萝卜AV视频

When I attended the 萝卜AV视频Rooted in Relationship Summit in Miami in March, I brought a team with me from Saline Area Schools. Alongside me were our Executive Director of Communications and Community Relations, our Early Childhood Program Specialist, and two outstanding teachers, Stacy Horvath and Nicole Phelps. Traveling together mattered. Attending the Summit together allowed us to step outside our typical roles and silos. More importantly, it gave us time and space to learn alongside one another as we considered how to deepen family partnerships in our own district.

Our District, Our Context

Saline Area Schools is a district of about 4,700 students located just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Traveling together mattered. Attending the Summit together allowed us to step outside our typical roles and silos. More importantly, it gave us time and space to learn alongside one another as we considered how to deepen family partnerships in our own district.

Our community sits near the University of Michigan and within the broader influence of Michigan鈥檚 automotive industry. As a result, Saline continues to see steady growth as young families move into the area seeking strong public schools and a close-knit community. Families have long been drawn to Saline because of the strength of our public schools. At the same time, private preschool programs in Washtenaw County currently outpace enrollment in public preschool. For our district, that presents both a challenge and an opportunity. Connecting children and families to high-quality early learning opportunities not only prepares students for school, it also helps families build relationships with the school system earlier, creating pathways to support services and stronger partnerships over time.

Family Engagement is a Strategy, Not a Goal

One of the most powerful moments of the Summit came from Dr. Karen Mapp, who challenged us to rethink how we think about family engagement from a strategy lens. 鈥淔amily engagement is not a goal,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a strategy.鈥� That shift resonated deeply with all of us and we discussed it during our time together. It especially resonated as we are in the midst of strategic planning. Strategic plans cannot simply describe what we value 鈥� they must define how we will measure progress and hold ourselves accountable to the work.

Dr. Mapp鈥檚 framing reinforced that family engagement should not sit on the sidelines as a well-intentioned aspiration. Instead, it must be embedded as a strategy that supports the outcomes we want for students.

Early Childhood Innovation in Miami

Our visits also sparked important conversations about the future of early childhood education in our district.

As we work to expand early childhood programming, we were especially inspired by the quality of instruction, thoughtful learning environments, and innovative career pipelines we observed in Miami-Dade County. Several schools have developed pathways for high school students interested in pursuing degrees and careers in early childhood education, similar to our efforts at Saline Area Schools, but seeing it in action really made us think about how we continue to build out those programs that connect CTE with early childhood. These programs not only support young learners 鈥� they also cultivate the next generation of educators!

One of the most valuable aspects of attending the Summit as a team was the opportunity to reflect together and spend time talking about what we learned in classrooms and in the sessions. Learning alongside colleagues from different roles helped us think more holistically about how relationships, communication, and instructional practices intersect. And we had fun!