Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco

Parents for Public Schools of San Francisco (PPS-SF) is a nonprofit organization working to improve family advocacy and leadership skills to benefit students in San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). Our vision is that all parents and caregivers are valued and respected as partners and advocates, and families and communities act in solidarity across differences to achieve greater equity in schools and student outcomes. At Parents for Public Schools San Francisco (PPS-SF), we believe that engaged and empowered parents are critical to the success of our children, our schools, and our city. Thus, PPS-SF focuses its efforts on helping families: a) navigate San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) enrollment and selection process, b) understand educational policy and decision-making, and c) become empowered and engaged members of their school communities. We draw upon: 1. A 21-year history and track record of strong and committed partnership with SFUSD staff and parents 2. A national network of Parent for Public School chapters engaged in similar work that serve as collaborators, thought partners, and models of excellence and possibility. 3. A belief and an approach to parent/family advocacy that centers equity and building strong partnerships with the district to address issues and foster innovations that improve educational outcomes for all students. Equity at the Core (Equity Pillars) At the core of our approach to parent/family engagement, advocacy, and partnership is an unrelenting focus on equity that includes: Equitable Access - PPS-SF works to amplify and increase access to information, opportunities, programs, and resources for SFUSD'S diverse communities. Equitable Engagement - PPS-SF takes action to elevate parent/family voices and ensure that their perspectives, ideas, and needs are heard and inform decision-making. PPS-SF places an emphasis on elevating those voices that have traditionally and historically been under-represented and marginalized. Building Capacity for Equity - PPS-SF prioritizes building the capacity of both parents/families and district to strengthen relationships and create more inclusive and culturally and linguistically responsive approaches to parent/family/ caregiver engagement and involvement. Strategic Program Areas: PPS-SF programs and activities center around three strategic areas to maximize impact and include: Strategic Equity Enrollment - PPS-SF helps families navigate the San Francisco Unified School District's student assignment system from Transitional Kindergarten through high school and offers in-person workshops and one-on-one support in English, Spanish, and Chinese. Parent leaders including Parent Ambassadors and Leads support parents through group and individual learning sessions and information sharing. Relationship and Coalition Building - PPS-SF draws upon community and district connections to build bridges, strengthen relationships, and engage stakeholders in collaborative learning and collective work. PPS-SF collaborates with SFUSD and other organizations to convene community Round Tables, Dialogue Circles, and Town Halls to surface issues, diversify input and feedback, and foster shared-decision making. Policy Infrastructure Development - PPS-SF demystifies local, state, and national educational policies and information for parents/families to increase their knowledge and ability to advocate and effectively engage in spaces such as school board meetings and school governance council's and in parent/community advisory groups (e.g., Parent Advisory Council, English Learner Advisory Council, etc.). Continuous Improvement: Parent/Family Engagement Effectiveness Indicators PPS-SF has developed and utilizes a set of indicators for effective family engagement that can be incorporated into all practices and programs focused on families/parents with the goal of influencing motivation, strengthening persistence, and activating empowerment in the school system. These indicators are used to reflect upon and assess the organization's approaches, practices, and resources to ensure continuous improvement. Our Reach: PPS-SF provides information, workshops, Family Clubs, and leadership development programs in English, Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Our target populations are Latinx, Chinese, African American, and white families with children. Our network of San Francisco families extends across all corners of the city and includes: 12,500 subscribers to our multilingual monthly newsletters (average open rate 30%) 9,200 followers on multilingual social channels (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WeChat) 2,700 unique visitors a month to our website, www.ppssf.org; 3,000 families join multilingual convenings and events each year; 4,000 families participate in multilingual enrollment workshops each year. Enrolling Your Child in San Francisco's Public Schools PPS-SF's flagship program, "Enrolling Your child in San Francisco's Public Schools," is a series of one-time workshops that help parents and caregivers understand the SFUSD's enrollment process for Transitional Kindergarten, kindergarten, middle school and high school. Virtual and in-person workshops are held August 2021 through May 2022, are 90 minutes long, and led by PPS-SF staff who are highly knowledgeable in the process. PPS-SF's enrollment workshops give families knowledge and confidence to make decisions for their children and be satisfied with the outcomes. As one parent said, "I could not have been successful with this process without PPS-SF!" Year End Metrics: Outcome Goal #1: PPS-SF engaged 96 workshops with 4,100 families along with 27 community-based organizations and 14 preschools in the experience Outcome Goal #2: PPS-SF engaged 46 specialized activities with 2,696 families along with 5 focus schools in the experience. Outcome Goal #3: PPS-SF engaged growth of 3,300% across Linked In, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, ppssf.org expanding our reach in sharing solutions. Outcome Goal #4: PPS-SF engaged 158 national, state, and local leaders along with 27 organizations and 6 corporations in the experience. Outcome Goal #5: PPS-SF formalized partnerships with 10 organizations. Outcome Goal #6: PPS-SF have trained 100% of PPS-SF staff and parent leaders in Everyday Democracy. Outcome Goal #7: PPS-SF conducted 3 affinity groups which discussed privilege and allyship. Outcome Goal #8: PPS-SF conducted 5 thought exchange cycles with 100% of participants.