ProTeam Resources | Page 14

5. At no time should students or parents/guardians feel that schools are indoctrinating the children with others' opinions. Therefore, teachers need to be receptive to varying views and display respect for diverse values. By involving parents/guardians in such matters as determining priorities and setting goals, they have opportunities for input and direction. “Parents/guardians are children's first teachers and have a lifelong influence on children's values, attitudes, and aspirations” (Fruchter, p. 44). “Children's educational success requires congruence between what is taught at school and the values expressed in the home... Family-school partnerships that articulate common goals and expectations and help information flow freely and regularly between parents/guardians and teachers can narrow these gaps between home and school” (p.44). 6. “The contrast between the experiences and the 'cultures' of home and school deeply affects the psychological and social development of many youngsters--particularly poor, minority children from families outside the mainstream—and…these difficulties, if left unabridged, may lie at the root of poor academic performance” (Hall, pp. 1-3). 7. “Including community organizations is an effective strategy to reach low-income and minority families, particularly those hardest to reach because of pover K