Our Vision

We are an inclusive and diverse coalition of parents working to improve children’s learning and experience in the Cambridge Public Schools. We seek to build a strong, united parent community by informing, empowering and activating parents and caregivers across Cambridge. We will engage with teachers, the school administration, the School Committee and other interested parties to create change.

What Is It?

Parents from around the district are planning a one-day Parent Summit on Saturday, May 12th at the Fletcher-Maynard Academy school with free childcare and lunch.

We're in the process of figuring out the agenda. We'll have topical discussions around issues that parents care about the most, workshops on parent rights and advocacy, and more.

Why Is This Happening?

We hope to connect parents to discuss top issues, build community, and organize for positive change. By building a strong and united parent coalition, we will give parents a voice that will help advocate change.

Who Is Involved?

This parent summit is being organized by a diverse group of parents from different schools, for participation by all Cambridge parents and caregivers interested in our public schools.

Wanna help us organize this event? Email us at psummit@mg.yana.com

How Did This Come About?

On October 30, 2017, representatives from parent organizations of 15 different Cambridge public schools met for a two-hour meeting. At this grassroots event, we swapped ideas about parent communications and fund-raising and discussed concerns about parent engagement in our schools. All the School Committee candidates were invited and most attended.

It was by all counts a successful event. We all left highly energized. A sub-group of parents and others inspired by the October event have begun organizing for a new reason: to create a district-wide Parent Summit, so we can continue and expand our conversation, to issues that concern all the parents in the district.

Are You Inviting Any Teachers or School Representatives?

As stated in our mission, we're committed to engaging with teachers, the school administration, the School Committee and other interested parties to create change, and are already talking to district and city representatives.

We're planning to have a Closing Session for the summit 3-4pm, and invite teachers, school & district administrators, school committee members, teachers, family liaisons and other interested members of the community to come join us.

If you know a teacher, administrator, or educator that would be interested in this, let us know or feel free to tell them about this event.

How Will Action Take Place?

At the Parent Summit, we will gather several key issues of most interest and create a preliminary plan for change. Our goal -- a strong and united parent coalition will then engage with teachers, school administration, School Committee, and other interested parties to implement change.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the Parent Summit? Do I need to be there all day?

There will be two sessions, morning and afternoon. We will have multiple discussion topics at each session. The topics will be based on what people select when they RSVP, so make sure to select your choices!

Attend all day if you can, from 9:30am to 4:00pm. But if you can only attend for an hour or two, that’s great, too! We want to meet you, and are glad you want to get involved for the future of all our children. There will be many ways going forward to be involved.

I want to attend, but I have my children. Will there be childcare?

Yes! Childcare will be provided. We just ask that you RSVP so that we can plan for enough childcare providers.

Will any food or drinks be provided?

Yes! A light breakfast and lunch and drinks will be provided. We just ask that you RSVP so that we can plan for enough food.

I can’t attend at all that day, but how can I still be involved?

Just fill out your info for Get Updates. We’ll keep you up to date on what happened at the Parent Summit, and how you can stay involved. Because this is a not a district organized event, you can also help support the summit with your sponsorship and financial donation, also via the website. 

Is this a Cambridge Public School District meeting or event?

No, this is not a district organized event. This event is organized by a diverse group of parents from schools around the district. Many of the summit planning committee members are active in their respective schools’ parent organizations. However, the district is aware of the event and has been supportive in helping to make it a success.

Who is organizing this?

This is our organizing committee (not all shown). We come from a lot of different places.

Are Teachers / Administrators / School Committee members who are also parents with kids currently in the schools invited?

For the discussion sessions, we would like parents to feel safe speaking freely and openly about what’s on their mind.
If you are a teacher / administrator / School Committee member /etc. with children who attend or will attend the Cambridge Public Schools, then we would love to have you attend, but be very mindful of wearing only your parent’s hat when participating in the discussions. 

How can outside parties contribute to the discussion?

A number of outside organizations have expressed an interest in contributing to the dialog. Each session will have an information table. While the Summit is just for parents, anyone is welcome to contribute a fact sheet or similar handout for parents on topics relevant to the planned discussion sessions. A draft list of discussion sessions is:

• Meeting the Academic Needs of all Learners -- How do we address the academic needs and backgrounds of students from low-income backgrounds, advanced learners, kids struggling academically, kids with special needs, immigrants, other marginalized populations, English language learners, and otherwise the incredible diversity of academic backgrounds and interests of families in the district? Potential topics include special education, advanced learning, twice exceptional, academic rigor, differentiated learning, achievement/opportunity gap, pull-outs, project-based learning, blended learning models, groupwork, etc.
• School Climate -- How do we engage all kids in fun, creative, and physical learning activities, where they learn to respect with each other, engage positively, and come together across gender/racial/socioeconomic boundaries? Schools as community centers.
• Language / Immersion -- World language programs often get new students with no background, so programs struggle to get past basics. Immersion programs are oversubscribed, especially by high-income families. Many schools lack language options at all. Plus, how do we communicate about these programs to incoming parents?
• STEM, Arts, and Music -- Coding, data literacy, and the jobs of tomorrow. Expansion of Kodaly Music. Space for STEM clubs. Afterschool options.
• Testing / MCAS / Accountability -- The use of MCAS for accountability in the district has both pros and cons. How do we use test correctly (or do we use tests at all?), and what other mechanisms might we have for transparency and accountability?
• Kindergarten/JK Lottery -- Both the lottery, but also topics around universal JK and early childhood options.
• Upper / Middle Schools
• High School

While the summit will also cover other topics (race, as well as parent advocacy), those will be handled in a different format, which will not have such an information table.

Are there going to be a bunch of people from the administration or teachers or School Committee member there?

During the actual working sessions where parents are discussing issues, we want to have an environment where parents can speak freely and openly about what’s on their mind. So we’ve asked that unless you’re a parent, administrators, teachers, and School Committee members do not attend until the 3:00pm closing session.

Will you have parents attending from every school and all communities?

We are doing our best to reach out to and invite every parent of every student in Cambridge public schools. We are working to provide translation services for the summit. We are also making concentrated efforts to bring in communities that historically have been shut out from the civic dialogue about our schools.

One of our goals of the Parent Summit is to especially reach out to those parents and families who have been underserved and underrepresented in the past. We want to let them know that their voice counts, and that when parents are united together, we can make a positive difference for our children.

What are some of the Raffle Prizes, and do I need to be present to win?

We will have 2 raffle drawings, at the end of the morning and afternoon sessions. At this time, you need to be present to win, so please plan on staying around.

For the big prizes, we have an Xbox One S, as well as 9.7” iPad, with more to come, so stay tuned and RSVP.

I want to support this event! How do I send money or donations for the raffle?

We appreciate your support! Please click the donate buttom below.

c/o Fletcher Maynard Academy

Or send checks to:

FMA PTO
C/O Lovette Curry
225 Windsor St
Cambridge, MA  02139

If you would like to arrange a donation for pickup, please contact us at: psummit@mg.yana.com and we will make arrangements with you.

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Questions? Feedback? We'd love to hear from you. Please email us at psummit@mg.yana.com