ABSTRACT
Perfect partners don't exist. Perfect conditions exist for a limited time in which partnerships express themselves best.- Wayne Rooney. Partnership is hard work, and it is filled with potential barriers. This chapter looks at these barriers as a way to remain realistic yet positive about the possibility of powerful partnerships. It showcases why parent engagement has struggled as a movement, and how current cultural demands make recovering these partnerships even more difficult. Barriers vary because each school has an individual personality, but there are some commonalities that can be a part of this conversation. Barriers are the fruit of misunderstandings. They come when parties make assumptions, judgments, and decisions without all of the information. There are a number of other areas that can create barriers between school and home. Some of them are obvious while others require some reflection and introspection to see how they manifest within the school culture.
