Sandra Rodriguez began her tenure at Jurupa Unified School District in 1998. Her most rewarding position was acting as an Outreach Worker for Pedley Elementary and Van Buren Elementary, where she provided enrichment classes for parents so children could achieve school success.
Then the position lost funding. Though Sandra stayed with the district and held positions at other sites, she missed serving her community as she did before. Thankfully, the formation of the Parent Involvement & Community Outreach Department gave Sandra the opportunity to return to the work she loves. “When PICO opened, I was overjoyed," said Sandra of the JUSD department dedicated to serving children and their families. Beginning as an Administrative Secretary, Sandra worked her way to Liaison Specialist and is currently the department's Parent Engagement Coordinator.
For Sandra, no day at PICO is like any other, but she always makes time to check-in with the staff she supervises. One program she oversees, Parents as Teachers, requires a team of “home visitors" who meet with families in-person or through Zoom meetings. Sandra holds one-on-one meetings with her home visitors, during which she receives updates about their current cases. She answers their questions and discusses resources they may need to succeed in their work. Her team members know the families they work with best, so Sandra believes her most important role is to provide feedback and support as well as promote an environment of collaboration.
Parents as Teachers is a home program for families with children 0-2 years old. Funded by CalWORKS, the PAT vision is that all children learn, grow, and develop to reach their full potential. The program asserts that parents and caregivers are a child's earliest and best teachers.
Home visits typically occur twice a month, though Sandra encourages additional visits if a family requires more support. The first visit is all about building a relationship between the PICO staff member assigned to the case and the participating family. The home visitor responds to the family's questions or concerns and introduces the main components of the program.