Research on parent-teacher relationships tends to relegate parents to visitor roles in schools and to reinforce student achievement as the primary goal of parent-teacher relationships. This article argues for the recognition of the importance of talk among parents and teachersFboth as a research methodology and as a desirable outcomeFin creating and sustaining democratic communities that support school improvement. The study described used a qualitative approach that incorporated interviews and focus groups in a participative inquiry. Individual interviews with fourth through eighth grade teachers and parents determined the issues to be explored first in separate and then joint focus groups. Teachers and parents together discussed issues such as defensiveness, communication, and alliances. While parents and teachers did not espouse ‘‘democratic communities’’ per se, the values they expressed as importantFinvestment in the school community, direct and honest communication, trust, mutual respect and mutual goalsFall reflect the ‘‘communication requirements’’ of such communities. Parents and teachers may routinely frame the meanings of their encounters in terms of the children they have in common, but it appears that what they look for from each other is clearly connected to what they need for themselves as people who share a community that reflects democratic values.

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The Communication Requirements of Democratic Schools: Parent-Teacher Perspectives on Their Relationships

It is well accepted in the field of home-school relations and child development that parents and teachers must work together to build common expectations and to support student learning (Bronfenbrenner, 1986, 1979; Coleman & Hoffer, 1987; Epstein, 2001; Henderson & Berla, 1994). It follows, therefore, that the teacher must establish good relations and open communication with parents.1 Building strong, trusting, and mutually respectful relationships between parents and teachers who share similar cultural backgrounds is diffi cult enough. Doing so between parents and teachers who come from different backgrounds is even more diffi cult. New Jersey, like many other states, is experiencing a signifi cant infl ux of new immigrants—from countries such as India, Pakistan, China, Russia, Poland, Nigeria, Liberia, Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Haiti. In addition, New Jersey remains one of the most segregated states in the country, educating the majority of its African-American families in the inner city and fi rst-ring communities that surround the cities. Our teaching profession consists primarily of European-American women who are, in Lisa Delpit’s words, teaching “other people’s children” and who need help in doing so (1995). Given this diversity in New Jersey classrooms, we conceptualized a multiphase research project with the ultimate goal of helping teachers understand family values, beliefs, and practices in order to create a learning environment at school that acknowledges and builds upon these. Simultaneously, the project aims to facilitate parents’ understanding of the school’s values, beliefs, and practices so they can create a congruent learning environment at home. It is the fi rst goal that this study seeks to address. We need to learn more about how teachers currently understand their students’ family cultures, how they come to these understandings, and how this understanding infl uences how they reach out to parents. Little has been written about this “missing link” in our knowledge base related to parent involvement (Caspe, 2003, p.128). Towards this end, we designed a survey to assess New Jersey teachers’ current knowledge and practices. Therefore the following questions are addressed in the article:

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Dialogue across Cultures: Teachers' Perceptions about Communication with Diverse Families.

Increasing diversity in the student population intensifies the need for and the difficulties of establishing culturally sensitive and meaningful commu - nication between teachers and parents. This study examined the practices of early childhood and elementary teachers concerning culturally sensitive home- school communication. As a second phase of a multi-phase research design, focus group discussions were conducted with 21 participants. Discussions cen- tered on the teachers' understanding of familial influences on learning and their actual communication patterns with parents. Seven themes were identified re - lated to such issues as: defining culture; exploring the relationship between culture, class, and child-rearing; recognizing one's own biases; and reaching out to parents in a culturally sensitive manner. Implications for educators working with families from diverse cultures are discussed.

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Communicating with Families across Cultures: An Investigation of Teacher Perceptions and Practices.

Legislation to reform schooling in a democratic South Africa has focused attention on the rights and responsibilities of parents as empowered stakeholders in education. However, it is argued that comprehensive parent involvement is a prerequisite for improving the culture of teaching and learning in schools. Against the background of a literature review which examines legislation affecting parents, this article draws on a qualitative inquiry of parent involvement in a small sample of public primary schools in South Africa selected by means of purposeful sampling. The findings indicated that the schools were doing more to involve parents than is legally required. Strong leadership from principals together with formal organisation of parent involvement has established parent-friendly schools, regular home-school communication and innovative parent volunteering. Certain reservations to parent involvement were detected in principals' attitudes. The study suggests that, together with enabling legislat...

Schools reaching out: Comprehensive parent involvement in South African primary schools

This article contains an analysis of both qualitative and quantitative data about the perception of both parents and school personnel on parents' participation at different levels of school activities. Findings indicated that most of the school personnel demonstrated unwelcome attitudes towards parent involvement and parents themselves did not like to become school managers either. Both of them expressed the intention of separate responsibilities in school management. It is recommended that schools should develop a school-based strategy to promote home-school cooperation. Besides, there is a need to establish parent schools to educate parents in their rights and responsibilities in participating in school education.

Home-School Relations in Hong Kong: Separation or Partnership

Draws on active research undertaken in the last decade to evaluate the link between listening to the parental perspective on a child's schooling and the development of more effective home/school practice.

Listening to Parents: An Approach to the Improvement of Home/School Relations

Learning at home and at school

(1986). ‘Are they teaching’?: an alternative perspective on parents as educators. Education 3-13: Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 18-22.

Janet Atkin

Papers

Listening to Parents: An Approach to the Improvement of Home/School Relations

Learning at home and at school

‘Are they teaching’?: an alternative perspective on parents as educators

Talk in the Infant Classroom

Travelling Hopefully ‐‐ Address to TACTYC Conference