"Bridging the Gaps": Black Parent Advocacy for Student Academic Success

• In Event: The Visibility and Advocacy of Historically Marginalized Parents in U.S. Public Schools

Abstract

“I thought that to be an African American parent, that you have to work to be more useful than the PTA in helping bridge those gaps. You come up with strategies to offer to the school district and teachers to help them facilitate the education of our children.” (Jonathan)

Objectives
Opportunity gaps are common in suburban districts, where white educators are often unprepared to meet the needs of an increasingly diverse population (Frankenberg & Orfield, 2012: Holme, Diem, & Welton, 2014; Lewis-McCoy, 2014). Yet most of the extant research on Black parent engagement and advocacy is focused on African Americans in urban schools and districts, with few studies exploring parents’ engagement for student success in suburban schools. This paper examines the engagement of a socioeconomically mixed group of black mothers and fathers in a predominantly white suburban school district challenged by racial opportunity gaps. The research asks: 1) How do black parents engage in their children’s education, in and/or out of schools? 2) What role do race, social class, and gender play in shaping their individual and collective engagement?

Theoretical Framework
The research is informed by ecological studies that embed family-school relationships within broader social contexts, treating parent engagement as a dynamic process (Calabrese Barton, Drake, Perez, St. Louis, & George, 2004). I explore the intersections of parents’ actions to influence their children’s education, parents’ relationships with others, and the particular contexts in which they operate. In order to interrogate the intersections of race, class, and gender, I also draw from intersectionality theory (Collins 1999). An ecological framework for understanding parent engagement, informed by intersectionality, provides me with the conceptual tools to understand black parents’ heterogeneous experiences and alternative forms of engagement within the context of suburban schooling.

Methods & Data Sources
The research findings are based upon a larger ethnographic study of Black parent engagement in a predominantly white Wisconsin suburb.  For this paper I draw from: 1) semi-structured interviews with 56 Black parents of children in grades K–7; 2) field notes from monthly district-wide African American Parent Organization (AAPO) meetings; and 3) an analysis of district and AAPO documents related to district demographics, academics, and family engagement.

Conclusions & Significance
While both social class and gender shaped parents’ experiences and forms of engagement, all parents worked to ensure that their children were receiving a high quality education within racialized school and community contexts. Through the district-wide AAPO, parents came together across social class and neighborhood lines to ensure that black students were treated fairly and held to high standards.  While the organization faced several challenges, it nevertheless brought new resources to students and advised district leaders on matters pertaining to black student success. The findings challenge dominant assumptions of black parents’--and particularly low-income black parents’-- disengagement in their children’s education. The research also highlights the important role that district-wide parent organizations can play in challenging inequities and “bridging gaps” between home and school.

Author

• Linn E. Posey-Maddox, University of Wisconsin - Madison