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T DARE TO DIALOGUE: Engaging Parents Patrick Graham, PhD, coordinator for the Deaf and Hard of in System Change Hearing Education Program at Western Oregon University (WOU), received his doctorate in early By Patrick Graham, Sara Kennedy, and Johanna Lynch childhood education from the University of Georgia. He teaches in the American Sign Language Studies and Early Childhood As professionals, we are satisfied when we know our clients and programs at WOU. students derive benefit from our expertise, our concern, and often our Graham is deaf and the father of two boys, one love. Nevertheless, these benefits cannot begin to equal the power of of whom is deaf and has determined parents whose love for their child causes them to be a high functioning powerful advocates at all levels of our society. Parents can move variety of autism. mountains for their child … and they often do. They are frequently Sara Kennedy, an instruments of change in programs—for the better (DesGeorges, occupational therapist Kennedy, & Opsahl, 2010). by training, is director of the Colorado chapter When parents and professionals have high expectations for their students and work of Hands & Voices, a together to create opportunities for them, children are “more likely to achieve more, to nonprofit organization have higher levels of self-esteem, and thrive” (Szarkowski & Fournier Eng, 2014). State with 45 chapters in the teams that actively collaborate with parents gain new perspectives, ideas, and energy. United States that Our own statewide transition planning teams have welcomed the authors—three networks with parents who are also professionals active in the deaf educational community—into professionals and offers their discussions and planning. These teams—part of pepnet 2, the federally funded support to parents of project with the mission to increase the education, career, and lifetime choices deaf and hard of hearing available to individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing—are located in our home children. She is the states of Oregon, Colorado, and North Carolina. When we meet with pepnet 2 team editor of the quarterly members, representatives from vocational rehabilitation offices, state education newspaper, The Hands & agencies, local education agencies, schools for the deaf, and deaf adults, we experience Voices Communicator, and teams that are nearly ideal. coauthor of the manual An ideal team is one in which parents collaborate freely with professionals with no Bridge to Preschool: question off limits; it has clear objectives, norms, standards of practice, and history Navigating a Successful available to all. These ideal teams include stakeholders mirroring our community’s Transition. Kennedy is wide continuum of language, cultural diversity, and experience. Representatives come the mother of four from state education agencies; vocational rehabilitation; local districts; and public, children, including a charter, and schools for the deaf. Parents of current or recent students from a variety of high school-aged backgrounds and geographical areas and the students themselves also participate, daughter who is deaf. adding immeasurably to the 360° view of transition planning. Photos courtesy of Patrick Graham, Sara Kennedy, and Johanna Lynch 68 ODYSSEY 2016 Johanna Lynchis a parent educator with BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing in North Carolina, and she participates in state councils and committees to improve the lives of Clockwise from top left: deaf children. A mother Oregon team members (from left to two teenagers, Lynch to right) Eleni Boston, Camille became interested in Atkinson, Patrick Graham, Miranda learning about deaf Featherstone, Becky Emmert, education and helping Katie Heise, and Kathy Eckert- other families when her Mason; Eastern North Carolina son was identified with School for the Deaf students a hearing loss at 2 years Darian Smith (left) and Elijah Jones old. considering postsecondary options; North Carolina team The authors welcome members share ideas. questions and comments about this article at [email protected], For teams involving the education of deaf engaged parents are rare exceptions. We Sara@cohandsandvoices. and hard of hearing students, submit that parents sometimes require org, and communication—how we handle signing and understanding to engage in a meaningful way; [email protected], speaking—remains a frequent discussion, not advocates are nurtured, not born. Enabling respectively. just a discussion that occurs at the beginning parents to connect with each other can of a series of meetings. Everyone is involved as revolutionize the dynamics in a classroom or in we discuss specifics. For teams, specifics a district. Connecting parents enables include questions such as: Where are the gaps? modeling and mentoring. Observing another What alterations in professional preparation, parent parent solidly fill a stakeholder role empowers and student training, or transition activity the new, unfamiliar parent. alignment with post-school goals do we need?These While engaged parents can ensure a healthy are amazing discussions! team perspective, professionals and parents will want to be mindful of potential pitfalls. As in Barriers to Parental Engagement teams composed of only professionals, teams in in Meaningful Collaboration which parents participate may experience Parent participation is often a requirement for personality clashes, cultural conflicts, or the state teams to convene or receive funding, and, dominance of unrelated individual agendas. too often, parents find their names listed Designating one team member as facilitator at among the collaborators and feel that they are the beginning of meetings can help keep the not expected to participate meaningfully or focus on the goals of the team at large. We make a substantive contribution. More than a have learned that checking in with each other few professionals have indicated that they find for alignment and readjusting when necessary it difficult to engage parents; they say that has led to success. 2016 ODYSSEY 69 Parents respond to invitations that are tailored and specific. Compare an Making It Meaningful: Bringing invitation such as: “We need you because of your experience with dual enrollment[or Parents into Collaboration other specific topic] …”to an invitation that simply asks for “… help in filling the parent seat on a committee.”Tying participation to the parent’s interest and •Find parents from referrals by professionals and parent groups. People get skills is critical. So is inviting parents involved because of relationships. early, often, and at different times. Once a parent agrees to participate, •Reimburse parents for travel and child care if needed. welcoming him or her as a co-investor in deaf education sets the stage for ongoing •Plan for team building when new members join collaboratives. engagement and alleviates the concern that he or she won’t be treated as an •Share system vocabulary and processes with new members. equal member of the team. More often we find parents feeling •Orient new parents to available regulations, laws, and governing systems. their input is extraneous, neither wanted nor needed by educators or their children •Encourage parents to use their unique skill sets to their best advantage. in the midst of transition. By the time a teen enters the tumultuous transition •Create a team culture that welcomes questions and flexibility. years, many schools have effectively trained parents to simply drop off their children and pick them up later. Further, students themselves want less parental professionals question whether a parent to-day work or informal gatherings of input at this age, stretching their wings can focus on the needs of all children other team members, they may feel to make their own choices. However, this rather than on those of his or her own isolated. Practically speaking, parents is a time when children and schools still child. All of us have stories to tell, and like any other member of the team, need benefit from parental engagement, and someone who has not felt he or she has sufficient lead time to respond to children still need the practical support been heard might continue to tell the requests or to schedule a meeting. and occasional coaching that can only be same story. Just listening can make a Perception that a parent is unable to provided by their parents. parent finally feel understood. Further, attend because of consistently short Parents tend to travel to professional thoughtful orientation in which parents notice or, even worse, left out of a locations instead of a mutually agreed are educated about experiences that are meeting altogether because other team upon spot despite the fact that they face urban or rural, college or vocational, members see each other often and logistical challenges participating in visual or auditory can broaden their informally can squelch parental task forces that conflict with work or perspective. enthusiasm and perhaps even cause caregiving hours. Some districts make Professionals also worry that parents individuals to leave the team. Clear, this natural challenge even more may ask charged questions, questions frequent, and open communication is difficult. For example, one of our that professionals hesitate to address. the first step to building a strong team. districts begins its high school However, these questions, sometimes In Colorado, what increased our accountability meeting at 7 a.m. but involving topics considered politically momentum was the suggestion to work does not allow students to come until incorrect, need to be addressed. In fact, from our end goal backwards. We 7:45 a.m. While this may make it easier these questions can lead to impassioned wanted to create a system that for professionals, it adds to the discussions that inspire changes in incorporated transition goals into coordination demands for many parents outlook or even generate system change. student-led Individualized Education who are often already overburdened. It may be important when a parent asks: Programs (IEPs). We worked backwards These individuals bear financial burdens “Why dowe do that?” or “Why can’twe from the goal, designing teacher for missing work, and they must do that?” training and parent supports for this compensate for travel expenses and child Getting members to meet regularly, aspect of the IEP. Working backwards care during times when others on the on schedule, and setting up a structure from the goal helped us think in a team are likely on “work time” and paid. to ensure progress is a challenge for any different way about the obstacles we Even more problematic: Some team. If parents are not part of the day- faced. Co-author Sara Kennedy 70 ODYSSEY 2016 volunteered to take notes for our pepnet •a working knowledge of the team’s children. 2 meetings, just as her daughter was vocabulary, Parents bring the day-to-day reality of entering the transition, believing that raising a child to every meeting. They •a history of team members and the the experience of notetaking would help already know that transition must start organization each member her own understanding of transition sooner, activities need to be more represents, and processes. Four years later, she found experiential, job or volunteer experience that writing those notes not only helped •a knowledge of the historical is critical, and independence comes in solidify her knowledge but also made challenges affecting each day’s work. steps rather than suddenly during senior her aware of what she didn’t know. Now year. Engaged parents know that With those tools, parents can jump in she takes a much more active role in teachers have very little preparation in and help the team tackle the issues at sharing what parents are experiencing the area of transition, and it doesn’t take hand. around the state, assisting teams in long to realize that school administrators developing transition resources such as often don’t understand the unique needs Who is Missing? curricula for teacher training and of the small population of students who No single parent should always materials for parents. are deaf or hard of hearing. Thus, represent family interests. Over-focusing Defining expectations takes the parents and likeminded professionals are on a single parent is an easy trap to fall guesswork out of knowing whether an slowly driving the shift to an expanded into, especially if the parent is also a individual, particularly a parent, can curriculum for our children that will professional and can (conveniently) commit to a long-term project. Our include tools to navigate the move from “wear two hats” in any situation. These experience has taught us that high school to college and career. individuals easily become the go-to consistency in membership is important; As parents, we ask professionals that parents. Teams may want to consider constant member attendance affords they give us a chance to grow among selecting parents who can represent the teams the opportunity to build on a individuals who value the parent full spectrum of family needs and leave shared experience and achieve success. perspective. We appreciate pepnet 2’s the professional persona and ties to a Thus, team members should make a emphasis on finding ways for parents to single agency out of the discussion. strong effort to maintain membership build ongoing capacity in transition to Coauthor Patrick Graham’s son is throughout the life of a project for the improve outcomes for our youth. We currently in the first grade, and Graham benefit of the team. They can only do look forward to that shift as more active joined the pepnet 2 team knowing that this if they know, in advance, what their parent leaders and dedicated preparing for school to higher education commitment must be. professionals pursue the same goal: or workplace transition is critical In North Carolina, co-author Johanna children who become adults that are throughout a child’s life. When parents Lynch found her team made significant fully capable of self-determination and educate their children about different gains once members were able to move success both in their personal lives and transition opportunities, the children past discussion of language and in their careers. can educate their peers and even more modalities. Her team took another leap families benefit. During one of its state forward after participating in pepnet 2’s conferences, the Oregon team had a first annual Summit. The time afforded panel of students discussing their by pepnet 2 allowed Lynch and her team experiences with transition, and that to retreat from daily responsibilities and References learning was so rich that the team address an agenda that centered on the transition of our students; it catapulted decided to repeat it this year. DesGeorges J., Kennedy, S., & the group’s momentum. Having dinner As parents invited to participate as Opsahl, N. (2010). Beyond the together every night taught team active and meaningful contributors, we IEP: Families and educators working members more about each other, not just need to continually assess whether we together in school programs. Colorado as team members but also as people. The can represent the needs of all families, Hands & Voices. Retrieved from respect team members held for each not just the families who have children www.cohandsandvoices.org like our own. This requires that we learn other grew exponentially. In addition, about the cultural and linguistic variety Szarkowski, A., & Fournier Eng, they learned they really enjoyed each represented in our community. A D. (2014). High and appropriate other’s company. commitment to filling our own gaps of expectations for deaf and hard of knowledge through objective, open, and hearing children: The role of Give Parents the Tools respectful participation or pulling in the assessment. Odyssey Extra, 1-4. Parents need the same tools as other experience of other parents is imperative team members: to create an initiative that serves all 2016 ODYSSEY 71