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When it came time to discuss how schools could improve their outreach, the suggestions were plentiful.
Jennifer Mockus, a mother and health advocate in Merced, commented that schools needed to diversify their outreach and use more online ways of communicating with parents and family.
Spence shared that important decision-making meetings aren’t publicized enough. “I always feel that I find out about important events and meeting after they happened,” expressed Spence.
Mockus echoed this sentiment, saying that schools don’t engage parents before making decisions.
“They [schools] just tell us what they did,” said Mockus.
Parents said they needed food, translation and childcare services at meetings.
Parents also complained that meetings were scheduled according to times that were convenient to teachers and not parents.
Still, attendees saw the LCFF forum as a necessary step in advancing a critical conversation about local education, even if they were unsure of what was to come.
Jennifer Mockus said the interactive nature of the forum was good and hoped it would lead to more involvement from community.
Irene Beattie said she thought it was “great talk,” but admitted she was skeptical about state follow-through.
Mark, an 18-year-old high school student, said he felt good about attending “because at least I know what is going on in the community for once.”
