Teachers & Administrators Discuss Creative Ways to Establish Positive Partnerships with Parents & Families of their Students. Family-Teacher Partnerships in High Poverty Schools, showcases interviews with family members and teachers who have established successful working relationships for the benefit of their students. Family members speak for themselves explaining the importance of making positive connections between home and school. Teachers suggest a variety of strategies for reaching out to parents with demanding lives. Research conducted by Knight-McKenna, found numerous challenges in preparing undergraduate teacher candidates to work effectively with the families of students in high poverty schools. In response to this need, Knight-McKenna and Darby devised a set of tools, including this program, to foster cultural competence among pre-service teachers. Teaching in high poverty schools can present educators with numerous challenges. Often, cultural misunderstandings, particularly regarding parent involvement, can lead to assumptions that undermine the quality of communication between parents, teachers and ultimately students. By understanding that parents express support and involvement in a variety of ways, teachers can creatively craft interactions that result in a richer learning experience for the student at school and home. This program is one of many tools that can help build the foundation of understanding between parents and teachers. It features parents, teachers and administrators discussing their experiences in high poverty schools. Family members and teachers share the barriers to family involvement in their children's schools. Teachers and administrators discuss creative ways to address these barriers and establish positive partnerships with the families of their students. Advice for future teachers is offered to support family-teacher collaborations early in teacher training. About Brooke Barnett: Brooke Barnett is the Associate Professor of Communications and the Director Elon Program for Documentary Production, Elon University School of Communications.

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3 Stars. Recommended. - Video Librarian.

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