Newberg school superintendent teams with husband to update teaching book

A “Math in the Kitchen” evening where families cook and eat yummy foods will draw a lot more participation than a math lecture or tutoring program. So will math or literacy nights where parents learn academic games they can play at home with their children.

Marketing savvy is just one thing a successful principal needs, according to the second edition of “Strengthening the Connection Between School and Home.” The recently released version was co-written by Newberg School Superintendent Kym LeBlanc-Esparza and her husband Ricardo, who drew partly on their own successful experiences as principals.
  
They also drew on statistics, such as the 2008 estimate that family engagement is worth $1,000 per student, or the fact that 70 percent of a student’s waking hours are spent outside school. “As educators, we must recognize that we can only influence a small part of a student’s life — unless we connect with the home,” the LeBlanc-Esparzas wrote.
  
So instead of a lecture on the importance of reading, they suggest, host a brown-bag story hour where parents bring food and books to read aloud to their children. Change the “Surviving Early Adolescence” seminar title to “Living with Preteens and Loving It.”
  
But parental participation depends on far more than marketing, the book makes clear. It requires everything from teaching basic Spanish phrases so teachers can greet Spanish-speaking parents, to friendly front office staff and a bright, well-lit school entrance.
  
Just as a teacher who fails to return a parent’s call can shut down communication, a principal can encourage family participation by opening evening hours for appointments with working parents, or by printing accessible phone numbers in the monthly newsletter, the LeBlanc-Esparzas write.
  
The book was a rewrite of the 2000 version in the “Essentials for Principals” series, Kym LeBlanc-Esparza said. The publishers — Solution Tree Press and National Association of Elementary School Principals — told the duo they’d probably have to rewrite about half of the original.
  
But the 2000 version had glaring holes, LeBlanc-Esparza said, including zero information on any electronic or digital activity such as automated calling or blogs.
  
“We changed it all,” she said.

By: Jill Smith, Newberg Graphic