THINKING and

WORKING as
PARTNERS
PARTNERSHIP
-refers to a relationship
that involves close
cooperation between people
who have joint rights and
responsibilities.
Beliefs and Expectations:
1. A belief that all families
are knowledgeable experts
who powerfully influence their
children’s in-school and out-o-
school learning.
Educators learn from family by/on how they:
Uniquely function and the challenges
they face in rearing their children.
Seek to understand their diverse
strengths and perspectives.
Utilize the skills, experiences and
wisdom that families can share with
them
2. An expectation that educators
will seek ways to reach out, listen
to, and understand the unique
needs, perspectives and
strengths of families and to use
that information to enhance
children’s learning.
3. A belief that sharing
responsibility for educating
children can best be fostered by
schools developing a school-wide
climate characterized by trust
two way communication, and mutual
support in achieving their
educational aims for students.
4. An expectation that
educators will develop positive,
non problematic ways to interact
with families in the educational
process of their children, and
recognizing that this may look
different for different families.
Educators is/or expected to:
a. reach out to get acquainted
with students families.
b. design family-school interactions in
which all their students can
participate.
c. tie family-school contacts to
childrens’ learning and development
5. A belief that sharing
responsibility for educating children
can best fostered by reaching out
and engaging members of the larger
community in developing their assets
and resources to support the
development of children and
families.
Translating Beliefs into action
Current-day educators have
developed a variety of different
approaches and strategies to create
culturally responsive family school
partnerships.
The depth of family influence may range along
a continuum from:

A. Activities/Strategies in which
educators reach out and elicit the
caregivers perspective but do not
directly involved them in the
teaching-learning process.
B. Activities in which
educators both elicit and
actively use of caregivers
perspectives in the
teaching and learning
process.
Change Agent for Family-School Collaboration and level
of Family Influence
Individual Teacher Change Agent School –Wide Change Agent

Limited Influence of family on Educator decision making

*Welcome Letters * Back to school program orientation
*Teachers Newsletters * School Letters/Newsletters
* Teachers Storybooks
*Family/Homevisits
Substantive Influence of family on Educator Decision making
*Family Storybooks *Student-led Parent
Conference
*Interactive Family Homework *Special Education
Planning Meeting
*Family funds of knowledge *Family-School
lessons Problem-Solving
meeting
Thank you for
listening!