The following article originally appeared in the IDRA Newsletter by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Every effort has been made to maintain the content in its original form. However, accompanying charts and graphs may not be provided here. To receive a copy of the original article by mail or fax, e-mail your request to IDRA .
Educators are sensitive to charges that they fail to adequately prepare their students.
Interestingly, those same middle school teachers who resent having their performance questioned, often pass the buck to their colleagues at the elementary level in exactly the same way. The absurdity of this situation does not stop there, however, for there is a tendency for educators at all levels to complain about today's parents whom they claim are the real source of children's educational difficulties. In this article, I examine obstacles to parent involvement for families from diverse cultural backgrounds, particularly focusing on immigrant families, and explore reasons their ways of interacting with the school are often misinterpreted as not valuing or supporting their children's education. They never respond to our invitations to volunteer for school activities. It's only one night a year.