What Do I Believe About The Relationship Between The Home, School, And The Community?

The relationship between home, school and community is a very important, yet delicate one. For many reasons, i.e. past school history, lack of formal education, or their own feelings of inadequacy, parents often feel uncomfortable entering schools. It may be a very intimidating place for some—it may even feel unwelcoming, and justly so. According to Mavis Sanders (2001), schools may be reluctant to collaborate with parents and community members because of fear of public scrutiny. Additionally, in some instances, both parties abdicate responsibility for the child’s education and place it on the other. “In some schools there are still educators that say ‘If the family would just do its job, we could do our job.’ And there are still families that say ‘I raised this child, now it’s your job to educate her.” (Epstein, 1995) Perceptions regarding roles and lack of communication are often at the core of poor relationships.
In many instances I believe that parents would like to be more involved in their children’s education and teachers would welcome their involvement. However, oftentimes, both parties are reluctant. Parents do not know how they can be involved and the teachers are unsure of how to involve them. Thus, looking to the research and the success in other schools becomes important in building relationships. In her 1995 article School/Family/Community Partnerships, Joyce Epstein discusses several characteristics of successful partnerships. The principle that stands out most for me is that the development of a partnership is a process, not a single event. Trust and relationships are built over time. How can we expect one ‘open house’ a single Christmas concert or parent-teacher interview to be the foundation for a fabulous relationship? It takes a great deal more time, effort and persistence, to build a collaborative environment. In addition, Sanders (2006) highlights the following factors that influence the effectiveness of partnerships; a shared vision, clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and open communication.
In Henderson’s book Beyond the Bake Sale: An Educator’s Guide to Working With Parents, a suggestion is made for bridging the gap between home/community and school—getting to know the community’s strengths and assets is key. In order for partnerships to be sustained, parents and community members must feel that their involvement is meaningful. This involvement may take many forms; tutoring, assistance with homework, attendance at school functions, and financial contributions being just a few.
Parental and Community involvement in the school can be extremely beneficial. A great deal of research has already been done regarding the benefits of parental and community involvement. Collaboration can improve school programs and climate (Epstein, 1995), children’s academic achievement (O’Donnel et al. 2008), and increase student success (Epstein, 1995). Based on such research, it would seem imperative that relationships between the home, school, and community be paramount in importance.