Partnering with Families

Contributing Editor: Michelle Gill, Director of Consulting and Certifications

The pace of the world, especially over the last eight months, has left little time to pause and reflect. Doing so now can feel almost selfish: “Who am I to stop just to think, when so much is happening and so many people need me?” But reflection is critical to growth, especially in education. Take a moment to pause and reflect about the school-home partnerships in your school or district.

Reflect: Describe your current partnerships with families and how the pandemic and sociopolitical climate impacted it. Envision: What is the look, sound, and feel of your ideal family partnership, one that benefits your students, families, and yourself?

If there is a gap between your current reality and your ideal, what steps can you take to close that gap? Will they honor the families’ and your needs? What support is needed to accomplish those steps? Know that Center for Responsive Schools is here to support and encourage you.

In this issue, educators and families discuss building stronger partnerships between caregivers and schools. Included are reflections from educators about lessons learned and changes they made that positively impacted their work with families. The ideas shared are grounded in the foundational belief and supported by research that knowing and valuing families is key to creating successful school-home partnerships. As you prepare to dig into this issue, I leave you with a simple and powerful call to action from Chip Wood (2011, p. 109): “The case for parental involvement is solid. The rest is up to us.”

I’d like to thank my supporting editor, Lindsey Lynch, for her help in securing articles and editing.