Guest op-ed: Save the Date – Attend a Parent Conference!

This month, for the second year, families will be invited to Tweed to attend parent conferences. Parents are an integral part of the system, and I want to hear from you – what do you want to see more of in your school? Last year, I learned that many parents wanted more GED classes, computer classes and some parents even asked for cooking classes – and I’m happy to say we delivered.

Family engagement is central to my vision of public education, and is critical to meet the whole needs of our students. In my 50 years as an educator, I’ve worked to involve parents every step of the way. Conferences are free, grade-specific and informative events to support parents and to help them have an impact on their child’s education, both in school and at home. At these conferences, elementary, middle and high school parents will have targeted workshops, trainings and opportunity to give us important feedback to improve our schools.

To meet the needs of parents and families who wish to attend the conferences, we will be providing free childcare for children five and older, as well as free breakfast and other instructional resources families can use at home.

Workshops at the October 3 middle and high school parent conferences will focus on topics like student led conferences, bullying, making the middle school to high school transition, and helping teens organize and prioritize.

Workshops at the elementary school conference, held on October 17, will focus on making the most of student-led conferences, supporting adolescents, reading to your child, pre-K activities parents can do at home, how to advocate for your children and school community, navigating the NYC Schools Account, STEM programs, and the Individualized Education Plan (IEP) process.

These conferences are about building relationships between the department, families and individual schools. We have strong superintendents to support families and help anchor this important work. And, all parents are welcome – these conferences will also provide interpretation services for anyone who needs it and asks.

Our goal is to reach all New York City public school parents regardless of their zip code, the language they speak or neighborhood they live in. We will continue to offer families opportunities to ask questions with town halls across the boroughs, continuing education classes, and citywide high school and middle school fairs, to name a few. All DOE events provides translation services for anyone who needs it and asks.

I look forward to seeing you soon and welcoming you to Tweed for our parent conferences. Together, we’ll make New York City the best urban school district in the country.

For more information about our conferences, please click here.

Carmen Farina is New York City schools chancellor