your voice matters
We can’t say enough how important parents and caregivers are to a child’s development. You know your child inside and out. You see their joys and struggles. You have the insight and power to make sure your child has a good education and life — sometimes you just need the right tools and knowledge on how to do that. If you’re looking to make a change for your child at school or in the community start by asking five simple questions to get started.
5 Questions to HELP YOU start advocating for your child today
Advocacy is a big word that simply means supporting a person or project that’s important to you. Parent advocacy means communicating to others what your child needs and how you prefer to have those needs met. Here are five questions to guide you on your journey to getting the resources and support you need for your child:
What does my child need? Take a moment to reflect on your hopes and dreams for your child. Then ask yourself what is needed right now to ensure they have every opportunity to thrive. Is it additional help with homework? Could you use some parenting tips? Are you looking for affordable recreation opportunities? Or maybe you are wishing you had more help with technology? Try to get specific on what your child needs and why.
What’s working and what’s missing? Reflect on your experiences so far. Are there things that work well? Why is that? Be sure to note what’s working well for your child too. It’s just as important and can be a model toward the change you’d like to see.
Who can I learn from? The first step toward positive change for your child begins with meaningful conversations. Look around your school and community. Find another parent, teacher, service provider, or community leader that you can reach out to for guidance or support. Start conversations with a learning mindset as you explore ways to stand up for your family.
What’s possible? Bring on the bold ideas! Brainstorm a list of ideas that may help address these needs. Learn from what is already working and think about how that can be applied to what’s missing. This is how we work together to solve problems and create solutions.
What is one action I will take today? Taking action is one of the most important parts of advocacy. Without out, our good intentions and ideas fall short. Think of one small action you can take today to work toward positive change for your child. It might be setting up a parent teacher meeting to share your ideas, reading a new book, calling the school counselor to learn about resources or inviting another parent out for coffee. The action doesn’t have to be big but it does have to be meaningful to you. Start small and remember every little bit helps. Give it a try!
REACH OUT!
If your family lives in the Live Oak community within Santa Cruz County, we want to make sure you know all the ways to get involved and make a difference! Check out our list of opportunities below. Remember start small and you will be amazed at how each small step leads to big progress.
C2C Parent Leadership Committee
Does your child go to school at Green Acres, Del Mar, Live Oak Elementary or Shoreline Middle School? Here are a few ways you can get more involved.
bold ideas welcome!
Like our children, we are constantly learning — especially when it comes to navigating the school or healthcare systems. In C2C, we work together to figure out what changes are needed to support our children. Sometimes it means focusing directly on the child, and other times it means addressing conditions in our family, school or community. We know we are the best advocates for our children, and that’s why we encourage all parents to share their bold ideas on what is needed to ensure all children can fulfill their potential.
We have the power to create an equitable, thriving future.
School Leadership Opportunities
Here are more ways you can get involved at your child’s school and district - just contact your school Principal to get connected or email us at info@c2cscc.org.
English Language Advisory Council (ELAC): ELAC is responsible for advising the principal and staff on programs and services for English learners at each school.
District English Language Advisory Council (DELAC): DELAC advises the district’s school board on programs and services for English learners.
Home and School Club/Padres Unidas: Home and School Club (HSC) is made up of parents and school staff members who are dedicated to working together to bring enrichment and school experiences to our students. A variety of activities are planned throughout the year to bring families together with the school.
School Site Council (SSC): School site council is a group of teachers and parents that work with the principal to develop, review and evaluate school improvement programs and school budgets. The members of the site council are generally elected by their peers.
Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Committees: Three committees (Wellness, Parent Engagement, 21 st Century Learning) invite parents to give input into the three-year plan for actions and services for students and teachers.
Parcel Tax Oversight Committee (PTOC): PTOC has representation from all schools in the District to oversee the spending of the parcel tax renewed in 2016 which generates $500,000 per year for Live Oak schools. The funds can only be used for specific purposes.
Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Council (SPAC): SPAC is made up of parent representatives from each school as well as the schools’ principals to advise the Superintendent on issues important to parents.
School District Governing Board: The School Board is made up of five Live Oak community members (not necessarily parents) who, along with the Superintendent, make policy for the District. They are in charge of approving the Budget and all required Plans for the District, as well as hiring and evaluating the Superintendent.
Live Oak Education Foundation: The Live Oak Education Foundation was established to raise money to ensure that students in the Live Oak School District have enriching opportunities in the visual and performing arts; the “STEM” fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics; and positive play. We serve students attending Del Mar, Green Acres, Live and Oak, and Shoreline.
Santa Cruz COE: The master list of Santa Cruz County school district calendars for 2022-23 contains directory information, and meeting schedules of each district's governing board. The meetings offer an opportunity for parents to advocate and understand the decision -making process at school sites. View the calendar here.
learn more
Check out the multimedia C2C Playbook to help you start community organizing in your child’s school, so you can carve a path toward stronger families and thriving kids and communities.
