“Queríamos Algo Bueno… Para Nuestros Hijos y También Para Nosotras”: A Frierian Analysis of Organizational Narratives of Latino Parent-School Engagement

• In Event: Examining School-Community Intersections

Abstract

In an era of high stakes accountability, links between parental involvement and student achievement are increasingly prevalent. However, traditional notions of parental involvement tend to exclude authentic acts of parental engagement, such as those involving parent organizing. This paper addresses this limitation by presenting a study of Latino parent engagement in a particularly threatening school and community context. Researchers integrate a narrative approach to organizational studies (Czarniawska, 1998) with Frerie’s (1970) concept of conscientização to understand Latino parent organizing within a high stakes educational and anti-immigration policy context. Researchers employed qualitative methods to investigate the intersection of parent-group and school narratives. Results revealed parents’ sought to organize on non-school issues in efforts to engage more authentically with the school.

Authors

• Samantha Paredes Scribner, Indiana University - Indianapolis

• Erica Fernández, University of Connecticut