As Omaha’s population has become more diverse, it is important to increase the focus on inclusive communication. Participants in the focus groups of Spanish-speaking and
Migrant/Refugee/Native parents were happy with their schools and believe their children are getting a good education, but they noted that communication with them is limited and much of it is not translated. Many were uncertain as to how and where to access the information that they need.
Diversity, however, must be understood in the broadest sense, creating a welcoming environment for every child, family member, and community member, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, family structure, religion, differing abilities, or sexual orientation. OPS must think carefully about any individuals or groups who may not currently see themselves reflected in the life of the schools or district or those who face barriers, be it physical, mental, emotional, or linguistic.
Here are some suggestions for increasing the focus on diversity and inclusion:
■ Ensure that every communication effort has a diversity/inclusion component. OPS
should have a structured approach as to how and when to communicate with non-English- speaking parents. Set clear measurable objectives for increasing diversity communication and measure success on achieving these objectives.
■ Conduct formal research with the diverse communities to better understand their communication needs. Increase the extent to which they feel welcome and included, and
■ Plan for strategic translation services. To begin, OPS should review all forms, publications
and letters and ensure that key information (i.e., ESL materials, FERPA letter, enrollment information, etc.) are translated into the dominant languages spoken in the district. While it is unrealistic to translate all materials into multiple languages, the phrase, “This document is important. Please have someone translate it for you,” can be translated into a variety of languages. This reference sheet can be attached to school documents and serve to signal non- English-speaking parents that they need to find someone to help them with the information. When the district does translate materials, it is important to ensure that translations are accurate and grammatically correct. While informal translations for quick notes home from the school office or teacher are functional for some day-to-day purposes, translations for important district documents should be done professionally. Just as the district would never produce publications in English that are poorly written or filled with errors, the same standard should apply to documents produced in other languages.
■ Maximize the use of SchoolMessenger for reaching families. For many non-English-
speaking and immigrant/migrant populations, direct phone calls are often the best way to reach and connect with families, and focus group participants confirmed this as well. OPS should investigate how it can maximize use of the SchoolMessenger system to better communicate with identified parents and families. The challenge is to collect and update phone numbers and sort them by language group. Important messages in various languages can then be delivered in a timely manner. Investigate software that allows for messages to be recorded in different languages and disseminated to those parents who have signed up. Another suggestion to improve connections with these families is to initiate a
SchoolMessenger call in their respective languages to welcome them at the start of a new school year. It would be a nice touch by the district to send a message like this and the families would appreciate the outreach. Taking time to deliver a special message would demonstrate that OPS cares about their children and welcomes their involvement.
■ Investigate Spanish language and other ethnic news media outlets that serve Omaha. In
each major media market, there are local outlets that serve the region’s non-English-speaking audiences. District Communications should investigate opportunities to disseminate
information via radio and television. In most instances today, it is not necessary to translate information for these media outlets as the reporters are bilingual themselves and can
communicate in either language as they prepare a story. Focus group participants commented that OPS should use the local Spanish newspaper and radio and to reach them, so we
encourage the district to look into this option.
■ Connect parents electronically with a multilingual outreach team. If bilingual staff
members are geographically scattered or few in number, a strategy being used by some school systems is to use Skype to quickly connect a bilingual liaison or outreach specialist with newcomers in any school or office. Training school and TAC secretaries on Skype makes every school a welcome center, and starts new families who don’t speak English off on the right foot by connecting them with a friendly staffer who speaks their language. This strategy could be used any time you need an interpreter, especially in an emergency situation.
■ Make sure all OPS materials and communication vehicles visually reflect diversity and inclusion. This means depicting children and adults of various ethnic and cultural
backgrounds, as well as differing abilities. It also means showing various types of families – single parent, blended, and same-sex parent families.
■ Assess whether district and school processes are welcoming for all types of families. Are
translated forms or assistance available for those who don’t speak English? Do school communications go only to the parent with primary custody or are there flexible arrangements for separated or divorced parents who do not have primary custody? Do registration forms accommodate same-sex parents and blended families?
■ Hold bi-annual or quarterly meetings with non-English-speaking families. In addition to
the ESL Fall Conference, ESL staff should work with the schools to establish bi-annual or quarterly meetings with OPS’ key ethnic groups, such as Spanish and Karen-speaking parents. These meetings can be fairly short, but would provide an opportunity for families to offer input and have their specific questions answered by district and school administrators. It would also demonstrate that OPS truly values these families and is willing to devote time to the issues that are of concern to them. This would require more of a time commitment but would demonstrate that OPS is making an effort to reach out and engage all families in their children’s education.
■ Expand opportunities for non-English-speaking parents to get involved in the schools.
From serving as chaperones on field trips to helping plan cultural celebrations for the schools, it is important to create welcoming opportunities for parents to become involved in their child’s school. Family members can assist in planning cultural celebrations for the schools that would not only be authentic, but would enhance the educational opportunities of other students as well. Involving bilingual parents as liaisons can help bridge the gap
between the school and non-English-speaking parents and build a rapport with families that may help them feel less intimidated and more inclined to attend important meetings and school functions. Bilingual parents may also be able to assist as translators for meetings and other school functions. It is also important to encourage school PTA leaders to reach out and welcome non-English-speaking families with programs that address their needs.
■ Advertise the ESL Classes and other opportunities for parents. There are some good
programs offered by OPS but the information is either not getting out or it is only getting out at some schools. It seems to depend on the principal at the school and what connections ESL parents have. OPS offers ESL Classes for families in targeted schools, but many of the participants in the focus groups appeared to be unaware of this program. Because of this, OPS may be missing an opportunity to connect with minority parents that could pay dividends later on down the road.
Many of the focus group participants said they would be willing to learn English if the district provided an opportunity for them to do so. Some districts are already doing this by providing licenses to language programs such as Rosetta Stone in their computer labs. Once these parents learn English, they often become ambassadors for the district and a bridge between the schools and their communities because they have a common background. If the
desire is there on the part of the parents to learn English, OPS should do what it can to make the investment, invite the parents in to learn, and convert them into ambassadors for OPS. In the focus group of Spanish speakers, one knowledgeable parent talked about an Instituto Liderazgo Familiar, a program that helps get Hispanic parents involved with OPS and show them how to communicate better with the schools. OPS should consider creating a brochure or flyer explaining the various programs available to parents and encourage their
participation. The information could also be promoted to parents through local Spanish media outlets.
■ Establish a Cultural Diversity Committee. Many districts have found cultural diversity
committees comprised of staff, representative parents, and community members valuable in helping them address emerging language and cultural barriers impacting the schools. This committee could work closely with the Minority Achievement Council and also help to frame concerns and suggest solutions to problems.
■ Conduct cultural awareness training with all staff so that they are comfortable and better
understand the students and families they will be interacting with in the schools.
■ Develop outreach programs to neighborhoods, churches, and community organizations to distribute information and gain feedback about issues affecting families. Many ethnic
and cultural groups are more open and responsive when approached in environments where they are most comfortable, such as church or home. Seek ways to reach out to families and build strong connections to the schools. Using community liaisons who work directly with families is one strategy for communicating face-to-face with parents that has been effective in other districts.
■ Build partnerships with local ethnic and cultural organizations. A strong relationship
between the district and community agencies that serve specific constituent groups (i.e., Latino, Somali, etc.) will allow OPS to benefit from their advice and expertise and help provide access to these growing community groups. Consider inviting representatives from these organizations in yearly to consult on new initiatives and programs that impact their communities.
■ Plan for a future multilingual component on the Web site. As a long-range goal, OPS
should investigate ways it can communicate with non-English-speaking constituents through the website. Two districts leading the way in this area are Fairfax County (Va.) Public
Schools and Peel School Board in Ontario, Canada. Speakers of languages other than English can now find information about their schools in one click from their website homepages. Web pages have been created in Chinese, French, Korean, Spanish, and Vietnamese among others to enable non-English-speaking families to more easily find news, documents, and information about services. Visit their sites at www.fcps.edu and www.peelsb.com for ideas on how to use the websites for multilingual communication.
In the short term, OPS should begin to incorporate translated forms and documents into the Parent Links section of the website.