Named after the first Black female firefighter in Lexington who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, Brenda Cowan Elementary was founded on the principles of service and community. However, as a new school that opened its doors in the 2019-2020 school year, we were tasked with a unique challenge: building a brand-new culture from the ground up while honoring that powerful legacy. Opening just months before a global pandemic meant that our “foundation” had to be reinforced by something stronger than brick and mortar.
Service and Wellness Committee Lead and 4th Grade Teacher Megan Lipic reflects, “We realized early on that to truly embody Brenda Cowan’s spirit of service, we couldn’t just teach it in the classroom – we had to live it through our partnerships with the families who were trusting us with their children during an unprecedented time in education.”
This realization led us on a transformative journey toward becoming a certified Family Friendly School. As an assistant principal and a member of our Service and Wellness Committee, I have seen firsthand how shifting our perspective from informing families to partnering with them has fundamentally changed our school.
Family members attend one of Brenda Cowan Elementary’s (Fayette County) Donuts with Dalmations engagement event. Photo provided by Aslean White
The Path to Partnership
We began this work in 2023 by looking inward. Through what was at the time, our Service Committee, we set out to audit our existing culture. We asked ourselves questions like: Is our front office welcoming? Are our communications accessible? Do parents feel empowered to advocate for their children?
We didn’t do this in a vacuum. We engaged our families who were already active—to help us reach those who weren’t. We are so proud of our National Award Winning PTA and Brenda Cowan Elementary’s tremendous PTA board members have not only grown in membership but in presence with initiation of this year’s Greeters Program. Once a month we provide engaged adults to warmly greet and encourage our students as they start their day. Community sponsors have supported this work by providing coffee and warm weather gear to families and staff working our morning car and bus lines on chilly mornings. This year we’ve moved away from the “one-size-fits-all” newsletter and began utilizing a multi-modal communication platform. We also prioritized the physical and emotional wellness of our families and staff, understanding that a hungry or stressed school community members cannot focus on attending afterschool activities. Our new principal, Wes Downing, has helped to integrate wellness into our service initiatives, aligning committees with like efforts for staff and continuing to provide resources that met our families where they are.
Discovering the Certification
Interestingly, we didn’t start this journey for the sake of a badge. We were already deep into the work of family advocacy and engagement when we learned about the Kentucky Family Friendly Schools Certification through the Prichard Committee and the Kentucky Department of Education.
When we looked at the certification requirements, it was a moment of validation. It gave us a formal framework to measure what we were already doing and, more importantly, highlighted the gaps we hadn’t yet considered. The certification process wasn’t cumbersome; rather, it acted as a roadmap. It helped to turn our “good intentions” into a structured, sustainable school improvement strategy.
Adapting and Growing
Did we have to change anything? Absolutely. The certification process pushed us to move from involvement (parents showing up to events) to engagement (parents having a voice in decision-making).
One of the most significant shifts was how we structured our committee meetings. Instead of just presenting data to parents, we began engaging them in the work; inviting them to participate with us. We changed our language from academic jargon to inclusive conversation.
The Impact: A Changed School Culture
Since focusing on being a Family Friendly school, the atmosphere at Brenda Cowan Elementary has shifted. You can feel it when you walk through the doors. There is a higher level of trust. When teachers call home, it’s no longer assumed to be “bad news”.
We’ve seen an increase in volunteerism from demographics that were previously underrepresented. Our families are more proactive in asking for resources, and in turn, they are more invested in our school-wide goals.
Keeping the Work Alive
At Brenda Cowan Elementary, we view this certification not as a finish line, but as a foundation. To keep this work alive, the leadership team has committed to several key practices:
- The Service and Wellness Committee: This group remains a permanent fixture, meeting monthly to review family feedback and adjust our outreach.
- Onboarding Families: Just as we onboard new staff, we are developing ways to “onboard” new families into our culture of partnership.
- Data-Driven Engagement: We continue to survey our families to ensure we are meeting their evolving needs, especially as our community continues to grow. Teacher Jill Leachman generated a survey accessible in our school’s top five languages.
A Call to Action
To my fellow administrators and teachers across Kentucky: the work of becoming Family Friendly is perhaps the most rewarding investment you can make. It isn’t about adding more events to your calendar; it’s about changing the lens through which you view your school community.
When families feel seen, heard, and valued, the entire school thrives. At Brenda Cowan Elementary, we are proud of our certification, but we are even more proud of the relationships it represents. We are more than a school; we are the Dalmatian Family.
Aslean White is the assistant principal of Brenda Cowan Elementary.
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.
Leave A Comment