Empowered Families, Thriving Students
Unlocking the Potential of Family-School Partnerships
- Washington B. Collado - Creative Leadership Solutions, Associate
- Alex Marrero - Denver Public Schools, Superintendent
- Belinda Reyes - Chief Executive Officer, Reyes Executive Coaching and Leadership Solutions, LLC.
Foreword by Douglas B. Reeves
Break barriers, build trust, and create lasting change for students
Family engagement has never been more critical to student achievement, yet too many schools remain stuck in outdated models that treat families as occasional visitors rather than essential partners. Authored by three seasoned and celebrated school leaders, this practical book challenges educators to move beyond traditional "meetings and meals" approaches toward authentic family empowerment that drives meaningful change.
Introducing an innovative framework to reimagine family and community engagement, Empowered Families, Thriving Students addresses critical topics including overcoming deficit-based mindsets, establishing trust, building community partnerships, and reimagining traditional practices like parent-teacher conferences. Additional features include
- Fourteen implementable strategies, each supported by clear action steps and self-analysis questions
- Authentic vignettes drawn from the authors' extensive experiences in PreK–2 schools across diverse communities
- Evidence-based approaches that combine nationally recognized research with compelling personal experiences
- A focus on equity and cultural responsiveness that specifically address the needs of schools serving low-income and multilingual students
This exceptional guide provides school leaders, teachers, and community advocates with the essential tools to forge meaningful collaboration that focuses relentlessly on student achievement and wellbeing, creating stronger schools and more vibrant communities.
Drs. Collado, Marrero, and Reyes have provided the ‘why’ and the ‘how to’ of empowering families to create thriving students from a personal perspective! It is filled with keen, practical and useful strategies to help administrators and teachers make the connections that are critical for students’ success.
Empowered Families, Thriving Students provides clear strategies and wonderful wisdom. This is a must read for anyone committed to helping children flourish in school and in life.
Drs. Collado, Marrero, and Reyes turn belief into behavior, translating respect for community wisdom into daily practice and treating trust as disciplined work. By recognizing families as partners, the authors give leaders practical steps to improve relationships and student learning.
This book is a very practical approach to engaging families as authentic partners in the education of their children. The authors
present a strong case for student success that is grounded in a systematic plan of action that engages all the collaborators who shape students’ experiences and learning environments.
Empowered Families, Thriving Students is a clear, actionable roadmap for schools ready to stop talking about family
engagement and start building it. One of the most powerful examples illustrated how a school reimagined the role of the
family liaison—connecting families through cultural events, personal outreach, and leadership opportunities. This is what real partnership looks like.
A powerful tool for educators, for not only planning on how to enhance parents’ participation, but also for self-reflection. It is
critical that we educators stop perpetuating deficit-based mindsets. This book offers vignettes, action steps, and most importantly addresses anti-bias and culturally relevant competencies.
Empowered Families, Thriving Students empowers educators to lead with heart, serve with purpose, and rise to their highest
calling.
Empowered Families, Thriving Students is an inspiring and practical guide that shows how strong school-family partnerships
can transform education. The authors offer clear strategies, real-world examples, and a hopeful vision for building trust and collaboration between educators and caregivers.