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Ask almost any educator what makes the biggest difference in a student’s success, and families will quickly enter the conversation. Learning does not begin and end at the classroom door. When families and educators understand one another and work toward the same goals, students are better supported.

But believing in family engagement and having the ability to practice it are two different things.

Families bring critical knowledge about their children and communities. Educators bring professional expertise and insight into classroom learning. Meaningful family engagement bridges those two sources of knowledge so students are not left navigating disconnected systems on their own.

California has already recognized the importance of that partnership. In 2024, the state’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing updated the California Standards for the Teaching Profession to strengthen expectations around family engagement.

The California Family Engagement Network’s survey and interviews with 371 California teachers and administrators found that educators care deeply about family engagement and largely agree with the goals of the updated standards.

So the question is not whether educators value family engagement. The question is: Why isn’t it built into the system through dedicated time, resources and support?

CA-FEN found a gap between educators’ confidence around family engagement and what their day-to-day practices reflect. Nearly four in 10 educators reported barriers to putting all six of California’s teaching standards into practice in areas such as supporting students, planning instruction, assessing learning and professional growth.

The barriers appeared across regions, school types and educator backgrounds, suggesting the challenge is systemic rather than isolated to particular teachers or communities. Most were tied to systems and processes: school structures, lack of time and poor implementation. Others involved beliefs about family roles and a lack of resources, skills and tools.

One of the clearest gaps appeared around Standard 5: Assessing Students for Learning. Educators struggled to share assessment data and progress with families in meaningful ways, and some questioned whether assessments themselves fully reflected what students know and can do.

When educators believe in family engagement but cannot consistently practice it, the answer cannot simply be to ask individual teachers to try harder. School schedules, professional learning, resources, leadership and school culture all shape whether meaningful engagement is possible.

California must match its stronger expectations for family engagement with a system designed to support educators and families in meeting them.

First, local school boards and district leaders should use existing planning and budgeting processes, including the Local Control and Accountability Plan process, to create dedicated time for collaboration and family engagement. The LCAP process already gives districts a mechanism for setting priorities and directing resources toward family engagement. Three quarters of educators called for process and structural changes, including more collaboration time and stronger teamwork across schools.

Second, educator preparation and professional learning should give teachers practical family engagement skills before and throughout their careers. Educators need support for building two-way relationships with families and communicating student data in accessible, culturally responsive ways. About half called for greater capacity and resources, including funding, time and professional development.

Just as important, district and school leadership need to make family partnership part of school culture rather than leaving it to individual educators’ discretion. About 38% of educators identified a need for changes in school values, belief and attitudes around family engagement.

Finally, districts should direct resources toward genuine partnership, not just communication tools. Educators were most comfortable treating families with respect and less comfortable with deeper forms of partnership, such as home visits or co-designing lessons. Families should not simply receive information. They should help shape it.

California has already taken an important step by making family engagement a stronger professional expectation. But an expectation without the system to support it will not be enough. CA-FEN’s findings make the challenge clear: The will is there, but the conditions are not.

Parents, educators, advocates and education leaders must work together to ensure family engagement is backed by strong leadership, dedicated funding, resources and time for professional learning. These investments are about making family partnership a meaningful part of how schools understand student needs and support learning. When educators and families work together, students are the ones who ultimately benefit.

Araceli Simeón is executive director of the California Family Engagement Network (CA-FEN), a statewide coalition and network of professionals connecting families, educators and school leaders to strengthen partnerships between parents and teachers to support student success.

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