What does a Family Liaison do?
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Anonymous
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Our school has a new family liaison but it's not clear what her role is. The description on the FCPS website isn't particularly helpful:
Family liaisons work in the schools and community to help families get the information and assistance they need to support their children and to ensure their academic success. The family liaisons represent a variety of cultures, languages, and races. Family liaisons will welcome and orient families who are new to the school and community and help them understand the school's culture, policies, procedures, and practices. They can also help connect families to resources in the community. Family liaisons might also assist a family in transitioning to a new school and encourage family-school partnerships to help ensure their student's success and healthy development. Is this person just here to help with cultural differences? We were new to this school this year and nobody welcomed us to the school, so if they are there to welcome all new families, I'm glad, it is much needed. Is she also there if we have feedback but don't want to go to the teacher or principal directly with it? |
Anonymous
| Family liaisons are basically for families from different countries who may not speak English or who are coming from overseas and aren’t familiar with the US educational system. No, you may not use them as sounding boards for complaints (disguised as “feedback”). JFC. |
Anonymous
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They’re there for all families, not just those from overseas. Anyone can request a confidential meeting with them. Yes you can complain to them if you want to.
We can help families and educators of all students, including those with learning challenges, special needs, and disabilities. Contact us at 703-204-3941 or frc@fcps.edu |
Anonymous
| We didn’t need a family liaison to get familiar with the U.S. educational system. It was a rocky road experience with ES adm covering some teachers’ lies and incompetence. |
Anonymous
This role is kind of a jack of all trades. They do help with families who are not familiar with how public education works in the United States. They can also help some of the less advantage students get school supplies or a winter jacket. They sometimes help with the free food distribution. Our also helped the parents sign up for classes to learn English. There are a lot of resources through FCPS for families and they help connect those resources and families. |
Anonymous
| They aren’t there for you simply complain to. Don’t waste their time please. |
Anonymous
That’s kind of their job “ We can brainstorm strategies and possible solutions to help you address your concerns.” https://www.fcps.edu/family-resources/family-engagement/family-resource-center/free-consultations-family-resource-center?utm_campaign+=&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery |
Anonymous
The Family liaison is literally the bottom of the totem pole at the school. They are good if you have concerns are about how to sign up for a free, reduced lunch Or accessing the free tutoring on tutor.com. They have zero authority or power to address what I feel like you want to complain about. |
Anonymous
That’s just not true, they have more pull than you think. Their job is to be a bridge between the parent and the school as well as the community. They can communicate with admin, staff, counselors, set up meetings, attend meetings, etc. They are one of the most valuable resources a family can have in the school system. If you want to ask them for free lunch they can help you, if OP wants to complain to them then that’s what they’re there for too. To say they are at the bottom of the totem pole is misleading, they’re actually somewhere between a guidance counselor and an administrator. |
Anonymous
I’m a high school counselor and this is simply not true. Family liaisons are great at helping our ESOL, transient, and military families get their bearing in our school community. They certainly don’t interact with families who have complaints about homework, teachers, discipline, etc. like this poster is implying. At my school, if our liaison received a complaint like that, they are instructed to tell the family to speak to the teacher or counselor directly. |
Anonymous
| They are extra help for poor people and are paid a low hourly wage. Not for DCUmoms complaining. |
Anonymous
This- their pay is so bad that we’ve had 2 leave to become IAs. They’re there to help but not to be your complaint box. |
Anonymous
| You can direct complaints to the ombuds https://www.fcps.edu/ombuds. |
Anonymous
+1 thank you! |
Anonymous
| What qualifications do these people have? Do they have degrees in counseling? |