What We Do
We support student academic success
We consult with parents
We teach families and educators
We support student academic success
As families and educators work together to meet student education needs, sometimes misunderstandings, disputes or disagreements may occur. Conflict, when handled proactively, can strengthen relationships and foster creative and innovative problem solving focused on the best interests and academic needs of each student.
Staff members of the Office of the Education Ombudsman (OEO), as confidential, neutral third parties, play a supportive role in bringing together families and K-12 school officials to problems, de-escalate conflict and guarantee that all parties are heard and communicating effectively.
Ombudsmen are advocates for fair processes for students and promote collaboration between schools and families. They help schools to examine processes, ensure that laws and policies are consistently followed, and prevent similar problems in the future.
We consult with parents
OEO has created its first regional Parent Advisory Council (PAC) to assist OEO in its mission to promote school-family partnerships, identify and recommend successful models and best practices, and serve as a conduit for input and feedback from communities.
The 13 members of the PAC were selected from a large pool of candidates from school districts and community organizations in Western Washington. Plans are being made to develop an Eastern/Central Washington regional PAC.
Front row: Maria Garcia, Steven Van
Middle row: Sandra Rollins, Farah Syed, Sharon Rodgers
Back row: Novella Fraser, Efrem Seyoum, Iris Okimoto Nielsen, Jill Pettersen, Michelle Williams-Clark
Not pictured: Annette King, Jenny Cochrane, Korbett Mosesly
We teach families and educators
During the 2008–09 school year, OEO staff conducted 46 presentations and trainings. A total of 3,134 attendees (parents, educators, and community professionals) participated in these workshops. This represents a 63 percent increase from 2007–08.
OEO staff members invested hundreds of hours developing and delivering curriculum on topics relevant to families and educators in Washington, including:
- School-Family Partnerships
- Conflict Resolution and Effective Communications Skills
- Bilingual Family Involvement
- Education Advocacy
- Improving Anti-Bullying and Truancy Prevention Efforts