This comprehensive text helps prepare pre-service and in-service teachers to build and sustain family, school, and community partnerships that are vital to student success. Focusing on grades preK-8, and with a particular emphasis on diverse families and learners, this book helps teachers to overcome barriers, create action plans, and sustain partnerships over time. Key features of this book include: (1) Chapters provide a contemporary, culturally relevant approach that guides teachers to devise strategies that celebrate cultural, linguistic, and academic diversity; (2) Case studies present multiple perspectives from teachers, students, and community members. Readers are asked to reflect upon the cases, analyze real-life situations, and apply chapter content to each case; (3) "Notes from the Classroom" include personal observations and strategies from teachers that enhance the reader's experience; and (4) "How To" sections show how to develop an action plan or seek outside funding. Planning sheets are included to provide the sequence of specific steps. Contents of this book are: Part I: The Basics of Educational Partnerships: (1) The Importance of Educational Partnerships; (2) History of Educational Partnerships; (3) Meeting the Needs of All Children in the 21st Century; (4) The Makeup of Families Today: Culturally Relevant Strategies to Enhance Partnerships; Part II: Building Effective Partnerships: (5) Building Family-School Partnerships; (6) Schools and Community: Working Together and Respecting Diversity; (7) Partnering With Community Organizations and Resources; (8) Barriers to Partnerships; and Part III: Planning for and Sustaining Successful Partnerships: (9) Seeking and Sustaining Successful Partnerships; (10) Planning for Partnerships; (11) Implementing and Sustaining Successful Partnerships. This book also contains: Preface; Glossary; References; About the Author; and Index.