Instead of dwelling on the lack of parental support, they try to find ways of encouraging it. Most go beyond such strategies, seeking to empower parents in order to empower students. Instead of asking parents to come, she takes the initiative, with a focus on constantly helping parents understand that their children are capable of much higher achievement. For a teacher in an Alaskan village only a few miles from the Bering Sea, self-esteem for both students and parents is linked to their culture. A New Jersey high school English teacher assigns students to discuss their reading with their parents and report to the class on the discussions.
Parents also come to the class to read and participate.
A Baltimore elementary teacher uses parent and family journals to reach reluctant parents. She sends the journals home to parents every few weeks, asking questions that need responses from them. Those who don't want to write can reply through tapes. Some write poems, some write essays. I learn a lot, and the journals are something parents can look at over time and share with their children.