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Examines in close detail public schools' relationships with their parents and communities.
Mary E. Henry examines in close detail public schools' relationships with parents and communities. Using an anthropological approach and feminist theory, she argues that for educators, knowledge of family and social contexts, and work with communities is essential. Henry argues convincingly that the school structure has to change, that more demands can't be made of parents while schools remain the same. For school administrators, teachers, parents, and those interested in public policy, the book addresses vital questions about cultural and social understandings, empowerment, and the possibilities for collaboration. This book is a source of new practices and ideas for organizational structures, and the school leadership that will be needed for collaboration to really work.
"For female educators, and for women in general, the narratives and vignettes throughout the book generate a feeling of liberation because they are infused with empathy, validation, and affirmation. What more can we ask? I think you have a winner here." — Dr. Gisela Ernst, Washington State University
"This book represents an important movement in the field toward parent perspectives. It provides a sensitive portrait of parents as partners in collaboration with public schools." — Arnold Danzig, Arizona State University West
"This topic is vital to our nation's future. Henry's is a very timely book which should stimulate thinking about creative family involvement plans." — Nancy Feyl Chavkin, Southwest Texas State University, author of Families and Schools in a Pluralistic Society
Foreword
Christine E. Sleeter
Acknowledgments
1. The Social Context of Parent-School Relations
2. Doing Fieldwork
3. Consorting with the Enemy
4. Schools as Competitive Bureaucracies
5. The Cultures of Schools and Homes
6. An Ethic of Care—Celebrating Diversity
7. Collaboration and Community-Building
8. A Focus on Teaching and Learning
9. Parent-School Collaboration
Appendix
References
Index