In this solo episode, Jaime Madison Vasquez introduces the Familiaris Framework—the organizing vision behind all of her consulting work and this podcast. Drawing on over two decades of experience as a teacher, literacy researcher, and head of school, Jaime walks through all four quadrants of the framework and explains how each one supports the Catholic school’s mission of partnering with parents as the primary educators of their children.

What We Cover:

* Jaime’s formation: growing up as the oldest of 12 children in a faithful Catholic home and beginning her career teaching in Chicago’s city schools

* Her doctoral research on embedding family communication into the regular professional practice of teacher teams

* Five years as head of school at Willows Academy, and how mission-driven leadership shaped her thinking on parent partnership

* The four quadrants of the Familiaris Framework and practical strategies within each quadrant

Chapters:

* 00:02: Introduction: Jaime’s Background and Formation

* 04:44: From Literacy Coach to Doctoral Researcher

* 07:01: Leading Willows Academy

* 09:19: The Familiaris Framework: An Overview

* 11:45: Quadrant 1: Integrate into Infrastructure

* 14:11: Quadrant 2: Communicate Clearly: Marketing and Enrollment

* 16:07: Communicate Clearly: Ongoing Communication

* 18:49: Communicate Clearly: Problem Solving as Dialogue

* 20:58: Quadrant 3: Educate and Form Parents

* 28:06: Quadrant 4: Welcome with Hospitality

Resources Mentioned:

* Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to submit a Q&A question.

* Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services, professional development workshops, and speaking engagements, and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Join the conversation: Leave a comment and subscribe: familiaris.substack.com

Paid subscribers gain access to monthly collaborative office hours. Office hours are hosted on Zoom and are not recorded. Pop in to ask a question, get feedback on what you’re working on with families, hear what other leaders are doing in their schools. Upcoming dates: Friday, April 10th at 12pm CST and Monday April 27th at 3pm CST.

Become a paid subscriber at familiaris.substack.com/subscribe

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this Leader Insights panel, host Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with two experienced school leaders to explore how principals and heads of school can equip their teachers to build extraordinary, mission-centered relationships with parents.

Guests

* Faustin Weber, President, Prince of Peace School, Plano, TX

* Mike Kendrick, Senior Ministry Advisor, Felician Sisters, Chicago, IL

* Follow Mike and Faustin on LinkedIn

What We Cover

* How to articulate and animate school mission, charism, and core values so that they shape every teacher-parent interaction

* Hiring strategies that screen for mission alignment and genuine faith before academic credentials

* Practical ways to mentor new teachers through the relational and formative demands of Catholic school life

* How to disarm anxious, skeptical, or combative parents and move toward authentic partnership

* Communication norms, email boundaries, and social media guidance for protecting teachers and building trust

Q&A

* How do you help teachers strike the balance between being responsive to parents without having to be constantly on call?

* Any suggestions for navigating parent-teacher relationships when the parent is also part of your faculty and staff?

* What guidance do you give teachers about boundaries with parents in terms of texting, social media, or other communication outside of school?

Chapters

* 00:00: Introduction and Guest Introductions

* 02:55: Communicating Mission, Vision, and Core Values

* 10:03: Hiring Teachers Who Are Aligned with Mission

* 16:22: Forming New Teachers for Broader Responsibilities

* 20:17: Practical Support for Teachers Working with Parents

* 28:37: Email, Face-to-Face Meetings, and Communication Strategies

* 33:27: Navigating Challenging, Anxious, and Skeptical Parents

* 39:49: Leadership Perspective and the Flying Buttress Analogy

* 42:35: Handling Discipline and Hard Conversations with Parents

* 52:20: Lightning Q&A

Resources Mentioned

* Faustin Weber’s Blog: Ideas in Catholic Education

* Difficult Meetings with Parents, Part I by Faustin Weber

* Difficult Meetings with Parents, Part II by Faustin Weber

* Discipline, Mercy and Being Creative by Faustin Weber

* Catholic Schools and Flying Buttresses by Faustin Weber

* Row the Boat: A Never-Give-Up Approach to Lead with Enthusiasm and Optimism and Improve Your Team and Culture by Jon Gordon and P.J. Fleck (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

Join the conversation: Leave a comment and subscribe: familiaris.substack.com

Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services, professional development workshops, and speaking engagements, and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

What does a thriving marriage have to do with running a Catholic school? More than you might think! In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez draws on the landmark relationship research of John Gottman to offer Catholic school leaders a practical, mission-rooted framework for building deep, lasting partnerships with the families they serve.

The Seven Principles:

* Create Shared Meaning

* Get to Know Your Families

* Nurture Your Appreciation

* Turn Toward Each Other Instead of Away

* Let Your Families Influence You

* Solve Your Solvable Problems

* Welcome Problem Solving

What We Cover:

* Why John Gottman’s marriage research is one of the most powerful lenses available for understanding school-family dynamics

* The four pillars of shared meaning and how rituals, roles, goals, and values translate directly into school community life

* How to build habits of appreciation that counteract criticism and contempt before they take root

* Practical strategies for turning toward families, even across the asynchronous gap of newsletters, emails, and drop-off lines

* How to distinguish solvable problems from perpetual conflicts and approach both with mission-grounded wisdom

Q&A:

* How do we avoid falling into defensiveness when a parent comes to us already upset or critical?

* If a parent rarely responds to communication, how should we interpret that? And what do we do?

* Advice for new teachers who are nervous about dealing with parents

* What are small ways teachers can show appreciation to parents without it becoming another big task?

Chapters:

* 00:02: Welcome and Introduction

* 02:20: Why Gottman’s Marriage Research Applies to Schools

* 07:08: Principle 1: Create Shared Meaning

* 11:44: Principle 2: Get to Know Your Families

* 16:29: Principle 3: Nurture Your Appreciation

* 21:14: Principle 4: Turn Toward Each Other

* 30:44: Principle 5: Let Your Families Influence You

* 35:08: Principle 6: Solve Your Solvable Problems

* 41:29: Principle 7: Welcome Problem Solving

* 48:31: Listener Q&A

Resources Mentioned:

* Gottman Institute

* The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country’s Foremost Relationship Expert by John M. Gottman, PhD and Nan Silver — (Amazon | Bookshop | Abe Books)

* Join the conversation: leave a comment and subscribe: familiaris.substack.com

* Get in touch: [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q&A segment

* Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime

God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this episode, Dr. Jaime Madison Vasquez sits down with a team from Midtown Metro who provide after school and summer enrichment programs serving low income youth in Chicago. With more than 60 years of experience both centers have robust parent formation programming. The conversation goes beyond logistics into what it takes to build a shared language around character education and the fruits born from years of nurturing relationships. If you care about parent partnership, character formation, mentorship, and strengthening culture with families of all backgrounds, this episode is going to give you both inspiration and practical direction.

Guests:

Vince Meno – Executive Director, Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers

Micheil Pruni – Center Director, Midtown Achievement Center for Boys

Anne Russell – Parent Program Director, Metro Achievement Center for Girls

In this episode, we discuss:

The founding mission of Midtown Metro and its two single-sex centers, serving students from 3rd through 12th grade across three programs: One-on-One, Pathways to Success, and College Orientation Programs

What the parent program looks like at each level and what the commitment asks of families

How Midtown Metro teaches virtue and character to students, parents, volunteers, and staff using a shared language and a recently completed John Templeton Foundation project

How one-on-one mentorship and tutoring creates the relational trust that sustains parent partnerships over time

How Midtown Metro communicates its Catholic identity and values to families, donors, and the broader public with a “Catholic and” (not “Catholic but”) approach

Q&A Question:

“Where should a school begin if they’re serving a similar demographic?”

Chapters:

0:00: Introduction

1:48: What is Midtown Metro? Mission, history, and who they serve

4:27: The parent program across age groups

9:06: Parent commitments and program structure

11:08: Attendance, weekly meetings, and building community

15:15: Stories of family transformation

21:13: The Midtown Metro approach to virtue and character education

44:11: Mentorship, tutoring, and the power of individual attention

48:58: Communicating Catholic identity to families and donors

52:15: Christian formation: how it’s offered and who participates

55:22: Measuring outcomes and sharing impact

58:34: Q&A: Where should a school begin?

Resources:

Midtown-Metro Achievement Centers

Midtown-Metro Mission, Vision, and Values

Board of Advisors Parent Activity:

Metro Achievement Center Parent Program Board Of Advisors Lesson Plan

88.1KB ∙ PDF file

Download

Download

John Templeton Foundation

Optimal Work

Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Guest: Patrick Whalen, Founder of Iliad Athletics — former Marine infantry officer, founding headmaster of St. Martin’s Academy, and father

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why a serious physical encounter with reality is a necessary prerequisite for almost any other educational work and what schools are losing when they neglect the body

- Why parents are the most decisive factor in a child’s physical formation and what basic stewardship of the body actually looks like at home

- The two-pronged approach to physical formation: everyday habit-building routines and big anchor experiences and the role schools can play in supporting both

- Why sports alone does not mean your school has figured out physical education and who gets left behind when PE is an afterthought

- How physical excellence for boys and girls should look different and why both extremes on that question miss the mark

Questions Addressed in the Q&A Segment:

- “I live in Illinois - where nature can be very flat and unvaried terrain. We lived for many years in the city of Chicago and didn’t have grass in our yard. We would make concerted efforts to visit nearby forest preserves for hiking trips, but wondering about your recommendations for schools and families to incorporate nature when they don’t have as direct access in the daily routines.”

- “If a leader realizes this is an area to grow in, what is the place to start that will be the most fruitful?”

- “If you are looking ahead to next year’s budget and want to allocate additional resources to fitness, apart from the Iliad curriculum, what would be your recommendation for investment?”

- “Parents on the sidelines can be a major liability for schools. What are your recommendations for instilling a charitable and partnership-oriented ethos among fans while still maintaining a commitment to excellence and competition?”

- “What about kids who are not naturally gifted in athletics? Isn’t PE just going to make them feel bad?”

- “How can PE contribute to overall school culture including spirituality, discipline, and even advancement?”

Resources:

- Iliad Athletics

- Educator Course Registration

- Summer Camp Registration

- Facebook

- LinkedIn

- Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

- Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers. Be sure to leave a comment or to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Guests:

- Katie Elrod, Head of School at Montrose School in Medfield, MA

- Mary Keenley, Principal at St. Theresa School in Palatine, IL

- Kevin Powers, Head of School at St. Thomas More Academy in South Bend, IN

In this episode, we discuss:

- What parent formation looks like across three very different Catholic school contexts: from an independent classical school, an all-girls independent school, and an archdiocesan parish school

- Why parent formation can’t be owned by just one person on staff, and how to build a whole-school culture of relationship with parents

- The fears and anxieties driving today’s Catholic school parents, including uncertainty about college and careers, academic pressure, and the fear of letting children take risks

- Why children are “anti-fragile, not just resilient,” and how to help parents embrace the adventure of adolescence

- How to engage fathers specifically, and why separating mom events and dad events works better than mixing them

Q&A Questions Covered:

- "How do you balance the relationship with your pastor when it comes to parent formation?"

- "How do you filter outside events and initiatives from your broader community without overwhelming school communication?"

- "The parents who need formation the most never come to events. How do you handle that?"

- "How do you market parent formation events and maximize attendance?"

- "How do you engage dads specifically?"

Resources

- The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Raising Self-Reliant Children by Wendy Mogel, PhD (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

- The Blessing of a B Minus: Raising Resilient Teenagers by Wendy Mogel, PhD (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

- The Story of the Other Wiseman (The 4th Wiseman) by Henry Van Dyke (Amazon, Bookshop, Abe Books)

- Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

- Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers. Be sure to leave a comment or to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

In this episode, we discuss:

- Why Catholic schools must fundamentally rethink their relationship with parents

- Why you should stop treating parents like customers or obstacles

- Why parents can’t be replaced, according to Familiaris Consortio

- The rights and duties of parents

- How to change your approach to work with parents more effectively

Q&A Questions Covered:

- “How can I convince my principal to prioritize parent formation when we’re already stretched thin?”

- “What if we don’t have the budget for parent formation?”

- “We have parents willing to lead, but they take things in a different direction than we intended. How do we redirect them nicely?”

- “How do we market parent formation events to maximize attendance?”

Resources:

- Familiaris Consortio

- Get in touch: Email [email protected] or reply to the newsletter to submit a question for a future Q & A Segment.

- Visit familiaris-consulting.com to learn more about our consulting services and schedule a free consultation with Jaime.

_________

Thanks for listening! This podcast is made possible through the support of paid subscribers. Be sure to leave a comment or to submit a question for a future Q&A Segment.

Please help us reach more schools and families by sharing with your friends and colleagues. God bless!

Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Introducing the flagship podcast from Familiaris Consulting!

This podcast provides mission-first professional formation designed specifically for Catholic school leaders who want to forge extraordinary relationships with families.

Each month, we’ll explore timely themes through the four pillars of the Familiaris Framework:

* How partnership is integrated into infrastructure

* How teachers and leaders can communicate clearly

* How to educate and form parents

* How to truly welcome families with hospitality

The format will include practical how-to episodes, expert conversations, and leader panels to connect big-picture vision with concrete, sustainable practices that work in the rhythm of school life.

If you’re a Catholic school leader who believes that family partnership isn’t just “nice to have,” but essential to the foundation of your mission, this podcast is for you.