Incorporating Hispanic Parents ' Perspectives into Teacher Preparation

This study investigated what Hispanic American parents could contribute to the preparation of teachers. Parents from a predominantly Mexican American school district participated in individual and focus group interviews. Most of the respondents were parent leaders from their schools and communities, who had perspectives informed by membership in the Hispanic community and by their work in classrooms. They had participated in workshops supporting parents in becoming active supporters of quality mathematics learning for their children. The interviews asked them about what they thought preservice teachers should know about their children and how to work with them to become more effective. They were also asked to describe experiences with their children's teachers and schools and to comment on a commonly-held perception that Hispanic parents do not value education and schooling. Overall, the parents believed teachers needed to understand their communities, not just Hispanics in general. Parents identified how low or neutral expectations were manifested by teachers in how they thought of grades for their children, in their lack of concern about talking with secondary school parents, and in the general lack of encouragement to take demanding courses and go on to higher education. (Contains 23 references.) (SM) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document