What Keeps Parents Up at Night?

With 82% of parents expressing concerns about school safety, the Parent Institute for Quality Education (PIQE) is committed to understanding these issues through surveys, empowering families, and advocating for policies that address their needs.

In October 2024, PIQE surveyed 1,104 families across California to gain a deeper understanding of their attitudes toward school safety, bullying, school climate, language accessibility, and access to social services. The focus areas of this report are based on the primary concerns identified in the Spring 2023 and 2024 FNA Reports. We are excited to announce the release of PIQE’s Fall 2024 Family Needs Assessment (FNA), a comprehensive report that captures the voices of families across the state.

“In the Spring 2024 FNA, we learned from parents and caregivers that bullying is a top area of concern – even more than teacher quality. In this edition we wanted to dig a little deeper into that, as well as to learn more about how welcoming families perceive school faculty and staff to be to both parents and students. We tied in access to social services since some schools offer resources that families need to get by on a day-to-day basis. We found that, overall, the parents we spoke with feel comfortable engaging with school staff on topics related to bullying, but many reported that they would appreciate school communication regarding school safety measures in languages other than English,” stated Monique Escobedo, PIQE’s Director of Research. 

Before diving into the findings, it’s important to note that the majority of parents surveyed were female, Hispanic, and preferred Spanish as their primary language. Additionally, 86% of the parents were born outside the U.S., while nearly 80% of their children were born in the U.S. Furthermore, 65% of these families reported annual household earnings of less than $60,000.

Among the key findings, a significant proportion of parents expressed concerns about school safety (82%) and bullying (70%). Despite these concerns, the majority reported feeling comfortable engaging with their schools on these issues and felt confident that the school would address them appropriately.  However, parents emphasized the importance of receiving information on school safety and bullying in their preferred language, highlighting the need for enhanced language accessibility in school communications.

Read PIQE’s Fal 2024 Family Needs Assessment

In general, there is a strong sense of belonging and a positive school climate. The vast majority of parents (84%) reported having a good relationship with their child’s teacher, noting that the teacher is respectful and cares for their child. Additionally, most parents receive communication about their child in their preferred language and feel comfortable reaching out to school leaders.

Regarding access to social services, most participants reported that they or a family member had received Medi-Cal, CalFresh, or WIC benefits in the past year. Additionally, parents found the application process for these services to be straightforward and easy to understand, indicating that while access to these programs is generally positive, ongoing support and guidance could further assist families in navigating available resources.

“The gaps in communication were also highlighted in the data around school and social services. For instance, close to one-third of parents did not know if their child’s school offers mental health support. Essentially, the recommendation would be for district and site leaders to ensure that any school communication and services be made available in formats and languages representative of all of the families they serve. This is especially important in view of the binational students (approximately 15% of students represented in this report) and families reflected in the data. Strengthening teacher education programs to understand the needs and backgrounds of all students, including those from other countries, is crucial to students’ long-term academic and professional outcomes,” mentioned Escobedo. “Families also need to be able to afford daily priorities such as food, housing, and medical care. We suggest that schools help families access resources through enhanced community partnerships to ensure that all students are healthy, happy, and prepared to learn,” she added.

We hope this report sparks meaningful dialogue and action, leading to safer, more inclusive schools that serve the needs of all families.

Read the Report and Join the Conversation.