Importance of Family Involvement, The

The Importance of Family Involvement Preparing Educators to Communicate and associate with Families and Communities ed by Patricia Ruggiano Schmidt. Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing. ?© 2005134 pages. ISBN 1-59311-324-2

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

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

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

Since each chapter is an implicit call to action, each can be characterized by dint of a verb. Chapter One addresses making the connection between dwelling and school. In this chapter, Grace Ibanez Friedman accomplishes in a dozen pages what Sarah Lawrence- Lightfoot (2003) eloquently elaborated in two-hundr 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 sum of two units 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 academys 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 agricultures 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 capable collaborators with educational professionals if parental participation is to be found 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 by what means true friends talk" (59). Kozik speaks to administrators about leading a seminary 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 upon each of these characteristics with art of speaking well and erudition.

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

Several years ago, I took note of a sign pillared 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 academys This book makes a compelling case for of that kind engagement and provides a wealth of instructional strategies for making that engagement a reality.

References

Lightfoot-Lawrence, s 2003. The essential conversation. fresh York: Random House.