This book uses real-life situations to offer practical advice on creating positive alliances with parents. It aims to help teachers and administrators: (1) Understand family differences; (2) Forge healthy relationships with families; (3) Make the most of parent conferences; (4)Manage the difficult "five percenter" parents; and (5) Create supportive school environments. Following an introduction, this book is divided into two parts. Part one, Understanding Independent School Families (Michael G. Thompson), contains the following chapters: (1) Teacher and Parents: An Uneasy Relationship; (2) A Matter of Style: Understanding Family Differences; (3) Developing Alliances: Relationships with Reasonable Parents; and (4) From Bad to Worse: Three Types of "5 Percenter" Parents. Part two, What Teachers Can Do (Alison Fox Mazzola), includes the remaining chapters of the book: (5) A Good Fit: Seeking a Supportive School; (6) The Biggest Challenge: Managing Difficult Parents; (7) Face-to-Face: Surviving Parent Conferences; and (8) Taking Care of Yourself: Strategies for Survival.