Parent Engagement with Debbie Pushor

03/26/2026

A wonderful literacies PD opportunity in Saskatoon in April! Dr. Lori McKee, Curriculum Studies, University of Saskatchewan and Dr. Linda Young, Knowledge Keeper, are key members of the planning team. Please take a look!

04/09/2025

Dr. Max Antony-Newman, a good colleague of mine from the University of Glasgow, is looking for teachers in Canada with a strong parent engagement practice to be a participant in his teacher lifelong learning study. As you will see below, he is inviting you to have a 60 minute conversation with him. Former undergraduate, graduate, and certificate students, please share your experiences with Max! We have great stories to tell of the amazing work that has been underway here in Saskatchewan (and beyond)! Please feel invited to share with others who you feel may be interested as well!

10/15/2024

📢 Exciting Webinar Tomorrow—Don’t Miss Out! 📢

We’re thrilled to support and promote a webinar featuring Dr. Emma Chen, a former doctoral student of Debbie Pushor, who will be sharing her thought-provoking research on Transnational Parent Knowledge in Heritage Language Education.

🗓️ October 16
🕙 10am MST / 12pm ET / 5pm GMT

Dr. Chen’s research highlights the experiences of Chinese mothers in the diaspora, focusing on how they nurture heritage language education for their children. She sheds light on their transition from immigrant to transnational families, how they balance parenting in a new cultural context, and the creative ways they use "digital nannies" and intergenerational teaching to bridge Chinese and Western educational practices.

This webinar offers a unique look into the transformative power of motherhood and the lengths parents go to for their children’s futures, navigating both their homeland and new environments. Dr. Chen’s findings offer fresh perspectives on parent engagement, with important implications for educational policies and practices.

This is a must-attend event for anyone passionate about education, family engagement, and transnationalism.

Register now to secure your spot 👉 https://bit.ly/parentengagementwebinaroct

University of Glasgow

09/11/2024

I was delighted to join Chris Colley on a recent episode of the ShiftED Podcast, where we had a wonderful conversation about the importance of family engagement in education. We touched on a variety of topics, including the value of building strong partnerships between schools and families and the ways in which these relationships can positively impact children’s learning and development. It was a pleasure to share my thoughts and experiences, and I hope listeners will find our discussion both insightful and encouraging.

Read more and find the full episode here:

I was delighted to join Chris Colley on a recent episode of the ShiftED Podcast, where we had a wonderful conversation about the importance of family engagement in education.

08/13/2024

Exciting news! Dr. Debbie Pushor is guest editing a Special Issue of Education Sciences MDPI: A Familycentric Approach to Schooling: What It Is, What It Takes, What It Looks Like. If you’re passionate about engaging parents in meaningful ways and want to share your research, policy work, practices, or lived experience, we’d love to see your submission! Deadline is March 31. Let’s reimagine education together! Learn more below.

Exciting news! Dr. Debbie Pushor is guest editing a Special Issue of Education Sciences: A Familycentric Approach to Schooling: What It Is, What It Takes, What It Looks Like.

06/20/2024

Today, we are sharing this wonderful interview with Debbie's former graduate student, Emma Chen.

Dr. Emma Chen 陈星 (MEd’19, GTPC’22, PhD’24) received her doctoral degree in curriculum studies during the College of Education’s Spring Convocation ceremony on June 3. It was an honour to watch Emma convocate and have the opportunity to celebrate her incredible work and outstanding achievements. We invite you to read this interview with Emma and learn more about her.

"Becoming a mom sparked my interest in the field of education. During my graduate school years, it became increasingly clear that I wanted to dive deeper into the theories, knowledge, and pedagogies in this area. So, I applied for the PhD program and was extremely fortunate to work with my supervisor, Dr. Debbie Pushor, in curriculum studies. It has been a wonderful, enriching four-year journey of learning and growth." Keep reading:

Dr. Emma Chen, who earned her PhD during Spring Convocation, explored the stories of three Chinese immigrant mothers as a graduate student in the College of Education

06/07/2024

Today, we proudly introduce Dr. Linda Young (BA'94, BFA'98, MEd'20, PhD'2023), a dear friend and former doctoral student of Debbie's, who earned her doctorate in October 2023 using video conversations with thought leaders as an alternate form to a written dissertation. While Linda's unique and captivating doctoral dissertation expertly told her story, we felt compelled to dig deeper and uncover more about the person and the narratives beneath, and intertwined within, these conversations.

"I don't know if Debbie has mentioned, I'm a bit of a storyteller," she warned us. Not only is that statement true, but it's the exact reason that we are enormously thankful for the opportunity to listen. We invite you to do the same as we share our conversation with Linda, an exploration of her video conversations: The Journey of a kêhtê-aya (elder): kiskisi sôhkisiwin, tâpôkêyimoh, sôhkitêhê, nâkatohkê: Memorize the Strength, Have Faith, Have a Strong Heart, Pay Attention.

Today, we proudly introduce Dr. Linda Young (BA'94, BFA'98, MEd'20, PhD'2023), a dear friend and former doctoral student of Debbie's, who earned her doctorate in October 2023 using video conversations with thought leaders as an alternate form to a written dissertation.

06/04/2024

What a brilliant idea Brett Millott, Principal of Daylesford Primary School, had to pose such a simple, but impactful question! How much social, emotional, physical, and cognitive teaching and learning is happening in homes that Brett and his staff are now aware of and can integrate into their own teaching and learning on the school landscape!
What a great way to celebrate the education of students that supports and complements their in school learning! For 80% of kids’ time, they are learning in their homes and communities.

Thank you Parents Victoria for recognizing how significant parent engagement is! Bravo to you as well!

Our friend Debbie Pushor from the University of Saskatchewan in Canada has inspired us with many of her ideas about parent-school partnerships over the years. One of them has been the value of recognising that learning doesn't just happen at school - it's a lifelong process that happens in all kinds of places. School learning is enriched when the school recognises out-of-school learning. When she was in Australia a few years ago, Debbie also inspired a primary school principal to ask the question of his school community - what have you learned outside of school? The answers were published in the school newsletter, and they tell quite a story!
https://www.parentsvictoria.asn.au/issues/recognising-out-of-school-learning/

Parent Engagement with Debbie Pushor

06/03/2024

Today, we are honoured and overjoyed to congratulate Linda Young, Emma Chen, and Jillian Vancoughnett. These three brilliant women, graduate students of Debbie's, have worked incredibly hard over the past several years. Today, they will each be convocating and receiving their PhDs! Each of their impact on the field of Education has already been profound, and we cannot wait to bear witness to their next chapters. It's been a privilege to walk alongside them in this important work. We hope you will join us in celebrating Dr. Young, Dr. Vancoughnett, and Dr. Chen!

03/31/2024

Dr. Linda Young, Vernon J. Linklater, and I are honoured to have published a chapter in this important handbook, Walking Alongside: A Relational Conceptualization of Indigenous Parent Knowledge.

03/29/2024

Congratulations to Dr. Emma Chen, who successfully defended her doctoral dissertation this morning! She has made a huge contribution to the field with her conceptualization of transnational parent knowledge.