The committee members introduced themselves – whenever possible without using acronyms. Information was shared about the origin of the committee — the need for an ad-hoc committee to address family engagement and continued participation at Council meetings was discussed during the July Executive Committee meeting. Several committee chairs expressed interest in participating and Marilyn Rubinstein was asked to be the initial chair.
A request was made to the new committee for a family member to co-chair. Thank you to Lynn Decker for stepping forward.
A lively discussion followed with several members sharing their experiences as “new” participants at Council meetings. It was noted that the Council is “smart and fast” and that it might be hard for new members to feel comfortable participating. It was also noted that family members might feel intimidated to ask clarifying questions. Another parent pointed out that there was not a clear entry point to engage in a conversation and that there was no clear way for a family or a professional to become interested or effect change. A suggestion was made to have a specific new Family Time at each meeting. Another suggestion was made to engage families at their child’s school – with a special effort to reach families of children in grades 3 and above. Many families of young children don’t/can’t look at the future. They are getting by one day at a time. Alternate times for meetings, including evening or late afternoon was also raised.
There was a question of whether a family or professional who is new to Council might benefit more from attending a committee meeting where the conversation and information might be more easily accessed than at the full council meeting. A suggestion was made to look at Children’s Committee as a vehicle for family involvement – perhaps changing the name to the Education Committee.
A discussion followed about the other borough Council meetings and the structure of the other Councils. In Brooklyn, meetings are auditorium style and people line up to ask questions. Some boroughs also have a clear succession for committee chairs and leadership.
The members agreed that today was a productive first step. The next meeting will be on Thursday, November 13, following the general Council meeting – a room will be available until 2:00 pm.