Examining School, Family, and Community Partnerships Among Hispanic Parents: An Ethnography of Transformation

Abstract

This dissertation study examined school, family, and community partnerships among Hispanic parents whose children were enrolled in a school district’s Migrant Education Program (MEP). I was guided by the following main question: What issues do parents discuss regarding school, family, and community partnerships? Data were collected from interviews, artifacts, and field notes. Participant observation was conducted at the Parent Advisory Council (PAC) meetings and at The Bridge, a clothing distribution program. Findings that emerged from the research demonstrated that the PAC meetings provided a setting where parents created and developed their social networks and became empowered. The parents who informed this study perceived their role in their children’s education as one where parent advocacy was central to the partnerships between families, schools, and communities. With the assistance and collaboration from the MEP, parent volunteers developed The Bridge, first established to assist school families in meeting their children’s basic needs; it later became a central location for local knowledge, social networks, and funds of knowledge. Through work accomplished at The Bridge, parents instilled in their children the value of hard work and learned to navigate the school system. They moved away from oppression, became empowered, and handled tensions. One of the most significant findings in this study was a shift by the parents from performing a standardized set of schooling practices set forth by the school, to developing a program that advanced as needs were assessed and identified. Parents in this study formally organized themselves in order to have a voice in the school (Delgado-Gaitan, 1991).