Families In Schools

FIS is honored to present the Courage in Leadership Award to Alberto Carvalho! 🎉

In times of fear and uncertainty, some leaders choose courage. This award honors district leaders, principals, teachers, and staff who have stood fearlessly with families—protecting children’s safety, dignity, and belonging in the face of ICE aggression. Their moral leadership reminds us that schools must be sanctuaries where every child is safe, seen, and free to dream.

Hired to lead the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2022, Carvalho has made protecting immigrant families not just a priority, but policy for LAUSD, ensuring clarity and coordination across more than 83,000 staff at over 1,000 schools.

📖 Read his honoree profile to learn more about why he represents courage in leadership: bit.ly/gala-alberto-carvalho

School board members can enact meaningful change in a child’s education journey, so parents and caregivers should know who they are and what their priorities are.

To that end, FIS launched a “Get to Know Your Board Member” interview series with each member of LAUSD’s Board of Education. This month, we spoke with Board Member Karla Griego, who represents Board District 5, which covers parts of Northeast, South, and Southeast LA.

🔗 Read the full interview: bit.ly/get-to-know-karla-griego
Versión en español: bit.ly/conozca-a-karla-griego

Hear about California’s story of resilience, advocacy, innovation, and impact this Thursday at Institute for Educational Leadership’s 2026 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference!

FIS President & CEO Yolie Flores will join other CA education leaders on a morning panel, “The California Story Plenary,” to discuss CA’s investments in children’s futures and how, at a time when public education is under attack, Californians have used youth engagement, community collaboration, and evidence-based approaches for the well-being of all students, families, and communities.

The panel, moderated by Christa Rowland, IEL’s Regional Director, includes Carlos J. Hernandez, Anaheim Union High School District; Hedy Chang, Attendance Works; Steven Sterling Mitchell, California Collaborative for Educational Excellence & CA Community Engagement Initiative; and Jessenia Reyes, Californians for Justice (www.caljustice.org).

This session will be in-person and livestreamed - don’t miss out on this important conversation!

The Trump administration’s proposed $13 billion cuts from U.S. public schools would be catastrophic for important literacy, family, and civil rights programs and severely impact students’ learning. Congress must step up and preserve every child’s right to a public education.

Instead of using this funding to keep students safe and schools accountable, the administration wants to divert $13 billion elsewhere and continues to fund a war.

Join the California Education Promise Alliance today in calling on your representatives in Congress to say NO to this threat to our students’ learning and civil rights! 🗣️

📞 Call your reps: https://secure.everyaction.com/1y7SjTK3eE2L5L_x-j7K3w2
📝 Email your reps: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/trumps-budget-attacking-public-education/

For more information, contact Jose Arenas at [email protected].

FIS is honored to present our second Power of Families Award to Hilda Ávila, a longtime parent volunteer at FIS! 🎉

Families are the heartbeat of change. This award honors parents and caregivers whose leadership has transformed schools and communities—proving that when families raise their voices, systems listen. Their courage and love remind us that true educational justice begins at home, and it begins with family power.

Having partnered with FIS since 2012, Hilda is a major community leader in Wilmington and has raised her son to be an advocate just like her and use his own voice to fight for student rights.

📖 Read her honoree profile to learn more about why she represents the power of families: bit.ly/gala-hilda-avila
📖 Lea también su perfil en español: bit.ly/gala-hilda-avila-espanol

Every child deserves a free and fair public education. The Trump administration is trying to strip away this basic civil right.

If Congress doesn’t step in, the administration will cut $13 billion from public schools across the U.S. and close down the Office of English Language Acquisition, putting literacy at risk, leaving families behind, and harming the education of all CA students, especially our English learners.

Join the California Education Promise Alliance today in calling on your representatives in Congress to say NO to these disastrous cuts and ensure that students and their civil rights are protected! 🗣️

📞 Call your reps: https://secure.everyaction.com/1y7SjTK3eE2L5L_x-j7K3w2
📝 Email your reps: https://actionnetwork.org/letters/trumps-budget-attacking-public-education/

For more information, contact Jose Arenas at [email protected].

FIS is honored to present our first Power of Families Award to Mary Lee, a longtime parent volunteer at FIS! 🎉

Families are the heartbeat of change. This award honors parents and caregivers whose leadership has transformed schools and communities—proving that when families raise their voices, systems listen. Their courage and love remind us that true educational justice begins at home, and it begins with family power.

Mary is the mother of two sons, has partnered with FIS since 2012, and is currently the Senior Director of Community Outreach & Advocacy at Special Needs Network.

📖 Read her honoree profile to learn more about why she represents the power of families: bit.ly/gala-mary-lee

FIS has launched a new survey for parents and caregivers of K–2 students regarding LAUSD’s Reading Difficulties Risk Screener (RDRS) 📝: bit.ly/rdrs-family-survey

In the 2025–2026 school year, LAUSD began administering the RDRS for students in kindergarten through second grade. Through this survey, FIS wants to hear about parents and caregivers’ experiences learning about and understanding the screener process and results.

Our Read LA! team will use what we learn to strengthen our early literacy resources for families and help inform conversations about how the RDRS is being communicated and implemented across LAUSD.

Share your voice—complete the survey today! 🗣️
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FIS ha lanzado una nueva encuesta para padres y cuidadores de estudiantes de K–2 sobre el Detector de Riesgo de Dificultades de Lectura (RDRS) de LAUSD 📝: bit.ly/rdrs-family-survey

En el curso escolar 2025–2026, LAUSD comenzó a administrar el RDRS para estudiantes desde kínder hasta segundo curso. A través de esta encuesta, FIS quiere conocer las experiencias de padres y cuidadores sobre sus experiencias al aprender y comprender el proceso y los resultados de los detectores.

Nuestro equipo de ¡Leamos LA! usará lo que aprendemos para fortalecer nuestros recursos de lectura temprana para las familias y ayudar a informar las conversaciones sobre cómo se está comunicando e implementando el RDRS en todo LAUSD.

¡Comparta su voz—complete la encuesta hoy mismo! 🗣️

FIS’s Yolie Flores and Azucena Hernandez joined leaders from across the country at the Education Leaders of Color 10th Anniversary National Convening.

From conversations on protecting public education and advancing equity, to coalition building across sectors and regions, we left energized by the collective vision and courage in the room. We were especially moved by the call to center joy not only as restoration, but as resistance and a pathway toward imagining what’s possible.

Grateful to be part of a network that continues to push for bold, community-rooted change alongside so many brilliant leaders. ❤️

FIS is honored to present the Visionary Scholar Award to Dr. Karen Mapp, a professor of practice at Harvard Graduate School of Education! 🎉

This award honors a scholar whose research, vision, and leadership have shaped the field of family engagement and elevated the role of families in education. Through groundbreaking scholarship and a commitment to equity, Dr. Mapp has helped transform how educators, systems, and policymakers understand family power, leaving a lasting imprint on the movement for educational justice.

Dr. Mapp is the faculty chair of Harvard University’s Family Engagement in Education Institute and co-author of “Beyond the Bake Sale: The Essential Guide to Family-School Partnerships.”

📖 Read her honoree profile to learn more about why she is a visionary scholar: bit.ly/gala-dr-karen-mapp