Moreno Valley District Profile

Moreno Valley Unified School District (MVUSD) sits within the “Inland Empire” of Southern California — about 60 miles east of Los Angeles in a predominantly Hispanic community. MVUSD has committed to build staff capacity to strengthen relationships with families. Their efforts support district-wide family and community collaboration (FCC). As a result of staff engaging in strategic two-way communication, meeting families’ basic needs, and strengthening partnerships with community groups, more families and students now feel valued and supported. 

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Featured Strategies

• Sustaining ongoing, two-way communication opportunities 
  Communication is critical to building trust, fostering engagement, and facilitating collaborative decision-making. MVUSD staff consistently message the district-wide vision and goals for FCC in a way that is inclusive and fosters buy-in. To build trust, staff form relationships with families and learn about their perspectives through recurring meetings, emails, and community events. Communication is ongoing, multi-directional, and accessible to all families.   
• Providing services directly and through sustained partnerships 
  When serving families who need basic services such as food, housing, and health care, it can be challenging to find the resources to meet all needs. As part of their approach, MVUSD operates a Community Wellness Center, a one-stop shop for food, clothing, housing, mental health resources, and more. MVUSD also hosts events with community partners and service providers to meet urgent health and material needs. 
• Building capacity of parents, students, and district staff 
  Families and staff need support and training to fully collaborate in district decision-making. MVUSD facilitates multiple task forces and committees to ensure they are engaging specific communities, including African Americans, English Learners (Emergent Bilinguals), and students. These structures develop participants’ knowledge and skills related to district processes and give them opportunities to collaborate with the district. MVUSD also employs a part-time grant writer to find additional resources to support innovation and FCC services.  
• Demonstrating care through building relationships and recognition 
  District leaders show they value students, families, and partners by attending community and school events, responding promptly to concerns, and regularly celebrating all groups’ achievements and progress through awards and verbal recognition. Staff know their families personally, and families feel deeply connected to staff.