Volunteer at Brent
Brent runs on the families who show up. Some roles are bigger and some smaller, some better for newer families and some for returning ones — and every one of them keeps this school running.
Before you start
DCPS requires a fingerprint-based background check for volunteers who spend time with students — whether supervised or on their own. Clearance lasts two years from the date on your letter, and it takes a few weeks to come through, so start it before you pick a role. DCPS decides which activities are covered; their policy page is the current word on it.
Read the DCPS clearance policy →Start your clearance application →
Ways to help
Two roles you can take on directly. Everything below this is a group you join rather than a shift you sign up for.
Families can also help strengthen the bus community through current bus-depot volunteer opportunities. Ask the front office for the next opening.
Questions about either role: denise.diggs@k12.dc.gov
Parent Teacher Association
The Brent PTA helps sustain a connected, inclusive, and active school community during Brent’s second and final year at the Meyer swing space. Despite the temporary space and the change ahead, the community’s roots run deep. Those roots are a testament to intentional investment and nurturing from community members past and present. As the PTA says, Bears Build Together.
The PTA has planned at least one event each month, including the Fall Welcome Picnic, Family Heritage Night, Game Night, Spring Fling, and other connection-building gatherings. It also hosts community meetings roughly once a quarter, with a focus on family education topics such as responsible technology use for children, and monthly Principal/PTA Coffees where families can raise questions directly with school and parent leadership. Meeting dates and participation details are shared through Tuesday News and the school calendar.
The PTA coordinates volunteer opportunities throughout the year, including a general volunteer interest form for families who want to contribute time or skills. The PTA shop supports the school, and uniform swaps are announced through Tuesday News.
Intentional fundraising is a key part of the PTA’s work. The PTA funds nearly 100% of Brent’s non-personnel expenses—more than $300,000 each year—through the Holiday Sale, Annual Fund, Spring Gala & Auction, and smaller faculty and staff appreciation initiatives. The proceeds underpin classroom enrichment, field trips, supplies, student and community events, and faculty and staff continuing education and appreciation. Families can contribute financially or participate through volunteering; both forms of support help the school community thrive. Questions can be directed to brentschoolpta@gmail.com.
Join the PTA — open the sign-up form →
PTA Board Members
Info and Records
Expense Reimbursement
For reimbursement or to request payment on behalf of the PTA, please send an email to natalie.franz@gmail.com to request a reimbursement form. Be sure to retain invoices, receipts, proof of payment, or other documentation that clearly identify the amount requested, and include them when returning the completed form.
Board Meetings
The PTA board holds monthly meetings, usually on the second Wednesday of the month, which are open to all Brent caregivers. See the TuesNews for details on times and how to attend. Meeting notes can be found below.
Community Meetings
The PTA hosts quarterly, in-person community meetings. Meet your fellow Brent caregivers, hear directly from school and parent leadership, and use the opportunity to ask any questions on your mind. Best of all, meetings include free childcare with pizza for dinner! See the TuesNews for more information.
Equity & Inclusion Group
This year: completing the school's renaming to Gardner Bishop Elementary, and building closer connections with all Brent families.
Our mission and membership
What does building a school community where everyone belongs mean to you and your family? Bring your voice to the Equity and Inclusion Group. The group advances Brent’s commitment to cultivating an equitable and inclusive community where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging. It centers race, equity, social justice, class, gender, disability, and inclusion—all in collaboration with staff and leadership, the PTA, and LSAT.
The group is open to caregivers and staff of all races, identities, and backgrounds. Its work begins with relationship-building through dialogue, which is foundational for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through authentic relationships and community-led change, the group works to remove barriers to opportunities and resources based on identity.
Current priorities
This school year, the group will build relationships, explore equity issues specific to Brent, grow community knowledge and skills, and help complete the transition to Gardner Bishop Elementary. The group also supports the Brent Buddies program, which helps welcome new families.
The group works with PTA and LSAT toward the official adoption of the Gardner Bishop Elementary name in the 2027–28 school year. Monthly dialogue sessions run from September through May in hybrid or in-person formats. Topics include intersectional identities, power and politics, white supremacy culture, oppression and privilege, the history and purpose of schooling, and inequity and opportunity in the school community. Families can express interest through the volunteer interest form and watch Tuesday News for meeting details.
Local School Advisory Team
The LSAT advises school leadership on budget, staffing and academic priorities. It has a seat for a community representative — someone who lives or works near Brent without a child enrolled.
About the LSAT
The Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is a group of elected and appointed members at every DCPS school. Brent’s LSAT advises the principal on matters that promote high expectations and high achievement for all students. LSATs are an important part of DCPS’s commitment to transparency, ensuring that decisions affecting school communities are made collaboratively with input from a diverse group of stakeholders. Learn more in the DCPS LSAT Guidelines.
Meetings and participation
Brent’s LSAT advises school leadership on budget and staffing, school-wide goals and priorities, and school culture and community engagement. Meetings are held virtually on the first Wednesday of each month beginning September 2, 2026. Most meetings are open to the Brent community; links and agendas are shared through Tuesday News. Families are welcome to participate as observers, email an LSAT member with agenda topics or feedback, or recommend a community representative to fill the open seat.
Brent’s 2026–27 team includes seven staff and faculty members and four caregiver representatives, with participation from the PTA, Equity and Inclusion Group, and School Improvement Team. The community representative seat is currently open for someone who lives or works near Brent but does not have a child enrolled at the school.