ABSTRACT
This chapter shows that many differences between parents and teachers in their criteria for child development derive from differences between two implicit cultural models. The teacher's model is of the child as an independent, academic achiever with high self-esteem. The parents' model is of the child as a member of the family, sharing academic skills with others in the family, developing social responsibility, and displaying respectful behavior appropriate to the role of student. The social policy goal of the authors' research is to help parents and teachers negotiate cultural differences in a positive way, by making them aware of the differing ethnotheory each party may bring to the literal table in cross-cultural parent-teacher conferences, in particular. Increased awareness on the part of immigrant families of the basic value differences is needed. It may also be useful to move toward integrating aspects of individualism and collectivism so that both parents' and teachers' goals are valued in school settings.
