The School's Role in Family Involvement: What can we do as educators?

- Make a good first impression by actively welcoming families at the very beginning of the year. The first impression sets the tone for the rest of their experience at the school. 

- If engaging parents in traditional ways does not work, then try new ways to get them involved: Be patient, don't give up, and keep pursuing a positive relationship.

-Seek outside sources-- no one should be expected to do this alone. If possible, find people in your local community that would be able to relate to the families in your class: culturally and linguistically. These sources can hopefully serve to bridge the gap between teachers and families.

-Take parents/grandparents/guardians' concerns seriously.

-Provide clear opportunities (in advance) for families to get involved.

- Post signs around the school in the native language of families in your class.

- Provide a family resource center

- If possible, hire an administrative staff who speaks the same language as families

- “Resist the stereotyping of parents based on race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or any other characteristic. Recognize the diversity that occurs within cultural groups, as well as that which occurs between them”

- Focus on building trusting and collaborative relationships with teachers, families and community members

- Recognize and respect different classes and cultures and address the needs of individual families' needs

- Share power and responsibility

- "Families who feel ignored or slighted by the adults in the building are unlikely to come back, especially if they had been hesitant to come to the school in the first place." 

- Set high expectations for family-school partnership