Even in this virtual season, School Advisory Councils (SACs) all across District schools have been continuing to meet and engage in meaningful conversation! SACs, in many different schools, have adapted to meeting virtually and have continued the strong work of engaging families about school needs and growth in student academic achievement. In this month’s SAC Tip of the Month, we want to remind you that your school’s Title I family engagement meetings and SAC meeting can be merged into one and the same meeting! 

All schools aim to have a combination of Title I meetings and multiple SAC meetings throughout the school year. In the Fall, Winter and Spring, schools can merge their Title I input meetings with their SAC meetings, to maximize their efforts doing double the good work, in the course of one meeting space!

This merged meeting with families can provide a space to communicate the required Title I and Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) information from the school’s end, while simultaneously obtaining pertinent feedback from stakeholders . This meeting space can also be one in which schools communicate what the school’s identified family engagement initiatives are and garner families’ feedback and support in implementing these programs and initiatives.

Schools can combine their annual Title I meeting with a SAC meeting as long as it is advertised as such and all families are invited, rather than just SAC members.. The Title I meeting should be one in which all family members are welcome to join in and participate. Because of the conversational nature of SAC meetings, these merged Title I and SAC meetings can be beneficial because it is also based around discussion. In these meetings, after schools present required Title I and ESSA information, there is opportunity provided to obtain the feedback and opinions of stakeholders whether it be family, staff, students and/or community members.

Hence, these intentionally merged Title I and SAC meetings can open up a healthy and strategic dialogue surrounding what the needs of the school are and the usage and allocation of school funds in meeting these needs. This meets one of the fundamental goals of a SAC meeting, which is to have strategic conversations in which multiple stakeholders’ voices are heard.

Joint Title I and SAC meetings are a great opportunity for schools to give information and capitalize on gathering the valuable input and opinions of its stakeholders. Families want to feel like their voice is being heard. Hence, we encourage you to combine these meetings and do double the good work in the course of one meeting!

If you have any additional questions or thoughts about combining your school’s Title I and SAC meetings, feel free to email us at sac@philasd.org.