our school. We sent out surveys to ask what they wanted for their children, compiled that with teacher input, and created a new mission and vision statement. We also noted that parents wanted learning sessions centered around reading and math. This summer, we planned out activities for the 2025-2026 school year that aligns to these needs and wants from our stakeholders. This initiative will elevate MES to the next level!
The Family Friendly Schools Certification is awarded by the Prichard Committee after applications are reviewed and scored by a working group of families, educators and community organizations. The group is focused on increasing open communication, learning opportunities and shared decision-making power across the Kentucky education system.
For more details on the Family Friendly Schools Certification, visit the Prichard Committee’s Family Engagement website.
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