1. “Why Some Parents Don’t Come to School”  Article in Educational Leadership (1994)  Challenges long held teacher beliefs that parents who don’t participate in school events don’t care about their child’s educational progress

2. The Institutional Perspective  Children who do not succeed in school have parents who do not get involved in school activities  Or, have parents who do not support school goals at home.  Based on the idea that the main reason for involving parents is to remediate them…to get them “matched” with institutional knowledge

3. Institutional Discussions  Often center on what families lack and on what educators can best teach parents to support instructional agendas at home.

4. What “those other parents” say…  Tensions in their lives interfere with positive home/school relations: 1. Diverse school experiences among parents = mistrust; what did I do wrong as a parent? 1. Diverse school experiences among parents = mistrust; what did I do wrong as a parent? 2. Diverse economic and time constraints…their jobs don’t allow the flexibility to be involved; they worry about what they can’t afford for school and how that affects their child’s ability to fit in 2. Diverse economic and time constraints…their jobs don’t allow the flexibility to be involved; they worry about what they can’t afford for school and how that affects their child’s ability to fit in

5. 3. Diverse linguistic and cultural practices: - embarrassed because of weak language skills - embarrassed because of weak language skills - use of their child as a translator upsets the natural order in the family - use of their child as a translator upsets the natural order in the family - valuing their child’s developing independence so not feeling that it’s “their place” to interfere where their child is independent of them - valuing their child’s developing independence so not feeling that it’s “their place” to interfere where their child is independent of them

6. What “those parents” say about getting them involved… 1.Clarify how parents can help. 2.Encourage parents to be assertive and to speak up for their child. 3.Develop trust…recognize that some parents feel culturally, social/economically, linguistically and ethnically different from teachers so do what you can to bridge these differences. 4.Build on home experiences. 5.Use parent expertise…ask them to help with things they are naturally strong at doing.