Parents at the Heart of Literacy
PLTI Leaders Partner with SchoolSmart KC’s “Literacy for All Students” Campaign
Every child deserves the chance to learn to read. That’s the vision behind SchoolSmart KC’s Literacy for All Students, a citywide initiative that aims to ensure every child in Kansas City reads on grade level by third grade. This multifaceted campaign will provide support essential to increasing grade-level literacy achievement across KCPES. These supports include literacy-focused instructional coaches, high-dose tutoring for all students in K-3, fellowships for both building leaders and instructional coaches, and intentional community engagement complemented by literacy resources for families. The campaign recognizes a fundamental truth: literacy success is a community effort. That’s why SchoolSmart KC partnered with the Parent Leadership Training Institute of Kansas City (PLTI-KC) to bring the powerful voices of parents into this work.
Through this partnership, PLTI parent leaders serve as Parent Leader Consultants, helping shape campaign messaging, review resources, and ensure that Literacy for All Students reflects the lived experiences of families navigating the education system. At the same time, PLTI-KC is helping SchoolSmart KC strengthen its capacity to engage with parents in authentic, equitable, and sustainable ways. Together, they’re building a stronger bridge between families and schools rooted in trust, collaboration, and shared purpose.
For Ebony Hart, a PLTI parent leader and educator, the role of Parent Leader Consultant is both deeply personal and profoundly impactful.
“As a parent leader consultant, I work with other parents and campaign leaders to make sure the information shared with families is clear, practical, and accessible,” Ebony said. “Because I’m both a parent and an educator, I bring a unique perspective. We’re creating materials that will help families support literacy at home—and help children fall in love with reading.”
For Twyla Parker, another PLTI parent leader, this work is about ensuring that families are heard, not just seen.
“I work to make sure the voices of struggling children and families are not just heard, but centered,” Twyla shared. “My role is to remind decision-makers that their policies directly shape children’s futures—and that real change starts by listening to those most impacted.”
This model—parents as consultants, not just participants—is what makes the Literacy for All Students partnership so powerful. It demonstrates what happens when systems share power with families and create space for parents to help shape solutions that directly affect them. Both Ebony and Twyla describe how Literacy for All has expanded their sense of agency as parent leaders.
“Being part of this initiative has shown me that what I have to say matters,” Ebony said. “My passion for literacy isn’t just about my own family—it’s about every family in Kansas City. A community that reads is a community that succeeds.”
Twyla echoed that sentiment:
“This experience helped me shed feelings of imposter syndrome,” she said. “I’ve realized my lived experience as a parent is not just valid—it’s essential.”
Across Kansas City, too many children struggle to read at grade level by third grade—a critical milestone that influences everything from future academic performance to economic mobility. PLTI parent leaders understand that literacy is a foundation for lifelong opportunity, and they are helping ensure that families are part of the movement to change that trajectory.
“This initiative is something we’ve needed for a long time,” Ebony said. “When families have access to resources that meet them where they are, everything can change. We’re putting the problem in front of us—and working together to turn it around.”
Twyla added:
“Teaching a child to read builds confidence, opens doors, and helps them grow into productive citizens. Literacy changes lives.”
Over the next year, Literacy for All Students will continue to expand into more schools and neighborhoods, inviting families to join the movement. Parent leaders like Ebony and Twyla hope to see stronger, more trusting partnerships between families and schools—built on shared knowledge, mutual respect, and a commitment to every child’s success.
“I hope to see more parents advocating for Literacy for All in their own schools,” Ebony said. “The more families who know about this campaign, the stronger our community becomes.”
To learn more about SchoolSmart KC’s Literacy for All Students campaign and see if your school is participating, visit schoolsmartkc.org/investments/literacy. To learn more about PLTI-KC and how parent leaders are driving systems change, visit pltikc.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
