The council will include representatives from 14 organizations that advocate for giving parents a voice in their children鈥檚 education 鈥� including families involved in charters, homeschooling and private schools.

In preparation for the 2022-23 school year, the council鈥檚 鈥渓istening sessions鈥� are slated to explore what schools can do to help students recover from the pandemic, according to the department鈥檚 announcement. The meetings will emphasize finding 鈥渃onstructive ways to help families engage at the local level.鈥� 

鈥淲ould I have liked to see it happen a year ago? Of course,鈥� said Keri Rodrigues, president of the National Parents Union, one of the groups involved. She began advocating for such an initiative during the Trump administration, but added, 鈥淚t’s the first time where we’re really getting 鈥� a group of folks representing parents and families at the table. It’s unprecedented.鈥�

Other participating groups include the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, which supports families who have children with disabilities; Mocha Moms, a network of Black moms鈥� groups; and the National PTA.

In public comments, Cardona, the father of two teenagers, frequently notes that he鈥檚 a 鈥減arent first鈥� and has made 鈥渞oundtable鈥� discussions with parents part of his visits to schools across the country. But his department has also faced criticism from parent leaders who say he鈥檚 been more vocal about the pandemic鈥檚 than on parents who had to endure months of remote learning and are still asking for tutoring to help their children catch up. Meanwhile, parents have gained new political power. Those who felt overlooked by unions and Democratic leaders who were slow to reopen schools helped tilt the 2021 Virginia governor鈥檚 race in favor of Republican Glenn Youngkin.

Rodrigues said she pushed for bringing the 鈥渂oldest, baddest and most beautiful parent organizers in the game鈥� to council gatherings. Ashara Baker, a Rochester, New York, charter school advocate, and Lakisha Young, CEO of The Oakland Reach 鈥� which opened remote learning hubs and trains parents to be literacy tutors 鈥� are expected to participate in the council鈥檚 first gathering in July. 

The next step, Rodrigues said, is for the department to formally define 鈥減arent and family engagement鈥� so it can hold districts accountable. 

鈥淩ight now, family engagement can kind of mean whatever you want it to be,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t can be, 鈥榃e showed you a PowerPoint. We sent you an email. We sent a flyer home in a backpack.鈥� That鈥檚 not good enough to get big-time federal money.鈥� 

Bibb Hubbard, president of Learning Heroes, which helps parents understand their children鈥檚 academic progress, said the American Rescue Plan鈥檚 requirement that districts include parent perspectives in planning how to spend relief funds was a significant development.

鈥淚 have seen this team step up and sincerely make an effort to figure out how to be representative of all parents as they look at their policies and guidance,鈥� she said, adding that Cardona has joined the organization鈥檚 parent town hall for the past two years. 

But she added that she hopes the department 鈥済ives the council some specific authority to shape policy鈥� and includes parents 鈥渢raditionally not listened to.鈥� 

Megan Bacigalupi, executive director of CA Parent Power, said that should include parents in California, 鈥渨here schools were closed the longest.鈥� State-level committees, she said, haven鈥檛 been as inclusive. A on enrollment loss, announced in April, doesn鈥檛 include parent representatives. 

Like Rodrigues, Sonya Thomas, executive director of Nashville Propel, a local advocacy group 鈥� and part of the 鈥� told President Joe Biden while he was still campaigning not to ignore parent perspectives. 

鈥淒o they have the real-life stories of parents who are from struggling communities?鈥� she asked about the new council. 鈥淚 want to see real partnership. It鈥檚 really taking our feedback and using it, and not being defensive with it.鈥�