Authentic Engagement in Decision Making 

Since its inception in 2013, TDP has been interested in how to make connections between schools, the neighborhoods they are part of, and their families. We are committed to the concept of democratic decision making. We have spent a decade exploring why and how schools have failed to authentically engage stakeholders in the life of schools, even while expressing a commitment to this ideal. What are the barriers? Why do schools tend to set themselves up (albeit often unintentionally) as fortresses, against the incursion of parents? Why do their efforts at outreach often fail? What is that works in the schools that are authentically open to engagement with multiple stakeholders?

These questions have led us to explore what is happening in other cities, such as New York, Oakland and Chicago: how progressive teachers and parents have attempted to share decision making. Our research also led us to look more and more at the Community Schools movement, and at efforts to bring Restorative Justice to schools. Our colleagues and friends in other school districts have found that unless schools and families see eye-to-eye on vital issues around positive discipline, restorative parenting, and safety, the likelihood of true collaboration around other school issues is low.

This page explore some of what we have learned, and how we have attempted to influence policy in Baltimore City. This issue is on-going and has become a central part of our organizational strategy. In addition to attempting to influence policy, we have now taken on the direct service work of teaching parents to help organize in their own schools around discipline and safety issues.

Envisioning Schools: Local School Councils

In August of 2016, TDP sponsored a site visit to Chicago to look at the ways in which their social justice teachers’ union has promoted democratic decision making in schools. 16 TDP fellows spent 3 days doing research about the questions we had come up with. We spread out across the City and talked to a wide variety education stakeholders about their experience with trying to influence school decision making: both at the individual school level and at the district level. We used the videotaped interviews to compile a short documentary video that shows the highlights of their lessons learned in advocating for strong local school councils.

Fighting for a Better Family and Community Engagement Policy

In 2021, when the Family and Community Engagement Policy came up for review by the school board, TDP joined forces with several other interested groups to push for changes to the policy that would allow for more authentic engagement in the life of schools: in decision making, and around issues that families care about the most.

While we were invited to participate in the review process, we felt strongly that the changes that were made did not go far enough.

After months of intense research and work on the details of the policy, we still had strong concerns. We produced this short video voicing our concerns, along with extensive written feedback. We argued that simply creating mandated forums for budget review, and having some formal check-in times with parents did not meet the spirit of true and authentic engagement, nor did it address the root causes of families’ disengagement.