How a Dozen Immigrant Parents Organized to Transform Literacy in Their District

Parents’ love for their children is the single greatest—and most underutilized—natural resource in education. I learned this firsthand as a son. My parents escaped political persecution and made enormous sacrifices to immigrate to the United States so that my sister and I could have better educational opportunities. 

Today, as the CEO & Founder of Springboard Collaborative—an organization that closes the literacy gap by closing the gap between home and school—[pullquote position="right"]I see every day the potential for parents to dramatically improve educational outcomes for their children.[/pullquote] After all, there is no smaller classroom than a family’s living room, and there is no better way to personalize instruction than through a parent. 

For all the data Springboard tracks, nothing conveys the potential in parent engagement better than the families themselves. 

Building Bridges Between Teachers and Parents in Low-Income Communities

I have been inspired, in particular, by a small but mighty coalition of immigrant parents in Stamford, Connecticut. They call themselves "Parents Organized Will Effect Results," or the “POWER Parents," and they will stop at nothing to give their children the gift—and the power—of reading.

Earlier this year, a group of families in Stamford, Connecticut was dismayed to learn that their children were not reading on grade level and that a chasm was widening between their kids and more affluent peers. America was not fulfilling its promise of opportunity, for which the families had sacrificed so much. When a few of the parents caught wind of Springboard’s results in neighboring Norwalk, they decided to lobby their district to bring the program into Stamford Public Schools. They were especially drawn to Springboard’s family workshops, during which teachers equip and empower parents to be home literacy coaches. The POWER Parents were eager to get out of the passenger’s seat and step into the driver’s seat of their children’s literacy.

[pullquote]With guidance and support from Building One Community—a center for immigrant opportunity—the parents began organizing a campaign. Ten parents became 50, and 50 became 200.[/pullquote] This video beautifully captures the experience.

On Tuesday, May 28, the POWER Parents’ months-long effort resulted in a 4-hour rollercoaster of a meeting during which the Stamford school board approved Springboard's contract 5-to-4.

Parents clad in orange t-shirts gave stirring speeches during the public forum. One father explained that his own children are too old to participate in Springboard, but he's fighting for this opportunity so other families don't endure the same hardships. When the board finally voted, family members and district leaders alike shed tears of joy and relief.

Their Story is Our Story

You can see some of the parents in the photo above. The woman in the tan jacket on the left is my mother. My parents made the trip to show solidarity with the Power Parents, because their story is our story. It’s a story about making sacrifices that only a parent would, and facing the struggles of life as a newcomer with a steely resolve to advocate for your children. 

The Stamford parents gaze at their children with the same unconditional love, unbridled optimism, and unwavering commitment with which my parents gaze at me. As one of the Stamford mothers told me: "I'm proud of you as if you were my son. When one of us makes it, we all make it."

Though Springboard is supporting 10,000 low-income families across the country, never before have we seen a group of parents organize to bring the program to their community. I hope this story serves as a model that can be replicated and as a beacon that lights the way for families across the country. Every parent dreams of a better tomorrow for their children; collectively, these dreams can move mountains.