How do Modesto parent ambassadors connect the community to the school district?
Have you received a phone call from an unrecognized number asking how satisfied you are with the Modesto City Schools district? Has the person given you resources or helped connect you to get involved in your child’s school? The person on the other line is most likely a parent ambassador.
For three years at Modesto City Schools, parent ambassadors have been community members assigned to schools to help connect parents to information, resources, events and training. They are available for all grade levels and are paid, part-time positions.
Hope Lyons is one of 12 parent ambassadors, who each work with multiple schools. She joined when the program started in the 2021-22 school year after she was involved at Elliott Alternative with the PHAST Club, a student-led organization aimed to combat drug, alcohol and tobacco use.
“So another way that we help connect parents is just by making phone calls introducing ourselves and building a relationship with the parent,” Lyons said. “The first thing I do is find out if they want to text or if they’re a caller. Then that lets me know how they like to communicate and I check in with them.”
She recalled a time she called a parent who seemed hostile. The parent expressed how she couldn’t care what was going on at her child’s school because she was more concerned about finding an affordable place to live.
Lyons let her know the district has resources available, only for the parent’s voice to soften and be thankful to Lyon for reaching out.
She said she helped Elliott Alternative go from zero community involvement to over 45 parents involved in leadership organizations on campus. Some parent-involved leadership groups include English-learner support and taking part in the Local Control and Accountability Plan, which allows parents some oversight of the school district’s funding.
To become a parent ambassador, a person must have a high school diploma or equivalent and have strong connections to the school communities they serve. They do not have to be parents themselves, though. The job paid $18 an hour in 2022 for 15 hours a week. The district is not currently hiring any parent ambassadors.
“The program’s outreach plays a crucial role in fostering positive relationships with parents built on mutual respect and trust,” said Linda Mumma Solorio, the district’s public information officer. “By actively involving parents and valuing them as essential partners in their child’s education, we create a supportive community.”
“It is so important once you make that connection with a parent and you really get them to come to the school site to be part of leadership. That’s when the parent levels up and so does the student,” said Lyons.
This story was originally published August 19, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
