1st Edition
Creating Family–School Partnerships From ‘Talking To’ Towards ‘Learning With’
Introducing a new model of family–school partnership, entitled ‘Pathways to Partnership’, Sandra presents a template to teachers and school leaders for developing authentic, genuine family–school partnerships that reflect contemporary global thinking and practice. She offers a new perspective on the family–school partnership, and provides support and guidance to school leaders to move away from outdated but ingrained approaches to more effective family–school partnerships.
Globally, schools are becoming less an education centre and more of a hub that integrates health and social services. With this change, the way schools regard family involvement has also shifted, with family involvement being viewed as a strategically critical role. This shift has been influenced not just by the recent pandemic, but also by the global trend towards decentralisation and democratisation of the decision-making power in schools, in which parent empowerment is implicit. However, many schools have not followed a modern engagement model in the way they approach partnership with the family, and still espouse approaches that are school centric and outdated in their orientation. Pathways to Partnership helps move leaders from ‘talking to’, towards ‘learning with’ parents.
Using case studies and the voices of parents and teachers to bring the content to life, Sandra provides strategies for school leaders and teachers to use to establish contemporary partnerships with families, ones that reflect current thinking that leads schools into authentic collaboration with their most important partners.
1. Pathways to Partnership: Introducing a New Model of Family-School Partnership 2. Background, Shifting Definitions and Clarifications 3. Power and the Family-School Partnership 4. Communication and the Family-School Partnership 5. Trust and the Family-School Partnership 6: Living the Pathways Model - Stories (and lessons) from the field: The Most Vocal People are Always the People that are the Most Negative 7. Living the Pathways Model - Stories (and lessons) from the Field: They Told Us, But it Wasn’t What We Wanted to Know 8. Living the Pathways Model: Stories (and lessons) from the Field: It’s Everybody’s Partnership. 9. Living the Pathways Model - Stories (and lessons) From the Field: You Listen to Us, We’ll Listen to You. 10. Barriers to the Formation of a Family-School Partnership 11. Expanding our Concept of ‘Family’- The Role of the Domestic Helper in the Family-School Partnership 12. Creating Family-School Partnerships: From ‘Talking to’ Towards ‘Learning With’ Conclusion
Biography
Sandra Webster has a PhD from Swinburne University of Technology. She is an educational leader with many years of experience in a variety of settings and schools. Education has been her life's work and passion. She believes that the times we live in offer educators an opportunity for a reset, and the chance to review and change the way we deliver education.
“Creating Family–School Partnerships From 'Talking To' Towards 'Learning With' provides innovative ways for working in such spaces for families, teachers and school leaders. Through raw and honest examples, authentic reflections around partnerships can be made. At the heart is the creation of the ‘Pathways to Partnership’ model that supports the sharing of power between families and schools advocating for true practices associated with equal partnerships.”
Professor Susanne Garvis, Griffith University, Australia
“Creating Family–School Partnerships From 'Talking To' Towards 'Learning With' describes characteristics of policy and practices that are all too commonly, school centric with the mode of communication being “talked to”. On the other hand, and preferably, this book elaborates behaviours and orientations that are focused on student learning and wellbeing, the community “learning with” each other. With confidence, I endorse the book and recommend it to leaders willing to engage families as partners in improving the opportunities for students.”
Peter Sullivan, Emeritus Professor of Education, Monash University
“This book is essential reading for all educators who care about their students as richly complex human beings who live and learn within and beyond the classroom. It provides evidence for what we know to be true about the power of good partnership between home and school, and it outlines a model that helps teachers and school leaders navigate the challenges and the fulfilment that come of real connection with all who share in the care of each child.”
Justin Garrick, Head of School, Canberra Grammar School
