How Schools Can Support Parents and Families Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Brooks is a parent activist, educational advocate, and educator who currently serves as the principal consultant for Transformative Solutions in Education. She served as the assistant superintendent for family and student engagement for the Boston Public Schools from 2008 until 2015, where her implementation of systemic engagement influenced the U.S. Department of Education’s Dual Capacity-building Framework.

As a result, in 2013 she was recognized as one of the original sixteen Leaders to Learn From by Education Week. Prior to serving in this role, Brooks was the founding director of the Boston Parent Organizing Network from 1999 until 2005. She also served as a member of the Boston School Committee from 2004–2008.

Crain has been working on family-engagement efforts in Nevada’s second-largest school system since 2004. She previously was a development director for a health-related nonprofit and served as a marketing director for a construction and engineering company. She serves on the Institute for Educational Leaderships’ District Leaders Network Advisory Board and has presented on the district’s family engagement efforts at numerous national conferences, including for the National Family and Community Engagement Conference, National PTA, and on panels facilitated by the U.S. Department of Education.

In 2020, Crain has been facilitating family communication and supports in collaboration with key district departments and community-based organizations for Washoe County School District’s Distance Learning Plan during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Since August of 2010, Hill has led family and community engagement in Cleveland metropolitan schools. One of her primary responsibilities is working with schools, community partners and stakeholders to develop programs that are aligned to district goals and build the capacity of parents/caregivers to support their children’s academic achievement.

Most recently, Hill has been the lead district executive dedicated to working on a cross-functional team of administrators to provide parent and family engagement outreach during the Coronavirus pandemic. She also acted as a reviewer for the American Institutes for Research COVID-19 website “Building Positive Conditions for Learning at Home: Strategies and Resources for Families and Caregivers”.

Moore has been nationally recognized for establishing effective outcome-based family and community partnership practices for more than 20 years. She’s received several awards for service to children, families, and educators while demonstrating a commitment to equity, excellence, and integrity. She is the author of “Unreached: What Every Educator Wants to Know About Engaging Families for Equity & Student Achievement” for academic publisher Learning Sciences International.

Moore was honored as one of 2017’s Education Week Leaders To Learn From for leadership in parent and family engagement. Harvard’s Family Research Project named her one of six emerging leaders in the field of family engagement, recognizing her leadership in developing family and community partnership structures in one of the most diverse school districts in the country. She is the current president and senior consultant for The Family Outreach and Engagement Network, where she and her team provide coaching, training, and facilitation support for educators, advocates, and community organizations interested in promoting equity and student achievement.