Our Fall 2017 Family Leadership Fellowship Graduates
First class of Family Leadership Fellows are leading the change for bolder, better schools for all Fresno students!
Over the course of ten weeks this fall, 26 passionate and powerful parents — representing various schools across Fresno — met every week to learn about how to become educational advocates for all children in Fresno Unified and deepen their individual leadership skills.
With a deep belief that these families wanted to create deep and lasting change, GO Fresno’s Family Leadership Fellowship went beyond the basics and delved into important and complex topics, including: reviewing and analyzing critical student academic performance data, the history of schools and why they were designed as they exist today, principles of organizing and movement building, power dynamics, and speaking at a public school board meeting.
“I felt so empowered and proud speaking at a board meeting and advocating on behalf of my daughter and all English Learner students in the Fresno Unified.”- Francisca Damaso
Throughout the course there were moments of reflection and worries as parents learned about how students were performing in our district, and the fears of their child potentially being one of those students being left behind. Some deep and emotional conversations were also brought up as we covered the topics of power and relationship building. Our fellows had to discover their story of self and share what brought them to care so much about the issues happening around education for their children. It was hard for some parents to recall their past because they have each encountered a multitude of challenges in their lives, but have nonetheless still stood firm in their resolve to be advocates to improve our schools and communities.
“Today, our public schools need to be different and I have hope that my child and every other kid in Fresno will receive that opportunity to learn more effectively for each of their needs.” – Carmen Zamora
Together, these parents are building a powerful network as they continue the journey to ensure all of our students have a path of success. GO Public Schools Fresno is so honored to be part of the leadership journey of our first group of Family Leader Fellows as they transform our public schools so they work for every child in Fresno. Congratulations!
Applications now open for the
Fall 2018 Family Leadership Fellowship!
For more information please contact:
Karina Reyes
Community Engagement and Operations Coordinator
(559) 305-8673
kreyes(at)gopublicschools(dot)org