Equity in School–Parent Partnerships: Cultivating Community and Family Trust in Culturally Diverse Classrooms

“This thin, idea-packed textbook proposes a critical reimagining of family-school partnerships in U.S. classrooms… The authors move smoothly between theoretical concepts, vignettes, discussion questions, and practical advice with a facility that will appeal to teachers, pre-service teachers, and teacher educators alike. The theories they draw on include well-worn family engagement standards such as relational trust and funds of knowledge, alongside concepts less commonly found in family engagement texts, such as sociological imagination and radical kinship.” —Teachers College Record

Starting from the premise that children learn better when their learning community respects their families and cultures, this thought-provoking resource shows what it means—and what it takes—to include today’s diverse parents in their children’s learning.

Moving readers away from out-of-date practices that can potentially marginalize and devalue the cultural assets of families, the authors provide practical, ready-to-use strategies to help schools re-envision the meaning of parental involvement and engagement. Based on the research and K–12 teaching experience of three educators, chapters address contemporary issues such as the absent parent, homework, vulnerable populations, limitations of current school-based family programs, and pedagogies of hope.

Book Features:

• Provides guidelines and examples of homework that allow multicultural and multilanguage parents to engage with their children around learning.
• Shows how teachers and school leaders can collaborate to effect more inclusive practices.
• Reframes the conversation surrounding parental engagement to emphasize community and parental empowerment.
• Addresses the importance of parental engagement amid today’s political discourse surrounding immigration.