Partnering with Families for Student Success: 24 Scenarios for Problem Solving with Parents

by Patricia A. Edwards, Rand J. Spiro, Lisa M. Domke, Ann M. Castle, Kristen L. White

Overview

Patricia Edwards is the recipient of the 2019 AERA Scholars of Color Distinguished Career Contribution Award

Chapter modules cover common challenges teachers face in a variety of situations, including conducting honest parent–teacher conferences, dealing with discipline issues, responding to confrontational parents, and educating neurodiverse students. Each module includes questions, worksheets, and background information for developing asset-based approaches that consider caregivers’ and students’ underlying needs.

“This book is a trove of treasured stories about how to communicate with diverse families to support student success in school. Teachers will keep this reference handy because they will meet similar challenges.”
—From the Foreword by Joyce L. Epstein, Johns Hopkins University

“If you’ve ever been confused or discouraged about building partnerships with families, this book provides research-based, practical strategies.”
—Laurie Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University

“This is a gem of a resource for supporting the development of teachers who can work in responsive, thoughtful partnership with all families.”
—Judy Paulick, University of Virginia

“This book is a must-read for everyone involved in education. The modules are comprehensive and the case scenarios are realistic and engaging.”
—Elfrieda (Freddy) H. Hiebert, TextProject

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780807777602
Publisher:	Teachers College Press
Publication date:	04/19/2019
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Patricia A. Edwards is a member of the Reading Hall of Fame, professor of language and literacy, and bestselling author. Dr. Edwards received the 2020 Literacy Research Association's Oscar S. Causey Award to recognize a LRA member for outstanding contributions to literacy research. She received the 2024 International Literacy Association (ILA) William S. Gray Citation of Merit for outstanding contributions to multiple facets of literacy development, including research, theory, and practice. Rand J. Spiro, Lisa M. Domke, Ann M. Castle, Marliese R. Peltier, and Tracy H. Donohue are all at Michigan State University; and Kristen L. White is at Northern Michigan University.

Table of Contents

Foreword Dr. Joyce L. Epstein vii

Acknowledgments xi

1 The Importance of Family-School Partnership 1

2 Tools to Deepen Understanding and Develop Solutions: Exploring the Module Format 7

3 Preparing Teachers for Interactions with Parents: Some Thoughts on Using Case Modules from the Perspective of Cognitive Flexibility Theory 12

Modules-Part I Reaching Out to Caregivers 21

Module 1 Caregivers Who Do Not Respond 21

Module 2 Caregivers with Low Print-Literacy Levels 27

Module 3 Caregivers Experiencing Homelessness 35

Module 4 Caregivers with Complex Job Situations 42

Module 5 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Caregivers 55

Module 6 Caregivers Who Speak Limited or No English 62

Module 7 Caregivers Who Are Immigrants or Refugees 69

Module 8 Extended, Reconstituted, or Blended Families 76

Module 9 Families with Incarcerated Caregivers 81

Module 10 When School/Neighborhood Demographics Change 88

Module 11 What to Do When You Have Tried It All 94

Modules-Part II Handling Difficult Conversations 100

Module 12 Honest Caregiver-Teacher Conferences 100

Module 13 Discussing Academic Concerns 105

Module 14 Discussing Discipline issues (Positive Discipline) 110

Module 15 Advocating for a Neurodiversity Paradigm 117

Module 16 Families with Students Experiencing Life-Altering Developmental Disabilities 129

Module 17 Caregivers Who Challenge Teaching 135

Module 18 Caregivers with Frequent Concerns 140

Module 19 Adversarial/Confrontational Caregivers 150

Module 20 Caregivers of Students Who Have Suffered Trauma 156

Module-Part III Involving and Empowering Caretakers 163

Module 21 Curriculum-Based Versus Event-Based Caretaker Involvement 163

Module 22 Connecting Caregivers with Community Resources 169

Module 23 Caregiver Empowerment: Making Caregivers Feel Comfortable at School 175

Module 24 Technology and Literacy 180

Appendix A Tasks for Section 2: Exploring Current Perspectives 187

Appendix B Tasks for Section 4: Listening to Expand Perspectives 191

Appendix C Tasks for Section 5: Fixing It 193

Index 197

About the Authors 210

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"This book is a trove of treasured stories about how to communicate with diverse families to support student success in school. Teachers will keep this reference handy because they will meet similar challenges. The message is clear: Family and community engagement should be part of teacher education because it is part of every teacher’s professional work"
—From the foreword by Joyce L. Epstein, director, Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and National Network of Partnership Schools, Johns Hopkins University

“This books begins where the others leave off—addressing the challenging questions that educators have about how to build partnerships with families. The modules offer practical suggestions for handling difficult conversations and for empowering families. If you’ve ever been confused or discouraged about building partnerships with families, this book provides research-based, practical strategies that you can use to work effectively with all families.”
—Laurie Elish-Piper, Northern Illinois University

“Partnering with Families for Student Success: 24 Scenarios for Problem Solving with Parents is a practice-focused book steeped in both the relevant literature on family, school, and community partnerships and in the theory of how practitioners learn from cases. It is accessible and trustworthy, a timely and important contribution to K–8 teacher preparation. This is a gem of a resource for teacher educators and teacher preparation programs looking to support the development of teachers who can work in responsive, thoughtful partnership with all families.”
― Judy Paulick, Curry School of Education and Human Development, University of Virginia

“This book is a must-read for everyone involved in education—teachers, teacher educators, researchers, social workers, and the para-professionals that often serve as a liaison between school and home. Edwards and her colleagues provide a process for resolving differences that extends far beyond the interactions between educators and caregivers—a process applicable to interactions between colleagues in academe and between professors and students. The modules are comprehensive, and the case scenarios for each of the 24 modules are realistic and engaging. I've rarely seen a volume that I can recommend—without equivocation—to everyone involved in education.”
—Elfrieda (Freddy) H. Hiebert, president and CEO of TextProject

Editorial Reviews

"If you and your school are looking for a clearly written, nuanced guide to making sense of local challenges in order to create an environment where all families feel welcome and empowered to participate in the schooling of their children, then this may be the book you have been waiting for."

—Teachers College Record

" Partnering with Families for Student Success helps teachers gain confidence and build sensitivity when interacting with caregivers and families who speak different languages and may come from different cultural, racial, and social backgrounds. By presenting various scenarios, authors invite readers to reflect on issues they will face as practicing teachers in classrooms and across school districts."

—Sir Read a Lot

From the Publisher