Superintendent Arntzen Hosts Free Transformative Workshop on Family-School Partnerships for Educators

• Brian O'Leary
• January 08 2024

HELENA – Superintendent Arntzen is hosting a free virtual workshop on the Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships, featuring Paul Kuttner on January 25, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM. This interactive workshop for educators focuses on strategies and insights that will:

• Strengthen family engagement
• Enhance student achievement and school improvement
• Build a supportive educational community

“This workshop reflects my Montana Hope initiative which emphasizes family and community engagement in our schools,” said Superintendent Elsie Arntzen. “Active parental participation in education leads to higher student success. I encourage all of our teachers and administrators to participate in this workshop that puts Montana students first.”

“For a school to thrive they need positive involvement, support and encouragement of communities and families,” said Kiera Moog, Family Engagement Specialist for the Office of Public Instruction. “Family engagement in education improves student attendance, higher grades, higher graduation rates, develops confidence, improves motivation, improves social skills and classroom behavior.”

The schedule for the workshop is:

• 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Framework Familiarization
• 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM: Think Time and Team Time
• 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM: Practical Application
• 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM: Lunch
• 1:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Collaborative Strategies 

More information and the link to register can be found here.

Paul Kuttner began his career as a community-based arts educator. He earned his master’s and doctorate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where he conducted research in collaboration with youth and community organizing groups. His research focuses on the relationships between educational institutions (K-12 and higher education) and communities that have faced marginalization and oppression within school systems. His and his partners’ research products have appeared in academic venues such as the Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement, Metropolitan Universities, Teachers College Record, and Harvard Educational Review, as well as practice-focused outlets such as Phi Delta Kappan and Ed Week, alongside community-facing products such as videos, comic books, and curricula. Paul was recently named the 2023 Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Collaboratory Research Fellow for his work on evaluating the impact of community-campus partnerships.