Principal Zulaika Quintero shares how her team transformed Immokalee Community School in Florida from a D-rated school into an A-rated school. Discover how student belonging, family engagement, community partnerships, and bilingual education helped create lasting change.
🔑 Key Takeaways
• Building a school where students feel safe, valued, and connected creates a foundation for academic success.
• Meaningful family engagement happens when parents are welcomed as partners and given ownership in the school community.
• Understanding your students' cultural and language needs helps identify barriers to learning.
• Meaningful family engagement happens when parents are welcomed as partners and given ownership in the school community.
• Understanding your students' cultural and language needs helps identify barriers to learning.
💬 Memorable Quotes
• “I think it's more of them feeling and knowing that, you belong here and this is your home.”
• “Giving others the opportunity to share their talents. What they do have, helps them feel empowered.”
• “I think one of the most important things that I learned throughout my tenure here is you use others talents to make them feel inclusive and be a part of this team.”
• “Giving others the opportunity to share their talents. What they do have, helps them feel empowered.”
• “I think one of the most important things that I learned throughout my tenure here is you use others talents to make them feel inclusive and be a part of this team.”
🧠 Strategies You’ll Learn
• Build student motivation and belonging through relationship-focused activities beyond academics.
• Strengthen family partnerships by giving parents meaningful opportunities to contribute their knowledge and talents.
• Identify learning barriers and develop programs that reflect your students' language and cultural backgrounds.
• Strengthen family partnerships by giving parents meaningful opportunities to contribute their knowledge and talents.
• Identify learning barriers and develop programs that reflect your students' language and cultural backgrounds.
➕ Additional Practices
• Create student leadership opportunities through team-building activities and collaborative challenges.
• Have teachers lead parent workshops with one or two practical tools families can use at home.
• Increase parent participation with student showcases, meals, childcare, and culturally relevant celebrations.
• Have teachers lead parent workshops with one or two practical tools families can use at home.
• Increase parent participation with student showcases, meals, childcare, and culturally relevant celebrations.
📚 Resources and Links
• Innovative Schools Summit: https://innovativeschoolssummit.com/
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• Rate & Review to help more teachers find this show.
• Follow and listen: Instagram | YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Video Chapters:
00:00 Introduction
01:15 Meet Zulaika Quintero
02:59 The Immokalee School Community
08:33 From a D to an A School
11:07 Building Student Motivation
16:47 Bringing Families Into the School
22:00 Practical Family Engagement Strategies
26:06 Celebrating Community Culture
32:36 Empowering Families and Teachers
37:33 Bilingual Education and Academic Growth
45:43 Final Thoughts
01:15 Meet Zulaika Quintero
02:59 The Immokalee School Community
08:33 From a D to an A School
11:07 Building Student Motivation
16:47 Bringing Families Into the School
22:00 Practical Family Engagement Strategies
26:06 Celebrating Community Culture
32:36 Empowering Families and Teachers
37:33 Bilingual Education and Academic Growth
45:43 Final Thoughts