How often do you hear, The only parents who showed were the parents who didn't need to be here.
But how often do you consider time of day, lack of childcare, cost of dinner, transportation, lan�guage of the presentation, even relevance of the topic-all real-world barriers for families of our historically underserved students. Here at last is a resource that will open up access and reveal all-new ways to forge more culturally inclusive partnerships with families and communities... partnerships that extend well beyond parent-teacher conferences, PTA meetings, and the occasional bake sale. Using the Tools of Cultural Proficiency, you'll: 1. Discover new concepts and strategies to engage families and communities-and reduce, if not eliminate, barriers--through four essential principles: communication, connection, collaboration, and community; and 2. Engage in frequent opportunities to reflect on your own assumptions and values, then collaborate with colleagues to co-create systemic practices and policies for devising, implementing, and assessing family and community engagement actions in your schools and districts. We know inherently that family and community engagement is critical to the success of our stu-dents. Let this book be your go-to tool for breaking down the walls that for too long have limited all of us.