Family Engagement That Builds Trust & Student Success | Dee Dee Harrison

Family engagement begins before a difficult phone call. Dee Dee Harrison shares how school leaders can build trust with families and strengthen student success. When a family sees your school’s name on their phone, what do they expect? Maybe it’s a conversation about behavior. Missing work. Attendance. Those conversations matter. But what has that family heard from us before that moment? In this episode of Mission Driven, Dr. A.C. Cristales sits down with Dee Dee Harrison to explore how meaningful family partnerships become part of everyday teaching and leadership. Dee Dee brings 31 years of experience in education, including 16 years as a family and community engagement coordinator. Raised by her grandparents after losing her mother at age four, she also brings a personal understanding of the circumstances families navigate while doing their best for their children. She reminds us that a family’s absence at a school event doesn’t tell us how much they care. Work schedules, transportation, and past experiences with school can affect how families participate. We won’t understand those circumstances until we take the time to connect. Dee Dee also shares the story of a short, positive email from her daughter’s teacher—one she printed and carried with her from job to job. A few minutes of encouragement became something she treasured for years. For principals, district leaders, teachers, and family engagement teams, this conversation offers practical ways to build relationships, welcome family voices, and connect families’ knowledge of their children with educators’ expertise. KEY TOPICS • Family engagement as an instructional strategy • Building trust between families and schools • Reaching families who aren’t attending school events • Understanding barriers before making assumptions • Positive communication with parents and caregivers • How school and district leaders shape a welcoming culture • Establishing, maintaining, and restoring relationships • Dee Dee’s book, The Family-School Engagement Advantage CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction / Opening 11:00 Who Counts as Family—and How Do We Reach Them? 22:31 Family Engagement as an Instructional Strategy 36:23 How Leaders Build a Culture of Partnership 45:49 Dee Dee’s Book, Practical Next Steps, and What Comes Next PUT IT INTO PRACTICE Before this week gets away from you: 1. REACH OUT to one family. 2. SHARE something specific you appreciate about their child. 3. ASK what helps them stay connected to school. Let the positive message stand on its own. And if you lead a team, make a connection yourself first. CONNECT WITH DEE DEE HARRISON 📖 The Family-School Engagement Advantage: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H91W8X3T 🌐 Website: https://sites.google.com/view/family-... 💻 Fresno Pacific University Workshop Registration: https://www.enrole.com/fresno/jsp/ses... 📄 Workshop Flier: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CDxK... Dee Dee’s online workshop, Family Engagement for Educators, begins January 7, 2027, and meets Thursdays from 6:00–7:30 p.m. Pacific Time for 10 weeks via Zoom. Participants have the opportunity to earn 3 continuing education units. If this conversation gave you something to think about: 👍 Like this video. 💬 Comment: What’s one way your school helps families feel seen, valued, and heard? 📤 Share it with an educator or school leader. 🔔 Subscribe to Mission Driven for more conversations about leadership, purpose, and making a meaningful difference. CONNECT WITH DR. A.C. CRISTALES 🌐 Website: https://www.acspeaks.com 📱 Instagram: @ac_cristales 💼 LinkedIn: Dr. A.C. Cristales 🎙️ Mission Driven Podcast #FamilyEngagement #SchoolLeadership #MissionDriven