What I Brought Home from the National Community Schools & Family Engagement Conference

It was a pleasure to see my friend and Marsing Superintendent Norm Stewart at the conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hey Community Builders—

I just got back from the National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference, and I’ve been turning over one big realization:

🟣 Public policy and Everyday Advocacy work aren’t separate.
They’re deeply connected—and they should be.

I attended the conference with two motivations in mind:

• My academic focus as a PhD student studying public policy and administration, especially how governance impacts schools and communities.

• My hands-on experience with the Idaho PTA, where we’re working every day to strengthen school-family partnerships.

And what struck me most was how tightly those two worlds are woven together.

💡 6 Takeaways That Matter (Right Now)

1. Public Education is a Collective Endeavor.

We toss around the word systems, but let’s not forget—systems are made up of people.
One line that really stuck with me was:

“Collectively, we can make a difference.”
Not just a feel-good quote. It’s a call to action for everyone—families, teachers, students, leaders, and policymakers—to co-own what public education becomes.

2. Youth Well-Being Needs Its Own Table.

During a keynote, someone mentioned state-level initiatives for youth.
And it hit me:
➡️ Why doesn’t Idaho have a Youth Well-Being Coalition?
We’ve got great work happening—but it’s siloed.
What if we connected the dots between education, mental health, juvenile justice, and family policy into a unified statewide effort?

3. Family Engagement Has to Go Deeper.

It can’t just be about the fundraiser or the school carnival.
True engagement is relational, not transactional.

Families don’t want to be spectators.

They want to be part of the team, shaping culture, decisions, and direction.

4. Youth Voice is Not Optional.

We talk about youth engagement—but are we actually listening? This reminded me of my own series, Table Talk with Teens.
When we really listen, we find that young people are:

• Insightful

• Unfiltered (in the best way)

• Often more grounded than adults when it comes to problem-solving

Let’s stop underestimating them.

5. Trust is the Foundation.

A panelist said something I can’t forget:

“You collaborate at the speed of trust.”
Mic drop.
If a community doesn’t trust its schools or leaders, we have to ask why.
Slogans don’t fix that. Relationships do. Transparency does. Listening does.

6. Change Doesn’t Start in Washington.

It starts here.
In local communities, school board meetings, PTAs, and hallway conversations.
We don’t have to wait for top-down shifts.
We are the shift.