Learn about the Alliance 2019 Summit & Parent Engagement Awards
November 7, 2018
7:30 AM – 4:00 PM
The Center at Cathedral Plaza
555 West Temple Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
This year’s theme inspires us to be agents of change, compelled by our shared belief that when we act in unison, we have the power to strengthen our schools, our communities, and our civic society. We seek to change the corrosive environment that thrives on fear, distrust, and divisiveness. As agents of change, the current political environment does NOT portray the principles of the democratic society we have sought to invigorate and protect. United in Action we will learn together, we will organize, and we will work to ensure healthy families, good schools, and enriched communities.
About Ralph Smith:
Ralph Smith is the Managing Director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading. The Campaign has a network of more than 300 communities, representing 44 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada – with 4,1000 local organizations and more than 520 state and local funders (including 191 United Ways.
About Michele Siqueiros:
Michele Siqueiros grew up in Los Angeles and was the first in her family to graduate from college thanks to federal, state, and college financial aid. She is passionate about the power of college to change lives, and the power of public policy making to expand or constrain college opportunity.

Session PDFs are available for download below:
8:00 a.m. Breakfast and Registration
8:15 a.m. Morning Plenary – United In Action: Building Communities and Schools for All
Welcome address: Michele Siqueiros, President, Campaign for College Opportunity
9:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions I
- Closing the Opportunity Gap by 2023 – Alliance for a Better Community (ABC)
- Reading Roads: Guiding Families on the Path to Literacy in the Early Years – Families In Schools (FIS)
- Social-Emotional Wellness – Child Care Alliance Los Angeles (CCALA) & First 5
- Using Educational Theatre to Engage Parents, Families, and Students – Kaiser Permanente
- What is the CA English Learner Roadmap? – The Education Trust West
- What Will it Take to Center Race and Relationships in California Schools – Californians for Justice (CFJ)
10:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions II
- Knowledge is Power: Using Federal and State Data to Enhance Local Education Equity – American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Latinos in Tech: Sus Hijos y Los Trabajos del Futuro – TXT: Teens Exploring Technology
- Parent Warriors In Action (Parent Engagement Panel) – Families In Schools (FIS)
- State of Latinx and Blacks in CA Higher Education – Campaign for College Opportunity (CCO)
- Using Educational Theatre to Engage Parents, Families, and Students – Kaiser Permanente
- Where do I go from here? Connecting First Gen Students to Higher Education Opportunities – Cal-SOAP Los Angeles
12:00 p.m. Concurrent Sessions III
- Early Childhood Well-Being – First 5
- Building a Los Angeles Coalition for Equity in Education – Great Public Schools Now (GPSN)
- Digital Equity in Education – California Emerging Technology Fund (CETF)
- Knowledge is Power: Using Federal and State Data to Enhance Local Education Equity – American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Transforming Special Education: Advocating for Schools Where All Students Can Thrive – Innovate Public Schools
1:30 p.m. Excellence in Parent Engagement Awards Lunch
Community Champion Award presented to Weingart Foundation
Gayle Miller Corporate Citizen Award presented to the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation
Lunch Plenary Keynote Address:
Ralph Smith, Managing Director of the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading
3:00 p.m. Afternoon Plenary | Reimagining Our Schools
Superintendent Austin Beutner, Los Angeles Unified School District, along with Parent & Student Voice
Moderator: Layla Avila, CEO/Executive Director, Educators of Color

Families In Schools established the Excellence in Parent Engagement Award in 2010 to honor the legacy and leadership of Maria Casillas, our founding President. A life-long educator, Maria Casillas is an exemplary role-model and advocate for parent engagement who led Families In Schools from 2000 – 2010.