“While decidedly among the most important literacy scholars of our era, Pat Edwards locates progress on the ground—in the work of educators and in the operation of schools. Specifically, Edwards invites educators to consider the data that matters to children and communities. It is about people's lives and the lessons that people can teach us about their worlds and about education. It is my hope that this book inspires teachers to seek ways to make schools more equitable and caring spaces for all children.”
—From the Foreword by Catherine Compton-Lilly, professor of curriculum and instruction, University of Wisconsin–Madison
"Long a leader in the field, Professor Patricia Edwards reinforces the fact that education is a shared responsibility of home, school, and community. She presents scores of practical ideas and resources to enable educators to involve all parents in their children’s education. This includes details on effective open house nights, new technologies for two-way communications between teachers and parents, designs for student-led parent–teacher conferences, and more."
—Joyce L. Epstein, director, Center on School, Family, and Community Partnerships and National Network of Partnership Schools (NNPS), Johns Hopkins University
"Finally a book that brings partnering with parents into the 21st century! Edwards begins this book with a heartfelt personal history and rationale for why developing parent–teacher partnerships is so important, and she then packs it with detailed, engaging, and practical suggestions for bringing parents and teachers together so that children have rich and relevant opportunities to learn. This is a book teachers will want to keep at their fingertips!"
—Jeanne R. Paratore, professor and program director, Literacy and Reading Education, Boston University
"This book moves beyond traditional parent involvement approaches to focus on specific strategies for engaging all families in partnerships to support their students’ learning. With lots of practical suggestions and resources, this book will help readers immediately update, expand, and enhance their parent-engagement efforts."
—Laurie Elish-Piper, acting dean, distinguished teaching professor, and presidential engagement professor, College of Education, Northern Illinois University
"New Ways to Engage Parents is loaded with practical advice that can help educators engage with families in respectful and culturally sensitive ways. With strategies ranging from teacher notes to classroom blogs, every teacher should find a wealth of ideas for building home–school partnerships."
—Deborah Wells Rowe, Peabody College, Vanderbilt University
“Patricia Edwards provides an action-oriented framework and proven strategies for school administrators, teachers, coaches, and teacher educators to create partnerships with families that are linked to student learning goals. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Edwards helps us think critically about outmoded practices that often distance diverse parents from schools and shows us how to replace them with up-to-date strategies for engaging contemporary families.”
—Judy Carson, manager for school-family-community partnerships, Connecticut State Department of Education
