For 25 years, FIS has partnered with families, educators, & communities to promote equitable access to #Education & #Literacy for all. 📣 As we close out the year, we invite you to help sustain this legacy - donate today to help us build a future where every child can succeed: bit.ly/FIS-donate

FIS welcomed the #ReadLA! Literacy Ambassadors for our 1st Annual Winter Celebration, & what a beautiful night it was! 🎉 A room full of comunidad as we celebrated all they’ve poured into this #EarlyLiteracy movement. 📖 So grateful for each & every one of them 🙌🏽 - 2026 is going to be even bigger! ⭐️

FIS joined GPSN to celebrate the holidays, alongside incredible partners from LAUSD leadership to cross-sector education advocates. This gathering was a powerful reminder of what’s possible when aligned leaders come together - thank you all our partners for a year of collaboration & shared impact ✊🏽

At Families In Schools, we believe in taking time to celebrate together. ❄️ Gathering for our staff holiday party, we shared delicious food, good company, & heartfelt appreciation for the people who make our mission possible. We're looking forward to all the great work we’ll accomplish in 2026! 🥳

#FIS staff were hard at work yesterday morning organizing book donations for our Read LA! #Storytime program! 📚 Through these wonderful books, #ReadLA! will continue bringing comfort, joy, & #EarlyLiteracy to children with the power of reading! 💙 #StaffBonding #BooksBringJoy

Alisa Stanley has joined FIS as our new Training & Capacity Building Project Associate, where she will lead with curiosity, humility, & respect for families & educators! 🎉 🔗 Read the full announcement: familiesinschools.org/2025/12/09/f...

Our @bringingupca.bsky.social partners are hosting a webinar on how CA's budget will impact families! Join them & @calbudgetcenter.org for a look at the 2025-26 budget & what’s on the horizon for our PN-3 communities. 📅 Tuesday, 12/9/25 🕓 4 PM PT 🔗 Register: tinyurl.com/BringUpTheBudget25

Our #ReadLA! Coalition is ending the year strong and ready for 2026! 💪🏽 Thank you to the Children's Institute for hosting us and Family Engagement Lab's Vidya Sundaram for joining us to discuss our partnership and what's ahead!

Join our partners! Next week, PIQE will be hosting 2 webinars covering research on how shifting political climates & immigration enforcement are affecting early learner attendance for Latino families across CA. Register below! 🌙 12/9 chat: go.piqe.org/49QCsrS ☀️ 12/10 chat: go.piqe.org/4i0xECj

Today is #GivingTuesday, and with your contribution, you can make a difference by helping FIS achieve a world where all children can succeed in school & in life. 🧡 Donate today to celebrate our 25 years of impact & join us as changemakers for family & student success: bit.ly/FIS-donate

How to make a safe educational space: 1. Know who will speak to ICE and who alerts others. 2. Mark non-public areas as private 3. Know which warrants are valid 4. Prioritize emotional safety 5. Clear communication with families 6. Data privacy Learn more: tinyurl.com/ALLINSafeSpace

As we close out this November, we are grateful for... 🧡 The families we partner with for their children’s success 💙 The community organizations we partner with for change 🩵 Our staff who make all of our work possible Thank you for your support with our #FamilyEngagement & #EarlyLiteracy progress!

FIS welcomes LaToya Smith as our new Senior Curriculum & Training Associate! 🎉 LaToya brings a deep background in curriculum design, facilitation, adult learning, & almost two decades of working with students. 🔗 Read more here: familiesinschools.org/2025/11/25/f...

📣 We’ve released the 2nd edition of our quarterly newsletter! Every issue features what we’re hearing in the community, ideas we’re watching, and more on #FamilyEngagement & #EarlyLiteracy. 📝 Sign up for future releases: bit.ly/fis-email-list

Al reflexionar en esta temporada de gratitud, quiero agradecer a toda nuestra familia del Distrito Unificado de Los Ángeles: nuestros estudiantes, familias, educadores, personal y socios que hacen de nuestro Distrito un lugar de esperanza y oportunidad.

As we reflect on this season of gratitude, I want to thank our entire Los Angeles Unified family — our students, families, educators, staff, and partners who make our District a place of hope and opportunity.

@laschools.bsky.social’s Reading Difficulties Risk Screener has officially started to be implemented across the district! Has your child been tested yet, or are you still waiting for your child to take the screener? 🤔 🔗 Learn more about the screener as a parent/caregiver: bit.ly/LAUSD-RDRS-Info

Happy Birthday, Read LA! Today, we’re celebrating all that we’ve accomplished since the launch of our campaign 2 years ago! 👏 We’re looking forward to 2026 being another year of major #EarlyLiteracy progress for all the children of Los Angeles & CA! 🙌 #HappyBirthdayReadLA #FamiliesInSchools #FIS

Tomorrow marks 2 years since the launch of Read LA! 🥳 To celebrate, #ReadLA! invited FIS staff & our coalition partners to share a children’s book that shaped their reading journey or that of a child in their life. 📚 Join us in sharing a love for reading with all children! #HappyBirthdayReadLA

FIS is pleased to announce Sierra Abukins as our new VP of Development & Communications! 🎉 Sierra brings 15+ years of experience in mobilizing funds, shifting narratives, & building partnerships for parent power & educational equity in CA schools. 🔗 Read more: familiesinschools.org/2025/11/07/f...

For the first time in CA history, every K-2 student will be screened for reading difficulties, thanks to SB 114 - catching this early makes a difference in children’s #EarlyLiteracy outcomes. 📝 EdVoice Institute has released an initial report on the screener rollout - read here: bit.ly/sb114report

📢 @laschools.bsky.social has a $1.6 billion deficit & has proposed budget cuts that could impact equity-based funding & student services. Take its survey so LAUSD protects support for our highest-need students! 🔗 Learn more: bit.ly/lausd-budgeting-fsp 🗣️ Take the survey: tejoin.com/scroll/670163186

Fear of Immigration enforcement keeps kids out of quality early learning. We can combat this chilling effect with information & preparation. Learn more with this new safe space early care and education one-pager from ALL IN for Safe Schools: ➡️ tinyurl.com/ALLINSafeSpace

Did you know? California’s children ages 0-3 are a large & very diverse group! Our diversity makes us stronger. ➡️ 51% Latine ➡️ 24% white ➡️ 13% Asian American ➡️ 4% Black ➡️ 9% multiracial or other ethnicities ➡️ <1% Native American Learn more: bit.ly/AChildIsAChildAges0-3

The Black birthing mortality rate reflects systemic obstacles to birthing support in #California. Our mortality rate is improving, but we must do better. Learn more in our #AChildIsAChild fact sheet for children ages 0-3 and their families: bit.ly/AChildIsAChildAges0-3 @bringingupca.bsky.social

Bilingualism is 1 of the factors that can support a child’s health and lifelong success. Other protective factors include: 🛡️Heritage/Culture Connection 🛡️Familial Support and Relationships 🛡️Faith-Based Community 🛡️Community support Learn more: bit.ly/AChildIsAChildAges0-3 @bringingupca.bsky.social

📣OUT NOW! 📊 #AChildIsAChild Children Ages 0-3 & Their Families Fact Sheet Health data show us where to focus to ensure a thriving future for children ages 0-3 in California. bit.ly/AChildIsAChildAges0-3 @bringingupca.bsky.social

We came together for our annual team retreat! Today’s inspiring conversations will inform our future #EarlyLiteracy and #FamilyEngagement efforts ✊🏽 A big thank you to GPSN for letting us gather in their space!

📣 We’re only 2 days away from the 2025 CA Reading Summit! The summit will include a welcome message from @governor.ca.gov & bring together leaders in improving reading results in CA. An expert #FamilyEngagement panel will be led by FIS CEO Yolie Flores! Register here: www.careads.org/summit

Help protect CalFresh/SNAP benefits during the gov’t shutdown! Can you spare 5 minutes to complete a survey? You can be anonymous or leave your name. docs.google.com/forms/u/0/d/...

We join 800+ partner organizations in condemning the mass ED layoffs impacting children with disabilities. The administration & Congress must uphold our nation’s moral & legal obligation to protect our most vulnerable students. 🔗 Read our joint statement here: bit.ly/ED-Layoff-Condemnation

This week, we attended @caltog.bsky.social’s Coalition Retreat, a gathering of statewide education leaders dedicated to advancing equity for CA’s 1.1 million English learners. 🏫 The retreat celebrated achievements & shaped a new Strategic Plan—FIS was happy to contribute as a decade-long member!

This weekend, Read LA! Storytime visited the West LA Region Library, sharing stories & handing out backpacks with books to children in communities impacted by the L.A. wildfires. Thank you to Tiarha Huerta of Waterford.org, one of our #ReadLA! coalition members, for joining us as a Storyteller! 📚

📣 FIS and our chronic absence report have featured once again in this new article from @latimes.com!

Read LA!’s Olga Corona De La Cruz was busy last week with FIS’s #EarlyLiteracy partners, speaking on Waterford’s Early Engagement Panel at the 2025 Early Learning Summit & attending @thereadingleague.org’s 9th Annual Conference! Inspiring speakers and great conversations all around! 👏

Last week, FIS joined the opening of the Eaton Fire Collaborative’s Collaboratory, a survivor-led resource hub supporting residents from Altadena & nearby who were impacted by the L.A. wildfires. This new space will play a vital role in ongoing disaster recovery efforts & healing for families 🌱

At 2025's CA Reading Summit, leaders in the “parent power” space will speak on a panel called “Parents as Change Agents for Reading Success.” Discover how parents are leading the way to ensure schools adopt practices that help children become successful readers in this panel: www.careads.org/summit

FIS is honored to welcome Hoa Truong as our new Vice President of Operations! 👏 Hoa brings a wealth of experience in managing operations within public school systems & centering equity in leadership that will be invaluable at FIS! 🔗 Read the announcement here: familiesinschools.org/2025/10/14/f...

FIS was proud to join @laschools.bsky.social to celebrate LAUSD students’ record-high 2025 CAASPP scores, hearing from @lausdsup.bsky.social & others! 🎉 As a #LAUSD partner, FIS commends the district for its progress on ELA & urges it to stay the course until all students can read on grade level. 👏

The new legislation provides training for elementary school teachers in evidence-based reading instruction focused on phonics. READ MORE: bit.ly/48sUgJb

IT'S OFFICIAL! AB 1454, a landmark #EarlyLiteracy bill, has been signed by @governor.ca.gov & is now state law! 🎉 👏 Thank you to the leaders who have championed #AB1454 because they believe in every child’s right to read, including @caspeakerrivas.bsky.social, Asm. Muratsuchi, & Asm. Rubio!

📣 2025’s CA Reading Summit is 10/30 from 9 am – 1 pm PT! This summit brings together leaders in improving CA literacy outcomes. FIS’s Yolie Flores will moderate & speak on a panel about the role of family engagement in the fight for children’s #RightToRead! Register here: www.careads.org/summit

FIS joined @laschools.bsky.social's Region FACE teams today to review the data from our “Addressing Chronic Absence” report! We discussed how we can help our youngest learners to see increased attendance supported by #FamilyEngagement. 🔗 Read our report: bit.ly/KinderChronicAbsence

FIS's feeling inspired after hearing from Teach Plus CA Policy Manager Bryan Monroy & Executive Director Sarah Lillis at their #EarlyLiteracy CA Teacher Policy Fellowship Showcase! Their reflections on the incredible work of teacher fellow teams remind us of the power of passion & collective action.

As #AttendanceAwarenessMonth comes to an end, we’re spotlighting Hedy Chang’s leadership at Attendance Works & a core finding from our report: durable progress starts with families as co-designers of solutions! 🔗 Read the report: bit.ly/KinderChronicAbsence #FamilyEngagement #ChronicAbsenteeism

#ChronicAbsence in the early years derails reading development. Children who miss 10%+ of kindergarten are far more likely to struggle with reading & fall behind academically. 📚 Our report shows why reducing #ChronicAbsenteeism is critical for #EarlyLiteracy. Read here: bit.ly/KinderChronicAbsence

FIS was happy to celebrate @afabc.bsky.social with other community partners & local leaders for ABC’s 25th Anniversary! It was a joyful evening honoring @lataco.bsky.social, Angélica Salas of @chirla-org.bsky.social, & Father Gregory Boyle for all they’ve contributed to our LA communities!

As our new report uplifts, families are essential partners in combating #ChronicAbsenteeism, a fact that @lausdsup.bsky.social also recognizes as critical to @laschools.bsky.social for improving attendance. 🔗 Read the report: bit.ly/KinderChronicAbsence #AttendanceAwarenessMonth #FamilyEngagement

Our new #ChronicAbsence report is out with insights from 48 Latino LAUSD parents & caregivers! Since our report's writing, ICE raids have targeted LA, undoubtedly increasing #ChronicAbsenteeism - a challenge noted by FIS CEO Yolie Flores. 🔗 Read the report: bit.ly/KinderChronicAbsence

@latimes.com explored the findings from our report, “Addressing Chronic Absence Among Latino Kindergartners in LAUSD,” & spoke with FIS President & CEO Yolie Flores, Superintendent Alberto Carvalho (@lausdsup.bsky.social), & parent/Literacy Ambassador Dulce V.! 📰 Read the article: lat.ms/3W3UkaA