“I realized how important it was to have someone to advocate,” Mills said. It can be difficult as a parent to navigate spaces they don’t understand, such as schools and hospitals, without the proper help, Mills said.
As the first person in this role, Millssaid it allows her to set the tone, but it does come with some pressure. However, it won’t stop her from bridging the gap between school and family.
“What I plan to do is to serve as a liaison between the families and schools, develop high-level engagement opportunities, and initiatives that strengthen the relationship between the family and school,” she said.
The new position was created to satisfy strategy one of the district’s four-part strategic plan, which strives to “develop and implement a plan to ensure active, ongoing parental and community engagement in partnership with all Northmont schools.” The plan is altered each year based on district needs.
“We’re going to need this position now more than ever. We have children checking in everyday but what happens when one doesn’t? We need those resources to reach every child,” said strategy one leadership team member, Jenny Wood.
Mills said the position will help ease the load of teachers and other faculty. “I think there’s really even more need for a position like a family engagement coordinator. It’s just very hard for teachers and administrators to fully engage but having someone dedicated to that role is really important, especially now,” Mills said.
Conversations about bringing the position to the district started several years ago and is not a response to COVID-19.
“Even though this position was not created in response to COVID-19, I’m sure it’s still a relief to families to know that there’s an additional person they can call for support and knowing that there is an additional person advocating for them,” Mills said.
Let the Dayton Daily News be your guide to the new school year and all of the challenges districts face in this coronavirus pandemic. Visit daytondailynews.com/back-to-school to see your school’s plans and other stories related to the new school year.
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