mation we have so they can participate
equitably in making this decision?”
became a routine part of school practice.
As a Professional Team
Another way to look inward is to
dedicate professional development
time to examining beliefs and assumptions about families and communities.
I regularly facilitate sessions in which
educators share stories of their individual experiences with families. We
then work together to challenge or
affirm the beliefs that were shaped
by these experiences. Once educators
consciously articulate their beliefs, we
explore how they can reimagine their
practice to better reflect their beliefs.
For example, it is common for educators to state that they believe parents
hold knowledge both about children
and about teaching and learning. Typically, though, their schools hold a Meet
the Teacher night in September in
which the teachers introduce themselves to the parents or family members
of their students; outline curriculum
expectations for their grade level; and
describe their program, policies, and
procedures for the year. Parents listen as
the teachers describe the decisions they
have already made.
In such a practice, there is no place
for parents to share what they know
about their children, their families,
or the community. There is no invitation for them to express their hopes
and dreams for their children. There
is no collaborative decision making to
determine what policies or practices
may make sense for the children and
families.
In light of this disconnect between the
teachers’ stated belief and their practice,
teachers and I often explore together
how a Meet the Teacher night could
become Meet the Parents/Families night
instead. I pose questions like these:
How might such an event unfold? How
might a teacher, believing that parents
have knowledge, determine with parents
such things as a homework policy? How
might a teacher facilitate a conversation
with parents in which they determine
whether the parents want homework for
their children? If so, how much, what
kind, and what role do the parents want
to play in the homework? In these newly
imagined practices, teachers are able to
live out their belief in parents as holders
of knowledge through real opportunities
for parents to speak and to participate in
decision making.
Taking Time
Looking inward takes time. It requires
a safe space in which individuals can
risk telling their stories and being vul-
nerable as learners. It requires oppor-
tunities for honest, open conversation
in which thoughts and ideas are treated
determined. There is an inherent hier-
archy in this relationship. Educators
have power because they decide when
and how parents will play a part in their
children’s schooling. As the school’s
agenda unfolds and decisions are made,
information or requests for involvement
move out in one direction, from the
school to parents and families.
We often focus on the challenges that exist
out there in families and communities.
with respect and dignity as educators
explore new ways of making sense of
their relationships with families and
communities.
When we move on too quickly to
developing new plans to reach out to
families and communities, without this
deeper exploration of who we are in
relation to families and how and why
we want to reach out to them, we end
up doing the same old things we have
always done; we just dress them up in
new ways. The new ways may appear
more appealing than the old, but they
are likely to be no more effective.
Engaging Parents
on a Deeper Level
Meet the Teacher nights, parent
meetings, volunteer programs, fund-
raising campaigns, and field trips are
some of the same old ways in which
we invite parents and family members
to be involved with their children’s
schooling. When we involve parents
and family members in these ways, we
are asking them to serve the school’s
agenda, which we as educators have
for preschoolers, or offer transportation
between homes and the school.
