Parents, Principals, and Power: A Historical Case Study of “Managing” Parental Involvement

Abstract

Scholarship on parent-principal relationships often ignores how some parental involvement can create challenges for school leaders. We analyze parent-principal relationships at an urban public K-8 school over a 30-year period, exploring how three different principals "managed" parental involvement. Our analysis reveals how these principals negotiated relationships with parents across the shifting race and class terrains of different eras. We argue that future investigations of parent-principal relationships should focus on the tensions and challenges inherent in these relationships, as well as the effort expended and the skill required by principals to effectively manage relations with parents in diverse school communities.

Overrepresentation of immigrants in special education. A grounded theory study on the case of Austria

“…The competencies of school directors and inspectors were also judged by teachers in terms of the decision-making about special education referrals, although teachers were at a lower level of power. Although parents are important figures in the education of their children, schools consider academic teaching to be their responsibility only, and in case of failure, it becomes the failure of the family (Horvat et al, 2010). Here, the aggravation is a result of the power struggles within the schools.…”

“…However, the important point is to differentiate between the involvement types. The kind of involvement has an effect on the reaction of the school directors or teachers (Horvat et al, 2010). The involvement of parents was considered in the frame of the power structure.…”

“…In urban areas, class, socio-economic background, or ethnicity can influence family involvement. The exercised power can change based on the background of families (Horvat et al, 2010) as well. This would put people from low socio-economic backgrounds or immigrants in a disadvantaged position.…”

Öğretmen Eğitiminde Aile Katılımı: Ne, Neden ve Nasıl?

“…Okul yöneticilerinin, okulun eğitsel ve idari konulardan birincil derecede sorumlu çalışanı olmaları yanında, bu çalışmaların yürütülebilmesi için öğretmenleri ve velileri güdüleyip destekleyecek, gerekli işbirliği ortamlarının yaratılabilmesi için koşulların planlanıp hazırlanmasını sağlayacak okul çalışanları gibi algılanıyor olmalarının, bu sonuçta etkili olduğu düşünülmektedir. Epstein ve Sanders (2006), Horvat, Curci, Partlow (2010), Lloyd-Smith, Baron, (2010), Richardson (2009); etkili bir okul ikliminin yaratılması ve özellikle ailelerin eğitime dahil edilmesi ile ilgili çalışmalarda, okul müdürlerinin, hem bir lider hem de yol gösterici olarak rollerinin ve tutumlarının çok önemli olduğunu belirtmektedir.…”

Parent and Family Engagement in Higher Education

“…Some have reviewed how parents have been managed or restrained by school administrators, which clearly limited parents’ involvement in schools (Horvat, Curci, & Partlow, ). Among African American mothers, Cooper () describes the biases and deficit perspectives of teachers that led participants to feel betrayed, discriminated against, judged, and marginalized.…”