Wake County Public School System leaders are working with parents to tackle challenges ranging from absenteeism to school safety.
Parents, students and teachers gathered Saturday afternoon at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh for WCPSS' Family and Community Engagement Summit. The event is aimed at engaging with families, empowering them to become more involved in their children's education.
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One of the major topics discussed at the summit was student attendance. A report released in May showed that one in five students in Wake County was chronically absent, meaning they missed at least 10% of school days.
"One thing we've worked on really is just like the education of attendance," Bonnie Mwanda, principal of Neuse River Middle School said. "Why is it important? If your kid is absent, what's going to happen with their absences?"
Mwanda said reducing chronic absenteeism is a work in progress, and it takes more than just teachers and students.
It's the goal of WCPSS leaders, like Chair of Wake County's Family and Community Engagement Committee Kimberly Burton, to bring parents into the conversation.
"That begins with bringing our families in and asking them, what can we do better to make school an inviting, welcoming and engaging place?" Burton said. "I think when we do that, we'll see increased attendance for our scholars."
School safety was another part of the conversation. The summit came just days after a student was found with a gun at Wakefield High School. Earlier this month, another student was charged with bringing a gun and a knife to Willow Spring High School.
Burton said strong partnerships between the school system and families play a large role in decreasing disciplinary issues among students.
"Even at the summit here today, there are sessions where families can learn about ways to ensure they are having the appropriate conversations with school personnel to ensure students are safe," Burton said.
Along with working with families, WCPSS' partnership with local businesses, nonprofits and volunteers aims to provide students additional support and resources.
Burton said WCPSS hopes to have another summit in the spring. The goal is to get more families involved to support the best outcomes for Wake County students.