Importance of Family Involvement, The

The Importance of Family Involvement Preparing Educators to Communicate and Connect with Families and Communities ed. by Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. © 2005.134 pages. ISBN 1-59311-324-2.

In the foreword of this how-to book, Patricia Edwards speaks of the importance of moving family involvement in education from "high rhetoric to high practice" (x). The contributors to this book demonstrate high practice with no compromise to rhetoric. Every page contains relevant, practical information written in a style that is elegant, yet economical.

The authors' collaborative process included e-mail and telephone communications, six full-day meetings, and circulation of one another's research findings and drafts. This book is not the result of one authority working independently. Instead, it is the product of seven individuals committed to the complex process of collaboration despite its inherent logistical problems. Those of us who desire to know more about affecting family and community involvement in schools are indebted to the authors' determination not to work as independent subcontractors.

One method of gauging a book's value is to articulate the question it answers. This document answers the query: How can educators maximize family and community involvement in a collaborative effort to educate children? Another way to judge a book is to locate and evaluate its mission statement. Schmidt provides the mission statement in the preface: "The purpose of this document is to help present and future teachers think about and implement successful ideas ... for engaging families in a partnership for the education of their children" (xii). Still another way to measure a book is to consider this question: Who should read this book and why? This book is an invaluable resource for professional educators and parents who not only believe that it takes a village to educate a child, but are determined to mobilize their villages to participation.

Since each chapter is an implicit call to action, each can be characterized by a verb. Chapter One addresses making the connection between home and school. In this chapter, Grace Ibanez Friedman accomplishes in a dozen pages what Sarah Lawrence- Lightfoot (2003) eloquently elaborated in two-hundred pages in The Essential Conversation: What Parents and Teachers Can Learn from Each Other. The first chapter also describes Schmidt's effective ABC's of Communication strategy (1998).

Chapter Two is directed toward influencing teachers-in-training to recognize the value of family engagement. A feature of this chapter is Tracy Knight Lackey's consideration of disposition. Teachers who encourage and affect family and community involvement in schools are those with certain dispositions toward risk taking, self-disclosure, introspection, and modeling desired behavior.

In Chapter Three, Ellen Chernoff provides instruction for incorporating cultural and social contributions. She discusses ways to research cultures, support home language, tap into hidden family and community resources, and use biography and autobiography to make connections.

In Chapter Four, Amanda Fenlon provides activities for empowering parents in the collaboration of their children's education. Parents must perceive themselves as competent collaborators with educational professionals if parental participation is to occur. Fenlon provides numerous suggestions for helping parents recognize the value of what they have to offer.

School administrator Peter Kozik begins the final chapter with the words of Peggy Noonan (1990): "Candor is a compliment; it implies equality. It's how true friends talk" (59). Kozik speaks to administrators about leading a school in which family and community engagement is encouraged. He reminds the reader that the five "component parts of leadership are vision, trust, credibility, service, and influence" (60). He elaborates on each of these characteristics with eloquence and erudition.

There is no doubt that the appendixes in this book are the product of extensive research motivated by an intense desire to equip teachers for the work this book recommends. This section of the book includes approximately 50 pages of material, including a sample letter to parents, sample calendar of activities, suggested syllabi for in-service teacher instruction, policies, practices, evaluation instruments, contacts, and resources.

Several years ago, I took note of a sign posted in the garage of my automobile mechanic: "Hourly Rates for Labor: $40 if mechanic works alone; $50 if customer watches; $60 if customer helps." The intended message is antithetical to the conviction of Schmidt and her coauthors. They are convinced of the value of family and community participation in schools. This book makes a compelling case for such engagement and provides a wealth of instructional strategies for making that engagement a reality.

References

Lightfoot-Lawrence, S. 2003. The essential conversation. New York: Random House.