What does HOME WORKS! offer a town of 8,000 and a school district with 1,500 students in rural mid-Missouri? HOME WORKS! offers
an opportunity for educators, parents, and students to deepen connections, collaborate more effectively, and elevate family engagement practices — all of which are essential in communities like ours.
I was fortunate to be the principal at Hannah Cole Primary (Boonville, Missouri) when we decided to partner with HOME WORKS! during the 2018-2019 school year. Twenty-four teachers, paraprofessionals, Title 1 reading teachers, and even our librarian jumped on board. None of us had experience with home visits before, but once we got started, we were hooked — and so were our families.
As a principal, I was passionate about strengthening relationships with families, and the home visits were a game changer. Being able to meet families where they are, literally in their homes, opened up a whole new way of connecting with parents and supporting them in helping their children learn. There is no way to share the excitement and power of visiting a student’s home. Personally, I have several amazing memories of those home visits. And listening to my staff talk about visits and what families and their students needed to be successful helped solidify my passion for HOME WORKS!.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, HOME WORKS! became even more important. Even though classrooms were closed, HOME WORKS! helped us stay connected to families. While many schools struggled to keep students engaged virtually, we used the relationships we had built through home visits to support parents as they managed at-home learning. It wasn’t easy — parents were overwhelmed — but HOME WORKS! gave us a way to help families through one of the toughest times any of us had ever experienced.
In June 2021, after 30 years as an educator, I made the decision to retire as principal. But the impact that HOME WORKS! had on my students, families, and teachers was too significant to step away from. I felt a deep connection to the mission, so when the opportunity came to join the HOME WORKS! team as a Program Leader, I knew it was the perfect next step. Now, I’m able to continue this work from a new perspective, helping other schools and communities experience the same positive transformations.
David Barton Elementary joined HOME WORKS! in the 2022-2023 school year, and now, in our third year together, we continue to see the benefits. With an enrollment of about 350 students, all of whom qualify for free or reduced meals, David Barton faces its share of challenges — attendance, higher-than-average numbers of students with IEPs, and a high transient rate. But through HOME WORKS!, David Barton has the infrastructure to build lasting relationships with families and ensure that new families feel welcome and supported from day one.
One of the greatest strengths of HOME WORKS! is how it adds capacity for schools to call upon their entire community to support students, families, and teachers. Because in rural towns like Boonville, the school isn’t just a place of learning — it’s often the heart of the community. Our schools will always be the most central and consistent institution for families with young children — that makes school a place of unlimited potential for everyone involved. Through planning meetings and teacher trainings, HOME WORKS! encourages our partner schools to think creatively about our school-based events, like Parent-Teacher Workshops and Family Dinners, to involve local nonprofits and businesses. These partnerships allow families to access a wide range of services — educational, health-related, and beyond — right at the school. This approach reduces competing priorities for busy families and makes it easier for them to attend, while also connecting them to resources that strengthen their ability to support their children’s learning.
We’re incredibly lucky to have such strong community support here in Boonville. Local businesses, civic organizations, and the local city council help us sustain the work we’re doing, making our schools and families even stronger. When a community stands behind its schools, the impact is powerful.
Every time someone asks me about HOME WORKS!, I say the same thing: every school should have the chance to participate. It’s a win-win for students, educators, and families alike. My hope is that in the near future, HOME WORKS! will expand to even more rural communities, building stronger family engagement and, ultimately, brighter futures for our children.
Leslie has been raised, educated and worked professionally for 34 years in rural public education. She brings knowledge to family engagement through strong practices as an Elementary Counselor, Elementary Principal, Program Leader for HOME WORKS! and a rootEd Advisor for High School students. She is an advocate for all students and finds resources to support them in all aspects. As a counselor and administrator for the Boonville R-1 school district for 28 years, she developed curriculum, an after school program for school age children, taught parenting classes, introduced STEM into the curriculum at Hannah Cole Primary, strengthened instructional practices and led a building where parental engagement thrived. Working with HOME WORKS! for the past 5 years, she has worked primarily on expanding strong family engagement practices, networking with fellow educators and broadening the area of impact family engagement can have for schools and families. Her heart has always been with children and she excels at building strong relationships with families and her community so they could work collaboratively to create opportunities for all students. She has been married to Pat for 33 years, raised two young adult children and welcomed her first grandson this year. She loves dogs, reading, being outdoors, traveling and spending time with friends and family.
Want to bring HOME WORKS! to your community? Email Director of Program Operations, Katrina Brown at [email protected]
Support our work and help us expand to more rural communities. Donate today!