By Ari Gerzon-Kessler
On the Same Team
Forge stronger ties with parents and caregivers to overcome opportunity and achievement gaps.
Build community and trust with parents and caregivers. On the Same Team shares research and compelling schoolwide examples to help school and district leaders create Families and Educators Together (FET) teams. Learn how the FET framework strengthens family-school partnerships and supports inclusion for underrepresented groups.
This book helps educators and K–12 leaders:
Distinguish between traditional involvement and true collaborative partnerships
Launch the framework with clear prep steps
Navigate common roadblocks
Develop strong FET team leadership skills
Access team-building activities, sample emails, caregiver questions, timelines, and more
What Readers are Saying
“District leaders and educators can benefit from the information provided by Gerzon-Kessler on how to build authentic school–family partnerships. In addition to providing a step-by-step blueprint for action, the author equips the reader with applicable handouts, easy to implement team-building activities, dialogue structures, and numerous questions to ask during FET meetings that promote trust-building conversations. Parent leaders can also benefit from this text because they play a significant role in the development of these partnerships.”
-Amanda L. Smith
“Ari Gerzon-Kessler leverages his decades of experience in schools, seamlessly blending the latest research in family engagement with practical guidance to help schools more effectively partner with families. On the Same Team walks readers through a step-by-step guide to implementing Families & Educators Together (FET) teams. Readers have the opportunity to learn not only from other schools' successes, but also their missteps, as the book highlights common obstacles and how to overcome them.”-Rebecca Bauer, Family & Community Engagement Consultant
“I believe this book would be useful for any K–12 district leader, educator, or parent who is interested in strengthening school–family partnerships.The author draws a clear path to implementing successful FET teams, a process that has been shown to create a strong sense of community in schools. There are very few questions that go unanswered in the text. The author even offers answers to a set of frequently asked questions and solutions to issues that might arise.”
-Anonymous
“As a former career elementary school teacher of 33 years, I appreciate how Ari shows us the critical distinction between what "Family Involvement" is (the relationship of the past) versus "Authentic Partnerships" (the relationship of the now) through the Families and Educator Together (FET) framework. Then, step-by-step, he expertly lays out best practices in developing a FET program for your school with wonderful, ready-to-use templates such as the districtwide FET calendar, an Authentic Family Partnership rubric, a Year-at-a glance Timeline, and the Meeting Activities Section. Literally, he has thought of everything! However, what I love MOST about this book is that the content Ari shares is highly relevant and applicable to those of us who work with underrepresented families in the nonprofit world. I highly regard this text and give it my highest recommendation!”-Cathy Hill
“Overall, Ari Gerzon-Kessler provides the field with an effective research-based approach to partnership-building. This text is useful, relevant, and could be the answer for many educational institutions.”
-Anonymous
“Having witnessed firsthand the collaborative efforts and innovative strategies discussed in this book, I can attest to the profound impact and value of the partnerships it highlights. This work is an inspiring testament to what can be achieved through dedicated teamwork and visionary leadership.”
-Augusto Di Laura, Assistant Principal, Centaurus High School“For the past decade, Boulder Valley School District has intentionally integrated family, school, and community partnerships as a critical improvement strategy for student success. On the Same Team highlights the research-based approach of having a school-level action team―Families and Educators Together―to lead and guide high impact family engagement initiatives. This book provides real-life examples of school staff sharing leadership with families that lead to positive student outcomes. I recommend this book to any school, district, or state leader who is looking for a systematic approach to taking their family engagement efforts to the next level.”
-Darcy Hutchins, Director, Family, School, and Community Partnerships, Colorado Department of Education
“This book will help campus leaders bring in families in a purposeful and intentional way.”
-Instructional Specialist; Pasadena, TX“Having a FET team at my school has brought our families from diverse backgrounds together, and given them a stronger voice and influence on the school community and their child's educational experience. What a gift that Ari is giving to educators across the country and beyond, with his book on how to create an effective FET Team at your school. The book is filled with expert guidance and helpful resources on how to create authentic family partnerships that will enhance the educational experience of all our students.”
- Shelby Warshaw, teacher, Fireside Elementary“Ari Gerzon-Kessler's book is a master class on collaboration with families in public schools. He brings his decades of experience to fine-tuning a framework for supporting historically marginalized families. With FET, families are centered, their perspectives honored, and their opinions solicited towards essential decision-making systems. Family empowerment and engagement are vital to a school serving all students equitably, and FET is a great model for a community that wants families as part of the conversation.”
- Kristin Vogel-Campbell
”With some 20 years experience in k-12 and higher education, I think educators and families have recognized the growing gaps characterizing schools and the families of the students they serve. This book offers transformational, palatable advice for educators and administrators wishing to bridge those gaps in pursuit of promising outcomes and partnerships for marginalized groups. Ari's reflections, based on decades-long experience working with such groups, are worthy of deep consideration and immediate application.”-David Knight
