Education Advocacy
Parents as Leaders at Home, at School, and in the Community
We partner and advocate with Latino/a/x parents, schools and the community to ensure equitable education outcomes.
SKCE’s Education Advocacy Programs engage SKCE staff and Spanish-speaking Latino/a/x parents in Leadership Development, Systems Change and Parent Organizing for education equity for Latino/a/x students. We focus on providing opportunities for parents and SKCE staff to be a voice for children in school and district decision making through civic engagement, advocating for changes in education policies and practices. We also partner and collaborate with the Salem Keizer Public Schools and other community organizations and coalitions toward shared goals.
Parent Leadership Group with School Board members
Parent Organizing Project (POP)
SKCE’s roots are in parent organizing, leadership and Popular Education. We believe that “Somos lideres” (we are all leaders). The Parent Organizing Project (POP), SKCE’s first program, organizes parents and parent leaders to get engaged in the education of their children and become involved in their schools. POP’s primary objective is the raising of consciousness among Latino families of the great necessity for their positive participation, for understanding of the state educational system, and for taking a role in the formal education of their children and in school decision-making in order to ensure a quality education for their children. Parent recruiters are always ready to make phone calls and organize parents to attend school board meetings, forums and focus groups, and informational events for the school district.
Leadership Equity Projects
Parent Leadership Program
The Parent Leadership Program builds on the premise that Parents are leaders at home, at school, and in the community. We conduct a Parent Leadership Institute each spring with 20 hours of training. Parents learn about the structure of the school district and the policies that impact the education of their children, and gain an understanding of equity, historical oppression, and the need for representation in the institutions and systems that govern our communities. We are building a unique leadership pipeline for parents committed to engaging in civic work and partnerships, and we are preparing for a multilingual community, where language is not a barrier to having a voice and contributing to a healthy community. The graduates join the Parent Leadership Group throughout the year in monthly meetings, trainings and activities.
Systems Change Goals for Salem Keizer Schools
SKCE staff and parent leaders engage in a variety of activities throughout the education system, both state and local. They work together each month to prepare testimony for each school board meeting and hold meetings and events with education leaders. Staff engage in policy and advocacy work throughout the year on various committees and in two-way communication with district staff. Immigrant Spanish-speaking parents play an integral role in education systems change by sharing their cultural wisdom and experience with administrators and policy leaders in order to make policies, processes and practices equitable and more able to meet the needs of diverse students. SKCE is a critical partner in connecting school leaders and staff with parents’ voices.
