Going beyond the bake sale to be involved in their child’s school can be a challenge, but Gates Chili resident and parent of three, Tina Carney, says it’s a crucial part of the success of a school, and it’s something she’s been advocating for since she joined the school district eight years ago.

“When we moved, I noticed the playground could use some updating. We came for a special event and the parking, it was really hard,” said Carney, who serves as the co-secretary of the Florence Brasser Family Association. “I sat up at the meetings for a year and I just listened. And I soaked everything in. I learned about the community and I learned about what they did and a little bit of who they were. And I asked a lot of questions.”

Working collaboratively increases the likelihood of identifying a family’s unique needs and plans to address them, and developing relationships within the school community gives parents the support they need.

“We all have jobs. We all have other things that we have to do, but we’re all really invested in our children and [their] education. And we know the value of family engagement in the school. It helps our kids and it helps our entire community. Like, it lifts all of us up. So we all just try to give what we can,” Carney said.

Carney works alongside other parents to continuously improve their children’s education through fundraising, volunteering, supporting and just listening to one another and the needs of their children.

“We got a new playground a few years ago, right before COVID, and then now for when we have events we use a district shuttle bus, to just make it more accessible so families can come and participate,” she said.

According to Youth.gov, teacher-parent communication can lead to greater parental involvement, improved student engagement and academic achievement. According to Carney, the first step is simple.

“Remembering that you are your child’s first teacher and forever teacher, and you do have the capacity to support at home as well in school,” she said. “And it makes a huge difference not only for your own children but for my kids too and for the whole community.”