Teachers College Press

Nearly every reform effort espouses the importance of parent involvement. This research-based guide is essential reading for teachers and administrators who want to make welcoming classrooms a reality. With a focus on literacy instruction, it showcases stories of what works when teachers in elementary school classrooms throughout the country partner with families across cultural and language differences. The author showcases effective strategies that educators can adapt to fit their own school communities. This book is perfect for professional study groups, parentteacher discussions, and whole-school workshops. This follow-up to JoBeth Allens bestselling book features up-to-date research on family involvement that has been shown to make a difference for students literacy learning. It demonstrates how teachers and families can collaborate through projects such as dialogue journals, photography and writing projects, and critical literacy inquiry and details how to establish and sustain genuine dialogue through student-led, family-involved conferences.

Two of the most respected voices in education identify 50 myths and lies that threaten America's public schools. Berliner and Glass argue that many citizens' conception of K-12 public education in the United States is more myth than reality.

"Twenty-eight eminent essayists remind our nations parents, educators, school board members and politicians that our democracy is in jeopardy and that our nation's system of free universal public education is also under attack. If that attack succeeds, American democracy itself would be further imperiled. That is because American democracy rests on a belief that the power of our government comes from the people, and the diffusion of knowledge and the enlightenment of the people has been a cornerstone of our democracy since the founding of our republic. America's public schools, therefore, have a special mandate"--