REMC Guide to Using For Our Families Toolkit

Below we answer some frequently asked questions about the toolkit as well as provide some ideas on how and when to use the toolkit with schools and families. This guide is designed for REMC staff and other implementers looking to bridge the gap between schools and families.

Why the toolkit?

The toolkit was designed to help frame conversations and provide fresh resources for families and schools looking to partner in deeper ways.

Why these topics?

There are books and books on family partnership, but there is an accurate and enduring need to improve communication and deeper partnering.  Conversations with families and educators reflected a need for emotional care as a critical element at this time.

How would you share the toolkit?

Families access media in a variety of ways, so some will need it printed and distributed, but you would ideally share with families and schools electronically as each page is feature-rich with links and videos.

How would you use the toolkit?

The toolkit wasn’t designed as a 12-page document to share in one chunk. Our hope was that each page could be used individually as a resource for discussion or following a conversation or meeting on the topic. There are also three, four-page sections that could be used as a single bundle.

What are the elements of each one-page document?

There are five sections of learning in each document. One is designed to connect and empathize with families. Others contain video extension resources and links. Some are checklists and bulleted lists for easy access to information.  

What caution should I bring to these documents?

They are feature-rich, one-page documents, but this doesn’t mean that all of the information that you need about the topic is contained. These guides should be the beginning of resource curation on the topic, but they shouldn’t be considered the complete answer. 

What guidance could you give to schools around these documents?

These tools are a great way to audit efforts to support parents and families. Encourage schools to ask themselves what validates their current work and where they can grow. The toolkit should help schools grow and in turn grow closer to their families.

Who developed these documents?

This toolkit was created in partnership between Advanced Learning Partnerships (ALP) and REMC. Members of the ALP team authored the toolkit with guidance from REMC staff throughout the process.

Can I remix and reuse?

Absolutely. The beauty of open-source documents is to allow them to grow with the wisdom of the crowd.

This content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. If seeking commercial use, contact executivedirector@remc.org.