Amid this ongoing change, newcomers to the area learn about one constant: the “Arlington Way.”
As the population of the 26-square-mile county continues to grow, it is a deep-seated Arlington tradition to discuss with all stakeholders any proposals involving public space and infrastructure. Whether Arlington County is considering adding bike lanes, moving a dog park, or building a school, community members expect the county government and school division to keep them informed, to hold public meetings, and to gather stakeholder input before finalizing plans.
For APS, this overall growth means more people to inform and engage in our school division. For families, more information and activities can make it challenging to keep up with the latest news and have a voice in discussions about the future of APS.
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The updates often include questionnaires that seek community input on such issues as the search for a new superintendent, possible options for the next school year calendar, and potential changes in bus transportation services.
APS School Ambassador Program
Recognizing that the two-way communications integral to the “Arlington Way” needed a boost, Assistant Superintendent Linda Erdos developed the APS School Ambassador program in 2017. The program involves parent volunteers at each school who curate APS division-wide information and share key big-picture issues with families in ways that work best within their school communities.
“Parents turn to other parents all the time to get the latest school news,” Erdos says. “We heard from PTA leaders that they were fielding questions about APS plans and we knew they already had a lot on their plates. The APS School Ambassadors can help families learn about school division initiatives that might affect them and how they can get involved.”
Erdos collaborated with principals to identify a parent volunteer at each elementary, middle, and high school, and hired a bilingual coordinator whose responsibilities would include managing this network starting in the 2017-2018 school year.
The goal is for each school or program to have at least one ambassador; schools with many students who speak a language other than English are encouraged to have an additional ambassador who speaks that language. The program currently has 47 volunteers who serve 38 schools and programs; about a half dozen are Spanish-speaking and one speaks Arabic. Some PTA leaders take on a dual role and serve as Ambassadors as well.
Spreading the News
The role of the APS School Ambassador is defined as helping families at each school stay up-to-date on major initiatives in the school division during the school year, including providing information, helping answer families’ questions, and sharing feedback with APS staff. The program coordinator is available by phone and email to answer ambassadors’ questions or to steer them in the right direction for any information they need from APS.
A fall meeting provides ambassadors with an overview of the school year’s initiatives and ideas for keeping families informed; an in-person or online update is held in the spring. Information is conveyed throughout the school year, primarily in weekly email updates in English and Spanish, using a format that makes it easy for ambassadors to copy and paste only those items of interest to families at their schools. For some initiatives, APS provides shareable graphics for text messages and social media, or a short slide presentation for use at parent meetings.
To date, the types of information shared throughout the three years of the APS School Ambassador program include short blurbs with links to more details, community engagement opportunities, and deadlines for initiatives such as the following:
- Development of the APS strategic plan
- School boundary processes
- Development of an instructional program pathways framework for option schools
- Capital improvement plan process
- The biannual “Your Voice Matters” survey
The updates often include questionnaires that seek community input on such issues as the search for a new superintendent, possible options for the next school year calendar, and potential changes in bus transportation services. Details about upcoming school board meetings and work sessions, and information on how to get on meeting agendas, to speak at a meeting, and to view meetings online are included.
The School Ambassador program is housed in the Department of Planning and Evaluation, run by Lisa Stengle, executive director. She credits the program with providing an additional connection between APS and families, and with helping to cut through the information clutter.
“We know families hear fairly often from the principal, teachers, and the PTA, so they may miss something that APS sends,” Stengle says. “Our ambassadors have become an important part of APS communications and have given us helpful feedback when we’ve needed to address issues quickly and clarify information for families.”
Each school community has its preferred communication methods. Ambassadors work with the PTA leadership and school principals on how to share information with families. The ambassadors report using the following communication channels (in order from most used to least used):
- Email distribution of flyers
- Meetings of the PTA and other parent groups
- Information tables or handouts at school events
Janeth Valenzuela, who served for two years as the APS Ambassador for Washington-Liberty High School, says she has informed parents at meetings, through the PTA newsletter and handouts, and via Spanish-language WhatsApp text groups.
“It can be hard to keep the items short but that is what parents want—just the key points about what is happening, how it could affect students at our school, and how families can give their opinions,” Valenzuela states. “We are all busy, so I try to share information in the best way that helps parents.”
At the end of each year, ambassadors complete a brief questionnaire. Most of them have been satisfied with the program to date, saying it is a volunteer role that requires few meetings and fits their schedules. They emphasize that APS should keep the weekly updates short and easy to scan and copy. They like having advance notice about decision points and deadlines, yet sometimes find the information repetitive. Some have expressed interest in holding more meetings with the group.
Ambassadors work with the PTA leadership and school principals on how to share information with families.
Looking to the Future
Former assistant superintendent Erdos, now retired from APS, is pleased with how the ambassador program has become an information resource in its first three years. The program structure has remained consistent, with the biggest changes being an invitation to PTA presidents to join the fall ambassador meeting, and online posts of the weekly updates in English, Spanish, and Arabic (www.apsva.us/engage/2019-20-aps-school-ambassadors).
Principals and ambassadors were evenly split when asked in the most recent end-of-year survey about whether the principal or the PTA should recruit the volunteers for this role, and whether email updates should be sent weekly or every two weeks.
Mitch Pascal, principal of Tuckahoe Elementary School, shares: “Our school has had active APS Ambassadors since the program began. We recruit a parent volunteer each spring for the upcoming school year and then, shortly after school starts, the Ambassador is ready to go. They send news to the PTA and families, let staff know about any questions that come up, and give everyone one more way to learn about APS information that’s relevant to our students.”
As APS expects to welcome more than 30,000 students in fall 2021, the APS School Ambassador program will continue to help families stay informed and engaged in the school division’s initiatives.