Natural Allies: Hope and Possibility in Teacher-Family Partnerships

In Natural Allies, Soo Hong offers a paradigm shift in how we think about family engagement with schools. Hong challenges the conventional depiction of parents and teachers as “natural enemies,” and shows how, through teachers’ initiative and commitment, they can become natural allies instead.

Based on a three-year ethnographic study, the book features the experiences and motivations of five urban school teachers who have successfully created meaningful, productive relationships and partner...