"That's My Job as a Mom": Black and Latinx Mothers' Role Construction in School-Family Partnerships

• In Event: Partnerships Between Families and Schools

Abstract

Researchers and practitioners agree that family-school partnerships can facilitate a broad range of academic and socioemotional outcomes for children. Despite this consensus, economically-disadvantaged and minoritized families are often excluded from these partnerships. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study of school-family partnerships in the Baltimore-Washington, DC corridor. Drawing on interviews with low-income, Black and Latinx mothers, we find that they perceived that schools’ regular outreach were unidirectional, positioning mothers as recipients of information rather than partners in the education process. We also find mothers construct their roles in three ways: supervisor, collaborator, and advocate, limiting families’ engagement to their homes. The findings suggest schools should create formal pathways to collaborate with families and co-construct children’s schooling experiences.

Authors

• Nardos Ghebreab, University of Maryland - College Park

• Alisha Butler, Wesleyan University

• Angelica Montoya, University of Maryland - College Park

• Claudia Lucia Galindo, University of Maryland - College Park