This study explored two mothers' and two teachers' beliefs about who was responsible for children's teaching and learning. Participants were two teachers at Adams Elementary, a public school in middle-class suburban Boston (Massachusetts), and the mothers of two kindergartners there. The children were a boy and a girl, both firstborn and developing typically. Both teachers were female, born in the United States, and married. Teachers were interviewed individually in their classrooms in September. Mothers were interviewed in their homes in October. Findings included: (1) mothers thought of themselves as teaching in all domains of learning; (2) mothers and teachers disagreed about each other's responsibility for teaching and learning as teachers contended that in kindergarten formal learning becomes increasingly the work of the school, while mothers stressed their continuing role in teaching school-oriented skills; (3) as parents were more dependent on the school for access to information, they responded by becoming involved in the school and striving to learn about the teachers' methods; and (4) the organizational structure of schools may also hinder parent participation. Teachers may view it to be in their best interest to erect boundaries between themselves and families. For teachers the educational role of parents is to prepare children for formal academic learning and to support that learning. (Contains 54 references.) (JB)