December 15, 2022
LANCASTER, Texas -- Thirty Lancaster ISD parents are among the first cohort to complete The Concilio’s Parents Advocating for Student Excellence (PASE) program.
In December, the district and The Concilio held a special graduation ceremony to celebrate the completion of the nine-week course focused on the public school system, communicating with teachers and counselors, and promoting learning at home.
The Lancaster ISD Emergent Bilingual Department partnered with The Concilioto to bring the PASE program to elementary school parents. Since the partnership's launch, the goal has been to provide resources for parents and strengthen community engagement.
“The Concilio believes in generational change and advocating for our parents,” said Hannah Navarro, Education Manager with The Concilio. “Partnering with a school district that supports families in need is essential. We’ve also noticed that parents don’t fully understand the education system in certain populations. We want to fuel the knowledge they already have and increase it.”
Ofelia Vazquez, Lancaster ISD Bilingual SEL Counselor & Community Liaison, says this school year was the right time to begin the partnership program with The Concilio.
“It was important to start the program this year because it’s the first school year we were fully back in person following COVID-19,” said Vazquez. “Our parents needed information to guide themselves back into full-time, in-person school. I know a lot of parents were concerned and struggled throughout the COVID-19 virtual learning.”
Brenda Corpus, Director of Emergent Bilingual, LOTE, and Community Engagement in Lancaster ISD, echoed similar sentiments.
“The COVID-19 pandemic caused learning gaps when students were at home,” said Corpus. “The Concilio parent classes give parents the resources to support their children. The PASE program is a great way for parents to help their students get back on track.”
Although The Concilio offers English and Spanish classes, the Lancaster ISD program targets Spanish-speaking families.
“Many times, parents don’t have access to resources in Spanish, and it is imperative they receive information in their language,” said Corpus. “Offering the program in their language makes it more successful because they feel more comfortable communicating.”
Throughout the program, parents learned about conduct and discipline, developing their child’s self-esteem, and understanding the education system and academic standards. Parents like Maria Reyes say they’re grateful for the lessons they learned.
“I was trying to find a way to help my children through the difficult moments,” said Reyes. “The program helped me learn ways to help them raise their grades and get them on the path toward college. I’m glad this program gave me the tools for all of us parents to help our kids.”
The PASE program for elementary parents has concluded, but communication and assistance from the Emergent Bilingual Department will continue. In addition, the department will offer support throughout the school year by connecting parents with teachers and the community liaison to meet their needs.
The department is also collaborating with The Concilio to bring the PASE program to secondary parents in early 2023. In addition, Emergent Bilingual will work with The Concilio to get other programs, including educational, health, financial, and equity, to Lancaster ISD.
“In Lancaster ISD, we’re interested in the success of the students and their parents,” said Corpus. “We care about our parents and want them to better themselves. And by doing so, we’re also helping our students.”
For more information about The Concilio or the Lancaster ISD Emergent Bilingual Department, please contact Brenda Corpus (brendacorpus@lancasterisd.org) or Ofelia Vazquez (ofeliavazquez@lancasterisd.org).
