This study sought to investigate the identity construction of Indonesian Montessori teachers. The research was done in two Montessori schools in Yogyakarta: Cosmic School and Universe School (pseudonyms). The participants involved in this research were eight teachers in total. The data gathering process employed questionnaire, classroom…

Twenty-first century educators of young children need skills and dispositions for building partnerships with the families of all their students. Educators worldwide frequently teach children from families whose backgrounds, including socioeconomic status and home language, are different from their own. This article introduces 12 principles for…

Family literacy involves factors beyond what is done at home between parents and children. To help preservice teachers develop their understanding of the multiple dimensions of family literacy, this study uses the five pillars of family and community engagement (FACE)--early literacy, family involvement, access to books, expanded learning, and…

The purpose of this paper is to support school professionals in their work with parents as they meet IDEA (2004) requirements during IEP meetings. The authors share tools to help recognize when IDEA principles are violated and provide alternative responses that school professionals and parents can offer. Definitions and brief explanations of the…

Collaboration skills are essential for all teachers, but crucial for personnel who instruct students with disabilities. Through collaboration, families and professionals are able to combine their strengths and wisdom to make education as appropriate as possible for the student. Capitalizing on each other's knowledge and expertise not only helps…

"Volatile Knowing" refers to the potential for positive change that can result when parents and teachers talk with each other about the politics and policies of externally defined accountability mandates in education. This text tells the story of twelve teachers and parents who breached the unofficial, but deeply inscribed home/school divide to…

The purpose of this position statement is to promote excellence in early childhood education by providing a framework for best practice. Grounded both in the research on child development and learning and in the knowledge base regarding educational effectiveness, the framework outlines practice that promotes young children's optimal learning and…

The five sections of this guide for general education teachers working to include students with disabilities can be used independently. Each section includes a letter to the teacher that introduces the content; a list of 10 "guidelines-at-a-glance"; a set of the guidelines, each on a separate page, suitable for duplication or as overhead…

A collaborative relationship among teachers, parents, students, and citizens can educate students more successfully than the present antilearning educational bureaucracy. (Author/MLF)

Responds to "Deception of Inclusion" (Chesley and Calaluce) by discussing the meaning of inclusion in three parts: (1) by acknowledging the meaning of education itself; (2) by describing the effect of inclusive programs; and (3) by explaining why professionals need to begin to recognize parents as essential collaborators. (CR)

This paper offers principles of mobility education for students with visual impairments, stressing that mobility training is a shared responsibility among teachers, parents, and the mobility specialist. It notes that the basis for mobility education is independent travel as a reachable goal, that the purposes include providing the child with a…

This booklet outlines the principles of a New Compact for Learning between families, communities, and schools in New York. Its main ideas are that: (1) all children can learn and contribute to their families and communities; (2) parents, teachers, and other community members must work together to help children learn; (3) a society must demand the…

This handbook describes ways that families, schools, and child-care centers can work together to achieve Vermont's state goals for early childhood education. The following topics are presented: (1) the goals and principles guiding Vermont's early education program; (2) the role of kindergarten in a child's educational career; (3) the need to shift…

Guidelines for effectively teaching minority students, Grades K-6, are presented in this manual, which is divided into six sections. Each section presents a different teaching principle, explains the rationale behind it, and provides a list of suggestions and/or comments from teachers. The six principles are: (1) Every child can learn if you have…

The 12 chapters in this Australian text on early childhood education of children with special needs are organized into two parts, the foundations of early years education and programming for atypical developmental needs. The 12 chapters are: (1) "Fundamentals of Early Education" (Louise Porter); (2) "Collaborating with Parents"…