Building trust, elevating voices, and sharing power in family partnership

Abstract

Research has shown that traditional ways of promoting family involvement in school are often ineffective, especially among families whose approach does not align with the middle-class child-rearing practices embraced in many U.S. schools. To encourage greater family involvement, a Colorado school district is piloting a program in which educators and families partner to build relationships and make decisions together. By elevating the voices of marginalized families, school leaders hope to strengthen the bonds between families and schools, to the benefit of the students.