About This Webinar
Educators hold five distinct forms of power when interacting with struggling families: professional authority, daily access to children, documentation power, community trust, and system privilege. But most educators don't realize how these forms of power shape family outcomes, or that their greatest influence exists at the earliest intervention points, before child welfare systems become involved.
This interactive workshop examines four critical decision points where educators held power to support a family in crisis but chose surveillance instead. Through personal narrative combined with data on mandatory reporting's ineffectiveness and disproportionate impact, participants will understand what actually happens when they file a report and the family policing system that gets activated.
Research shows 90% of school reports are dismissed by CPS, and mandatory reporting doesn't reduce maltreatment rates. Yet Black children face investigation at nearly twice the rate of white children, with schools as the primary source of disproportionate reporting. Survey data from 1,100 educators reveals that clothing changes and attendance issues commonly trigger reports, signs of concern, not evidence of harm.
Participants will learn a three-tier framework for using their power to support families before crisis escalates: immediate danger assessment, family support with bias checking, and staying engaged if reporting becomes necessary. Through polls, chat discussions, and an interactive case study, educators will practice distinguishing between situations requiring emergency response versus opportunities for resource connection.
The session balances vulnerability with practical skill-building, avoiding blame while providing concrete tools educators can use immediately. Participants receive downloadable resources including decision frameworks, bias recognition checklists, and dignity-preserving language guides.
Led by a lived expert whose family was separated based on school reports, combined with professional expertise training child welfare stakeholders nationally, this workshop shows educators where their power lies, and how to use it to support families instead of surveilling them.
This webinar is part of Share My Lesson's 2026 Virtual Conference. Join the community or register for all sessions.
Parts of this were very eye opening to me, some I knew. I absolutely LOVE the idea of having a "pause" before reporting. Take a moment, check with another adult to see if they have the same thoughts/feelings that you do. Check in with the family to be sure things are ok. Both of these won't take long and can give some very important information. And, if the family needs support, you have now started that conversation instead of an investigation. Such good information!