Listening to Hispanic families’ needs

More and more families rely on dual incomes that make them less available to volunteer for their child’s school. Plus, current and rising elementary parents had fewer adults involved in their own schools while growing up compared to previous generations. Many of today’s school parents do not even know what a parent-teacher organization is.

Sartorette Elementary School’s parent-teacher organization, called Home & School Club, was repeatedly relying on the same small (and dwindling) group of parents to conduct its important work of organizing school community events and raising funds for programs and services that a public school budget alone could not cover. That is what parent-teacher organizations do. The group also struggled with representation. Although nearly 40 percent of Sartorette’s student population identified as Hispanic, there were very few Hispanic parents in its HSC. The school was experiencing the same Hispanic student achievement gap as others throughout California. Low parent engagement and wide student achievement gaps are common challenges in today’s schools.

Economize the problem and solution Capitalizing on the reciprocal relationship between student achievement and family engagement, Sartorette took a holistic approach to tackling the challenges of both. Using the principles of cultural responsiveness, data-driven decisions, collaboration, and family engagement, staff worked with Hispanic parent leaders to combine best instructional practices with strategic family outreach. Student voice, compassion, and cultural empathy were integrated into optimal teaching methods for academic achievement.

Honor school community cultures How could a Caucasian principal effectively reach Hispanic families without disrespecting members of a culture that she was not part of? By enlisting the help of a Hispanic parent who was willing to collaborate with the principal. The parent volunteer took a leadership role within the school’s Hispanic community. The volunteer educated the principal about customs and expectations most common within Hispanic cultures, including those related to education. They were aligned with a vision to empower this community with participation and engagement, and put together a plan.

Give families a voice They launched the plan by hosting a Hispanic Family Social that would not only give families a voice, but would give them the opportunity to listen. The volunteer’s husband prepared a delicious authentic meal for attendees, a must for demonstrating cultural respect.

Communicate intentions with transparency The event program included the principal welcoming guests, explaining the importance of the Hispanic community within the greater school community, and sharing the challenges along with the school’s vision. Next, the parent volunteer and her husband gave individual testimonials about their relative upbringings around education. The wife spoke of her parents’ consistent engagement in her schools with guidance and encouragement toward continued education, leading to her earning a Ph.D. in science. Her husband’s testimony revealed a vastly different childhood, with his parents leaving his education to the educators, not knowing his grade levels, grades, or the names of his teachers. Parents nodded as they related to the differing experiences.

Listen to families’ needs Later, the volunteer and principal approached each family to learn their stories. They asked what they needed academically or otherwise from the school, recorded all the information, and told them the school would provide what they could. After the event, they began to follow through on satisfying those needs.

Two pieces of information came to the forefront. First, Hispanic parents who did not speak English were intimidated to attend HSC meetings and thought they had nothing of value to offer the school. Next, several non-English speaking Hispanic parents wanted to learn to speak English.

Satisfy families’ needs The principal and parent volunteer found ways to meet both needs. First, they created separate Hispanic HSC meetings held the night after regular monthly HSC meetings. An HSC co-president and the principal attended, translation was provided, and kids were welcome. These meetings gave Hispanic families, especially those who only spoke Spanish, the opportunity to meet each other and start creating programs and fundraising opportunities they wanted for the school. They ended up contributing new and effective ways to raise money for the school. Hispanic HSC members and regular HSC members worked together, making positive impacts on the school community.

Progress was not without conflict Many within the school district questioned the separate HSCs at the school, thinking they would do the opposite of their intended purpose by dividing the school community as opposed to bringing it together. Fortunately, the superintendent supported the school’s efforts, knowing they were responding directly to the Hispanic community’s request and maintained the goal of ultimately unifying the HSCs.

Build staff-family relationships Next, another parent volunteer received training at the local library to teach English as a Second Language (ESL). Parents dropped off their children at the school and remained for ESL class twice a week, at no cost. ESL classes were an opportunity for staff and families to build relationships. With this family presence on campus, their interest in the school grew. Between the Hispanic HSC and ESL classes, the families branched out to volunteer and were even hired to provide recess supervision.

Reciprocal cycle of pride As the involvement of Hispanic parents increased, so did their knowledge of what their children were doing in school. Conversely, their children were proud to see their parents engaged at school. Hispanic students often attended Hispanic HSC meetings and events with their parents, they talked more with staff, and took on leadership roles, all of which led to a reciprocal cycle of pride between Hispanic students and their parents.

Proof was in the data Sartorette’s holistic approach to tackling the challenges of both student achievement and family engagement led to dramatic increases. The recorded hours of Hispanic family engagement were on par with/or surpassed non-Hispanic families. Two Hispanic parents joined the HSC board as co-president and secretary. At the same time, Hispanic students’ academic performance skyrocketed and their achievement gap plummeted. In one year's time, astounding results included:

• 662 percent increase in core Hispanic parent group recorded volunteer hours.
• 88 percent increase in Hispanic students on/above grade level in ELA state testing.
• 40 percent reduction in the Hispanic achievement gap in ELA state testing.

Next steps The next step for Sartorette is both to nurture family engagement successes to become systemic, and to share their story for educators who may choose to replicate the program for their school communities. Sartorette Elementary School’s Hispanic Student Achievement and Family Engagement Program earned the Santa Clara County School Board Association’s prestigious Glenn W. Hoffmann Award in 2025 as an exemplary school program that had a significant impact on student success in the county. The school will also receive a commendation from the City of San Jose.

Deborah Stein is principal of Sartorette Elementary, a Title I school that accepts students from within and outside Cambrian School District in San Jose.