Families In Schools

FIS was honored to present at the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Children and Families in Early Education Committee meeting on the importance of reaching and supporting families starting at birth.

Over the past year, FIS has partnered with LAUSD leaders, researchers, community organizations, and public agencies to advance a shared vision for school readiness from birth through the early years. Together, we are exploring how to connect with families before children enter school—ensuring they have access to literacy tools, resources, and support from day one.

Building on the unanimously adopted Learning Begins at Birth resolution, FIS looks forward to expanding early learning opportunities and strengthening the systems of support that help children enter school healthy, supported, and ready to learn.

To close out the 2025–26 school year, FIS Executive Vice President Azucena Hernandez was recognized for serving on LAUSD’s Children and Families in Early Education Committee alongside fellow early childhood and education leaders.

Families have the power to transform education. That belief has guided Families In Schools since our founding 25 years ago. On June 3, we gathered to celebrate that vision and the community that brings it to life:

- 270 attendees, nearly half of whom were parents and community leaders whose voices and advocacy have fueled FIS’s impact
- 38 organizations and individuals whose sponsorship made the evening possible
- 6 remarkable honorees who embody our mission through their leadership, scholarship, and commitment to children and families

This joyful evening with friends, families, and partners was an opportunity to reflect on FIS’s legacy while looking ahead to the work still before us. It served as a powerful reminder that lasting educational change happens when families, educators, and communities come together on behalf of children.

We are deeply grateful to our major sponsors: California Emerging Technology Fund/School2Home, The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, Heising-Simons Foundation, Learning Heroes, and Kaiser Permanente.

Here’s to the next 25 years of advancing educational opportunity and harnessing the power of families to change education.

FIS spoke to the power of family engagement and California’s story of resilience, advocacy, innovation, and impact at the Institute for Educational Leadership’s 2026 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference!

Sr. Training & Curriculum Associate LaToya Smith led a workshop on “From Discipline to Partnership: Relational Family Engagement as Intervention” with support from Read LA!’s Sr. Campaign Director Olga Corona De La Cruz, while our President & CEO Yolie Flores joined CA educational leaders in the “The California Story Plenary” panel.

Family engagement is more important than ever. By investing in children’s futures and partnering with families, we can build stronger school communities and protect the well-being of students, families, and public education across California.

Parents, caregivers, and school staff are raving about our community pláticas, including our most recent plática at Valor Academy Elementary School! 💙

Led by our Read LA! team and Literacy Ambassadors, FIS’s community pláticas highlight early literacy resources and tools with families to support their children’s reading journeys in and out of school. 📚

Want to have a community plática in your own community? Contact Olga Corona De La Cruz at [email protected] to learn more!

Read LA! gave a sneak peek of our new bookmobile at the Institute for Educational Leadership’s 2026 National Community Schools and Family Engagement Conference in Long Beach, activating a love for reading across Los Angeles by sharing early literacy resources and free books for families. 📚🚗

Stay tuned for our bookmobile’s official launch in June as we engage in a summer of reading with our Read LA! campaign! ☀️

FIS is honored to present the Courage in Leadership Award to Alberto Carvalho! 🎉

In times of fear and uncertainty, some leaders choose courage. This award honors district leaders, principals, teachers, and staff who have stood fearlessly with families—protecting children’s safety, dignity, and belonging in the face of ICE aggression. Their moral leadership reminds us that schools must be sanctuaries where every child is safe, seen, and free to dream.

Hired to lead the Los Angeles Unified School District in 2022, Carvalho has made protecting immigrant families not just a priority, but policy for LAUSD, ensuring clarity and coordination across more than 83,000 staff at over 1,000 schools.

📖 Read his honoree profile to learn more about why he represents courage in leadership: bit.ly/gala-alberto-carvalho

School board members can enact meaningful change in a child’s education journey, so parents and caregivers should know who they are and what their priorities are.

To that end, FIS launched a “Get to Know Your Board Member” interview series with each member of LAUSD’s Board of Education. This month, we spoke with Board Member Karla Griego, who represents Board District 5, which covers parts of Northeast, South, and Southeast LA.

🔗 Read the full interview: bit.ly/get-to-know-karla-griego
Versión en español: bit.ly/conozca-a-karla-griego