Discusses the issue of parent participation in the schools in historic context. Describes a parent participation program developed by the Yale Child Study Center Team in the New Haven Public Schools. The program successfully improved the academic ranking of the school from 32nd out of 33 schools in 1969 to 3rd out of 26 schools in 1984. (MD)

Since both having the teacher visit the students' homes and having the parents visit the schools for conferences poses problems, the telephone is suggested as a relatively unexploited resource for solving the parent/teacher conference dilemma. (Author/JN)

Describes the cluster program in District 11, New York City, which brings parent and school staff representatives together. Lists the cluster groups' focuses, reviews several innovations suggested by the groups (including an interschool visitation program), and compares the clusters to Japanese "quality circles." (RW)

In the fourth Phi Delta Kappan teacher opinion poll, teachers evaluate both their own schools and colleagues highly, feel that on-campus student misbehavior has declined slightly since 1989, favor cutting administrators to save money, give parents Cs and Ds on child-rearing, think part-time student employment hurts academic performance, and…

The National PTA, which helped plan and conduct many Phi Delta Kappan public education forums, believes that parent and community involvement, competent and caring educators, and adequate funding are key components of educational excellence. As parents discuss these vital components with other community members, they can jointly develop awareness,…

Parent participation in elementary school classrooms provides teachers with a valuable and varied resource, but also requires deeper teacher involvement in students' private lives and skill in managing time. The growth of a parent participation program in Salt Lake City, Utah, proves such programs can succeed. (PGD)

Outlines four areas in which parents, teachers, and communities can work together to improve teacher performance: teacher recruitment, the quality of principals, assistance to classroom teachers, and a shift to a philosophy of shared responsibility for education. (Author/IRT)

Outlines a broad range of organizational features that minimize teachers' ability to teach. Research findings show that the dominating motivational force for teachers is the reward found in promoting students' growth and development, but the conditions teachers work under often make teachers function less effectively. (MD)

Reports the positive initial assessment of California's attempt to encourage individual elementary schools to assess the needs of their children, to plan appropriate instructional settings, and to evaluate the effectiveness of their efforts. (Author/IRT)

Teachers can gain strength to continue in their profession by consciously forging links--personal, parental, professional, promotional, and practitioner--that bind them to various constituencies. (MLF)

Teachers at Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington, are joined by the parents of high school students in the production of elaborate annual shows that both create a sense of community and raise approximately $10,000 a year for the school. (PGD)

To be great teachers and contribute to their school systems, teachers must gain others' support. Teachers can tap endless resources: their colleagues, students, parents, professional organizations, professional literature, other schools, universities, and themselves. Teachers allowed to teach according to their beliefs are happiest. (MLH)