ABSTRACT
In complementary US Department of Education surveys, parents and teachers disagreed on the extent to which schools reached out to parents and, conversely, the extent to which parents took advantage of opportunities generated by schools for them to be more involved in the education of their children. This chapter takes an in-depth look at the impact of social, legal, and educational policy on teacher-parent relations, as well as ideological differences that often influence relations between the two. Parental and school authorities are affected by powerladen education processes and practices, educational reform proposals, and federal and state laws. Evidence suggests that teachers and school officials influenced educational situations based on power emanating from positional authority early in the development of public schools. Teachers may be granted relational authority by parents and the general public when they are viewed as professionals with expertise in educating children.
