Strengthening Schools with Home Visits: Key Insights from Parent Teacher Home Visits Week 2025
This week, as educators and families across the nation celebrate Parent Teacher Home Visits Week, we hosted a powerful webinar showcasing how authentic relationships through home visits can transform schools and support student success. The conversation brought together practitioners, researchers, and advocates to share both the heart and the evidence behind this impactful practice.
The Power of Meeting Families Where They Are
One of the most compelling stories came from Arvin Union School District in California, where the practice has taken root with remarkable results. David Chavez, a special education teacher with 18 years of experience, shared how visiting over 30 families during summer school fundamentally changed his relationships with students.
“When school started this year, I was side-hugged, lots of hellos, high fives, running up to me and saying, ‘You came to my house! You came to my house! When are you coming back?'” Chavez recounted. “It humbled me and moved me that I had started relationships with students that I would never really have contact with or be in my classroom.”
Beyond Traditional Engagement
Superintendent Georgia Rhett emphasized the distinction between surface-level engagement and meaningful connection. “There’s different levels,” she explained. “I come to school for lunch on the lawn, or I come to school for a workshop where I really got to sit down and talk about my life and what my dreams are for my students.”
[Hear Superintendent Rhett’s full perspective on meaningful engagement.]
This deeper level of engagement was evident in what families shared during visits. As Chavez noted, parents working in the fields of Arvin expressed a universal hope: “They didn’t want their children to work as hard as they have to.” These intimate conversations revealed dreams of children becoming police officers, firefighters, veterinarians, and cosmetologists – aspirations that might never surface in a traditional 15-minute parent conference.
[Listen to David Chavez describe these parent conversations.]
The Five Non-Negotiables
Andrea Prejean, Executive Director of Parent Teacher Home Visits, outlined the five core practices that ensure the model’s success:
- Training and Compensation: Educators receive training on conducting visits and are compensated for their time.
- Voluntary Participation: Visits are voluntary for both educators and families.
- No Targeting: All students deserve visits – this isn’t an intervention for “problem” students.
- Paired Visits and Reflection: Educators visit in pairs and reflect on their experiences.
- Focus on Dreams: Conversations center on families’ hopes and dreams for their children.
[Watch Andrea Prejean explain these core practices in detail.]
Evidence of Impact
The research backing these practices is compelling. With systematic implementation (reaching at least 10% of students), schools see:
- 21-22% reduction in chronic absenteeism
- 35% increase in English Language Learner proficiency rates
- Improved teacher satisfaction and retention
- Enhanced school-family communication
As NEA’s Adriane Dorrington pointed out, “For every dollar invested in community school structures, we get about $15 in social and economic return.”
Building Coalitions of the Willing
For schools looking to start, the panelists emphasized beginning with what Dorrington called “the coalition of the willing.” Superintendent Rhett’s approach was strategic: “Our very first professional development, we made clear that if you come, you’re not obligated to go on a home visit. We want to invite you in, we want to open the door.”
This voluntary approach paid off. What began as a goal of 25 visits for the entire year was exceeded in just the first few days of summer school. Teachers who participated became natural ambassadors, sharing their stories and encouraging colleagues to join.
Community Transformation
Heidi Stevens from United Way of Central Maryland, who has knocked on hundreds of doors over the years, described the lasting impact: “You become a rock star. Families really begin to respect you for just being there for them… not just trying to get them to come in during test time… but you’re there because you want to see that child and that family succeed.”
Dr. Aldric Horton, the district’s community school coordinator, highlighted the importance of flexibility: “We were willing to meet them where they feel comfortable. We had teachers that met at McDonald’s, at the library, Starbucks.” This willingness to eliminate power imbalances by meeting families on their terms proved transformative.
Sustainability and Integration
Looking forward, the panelists stressed the importance of embedding home visits into broader educational strategies. Superintendent Rhett noted the intentional integration across multiple planning documents: “Community schools money goes away in five years. If you can’t sustain it, or you don’t have a plan for it… we want to make sure we can continue on.”
The conversation also highlighted how parent-teacher home visits align perfectly with community schools’ emphasis on trusting relationships as an enabling condition for success. As trust forms the foundation of the community schools framework, home visits provide a concrete practice for building that trust.
The Anaheim Story: When Community Shows Up
Perhaps the most powerful testament to the impact of these relationships came from Adrienne Dorrington’s story about Anaheim, California. When the school board attempted to cut educator positions without union input, it wasn’t just teachers who responded – it was the entire community that had been built through years of relationship-building. Parents, students, and community members packed the school board meeting, ultimately saving all the threatened positions.
“The teachers were so humbled,” Dorrington shared, “because when they saw community schools, they were seeing it through the eyes of being in that building. They did not realize their community school became a community.”
Moving Forward
As we celebrate both National Parent Teacher Home Visits Week and Community School Coordinators, the message is clear: authentic relationships transform schools. Whether you’re in a district with full buy-in or working as a lone champion, the practice of meeting families where they are – literally and figuratively – creates ripple effects that benefit all students.
For those ready to begin, remember Superintendent Rhett’s wisdom: “I think it takes one visit. I really do. If we save one relationship, if we build one relationship, if we have one student that I made a difference for, it was worth it.”
Watch the complete webinar here for more inspiring stories, implementation strategies, and practical guidance on bringing Parent Teacher Home Visits to your community.
To learn more about implementing Parent Teacher Home Visits in your community, visit our Training & Services page or email info@pthvp.org.
