Dear Kara,
I am not an expert on parent-teacher partnership. However, I think the research would suggest developing ownership of the school and the child's education among parents. Racial/ethnic minority parents often view school as a place of authority and are sometimes intimitated by it. It is important to create a culture in which school is open to parents and intentional outreach is important. Some parents can not come to school during the day because of their work schedule. Teachers may have to work around the parent's schedule and understand the importance of compromise. Ask parents what are the barriers to accessing teachers and the school and also ask teachers what are their challenges in developing relationships with parents. Is parent-teacher partnership important to and rewarded by the administration? If it is not, teachers will have little incentive to develop creative strategies to reach out to parents.
