INVOLVING COMMUNITY AND PARENTS / ELLIOT SHAPIRO and OTHERS.

THE FIRST PAPER OF A PANEL, BY AARON BROWN, BRIEFLY REVIEWS SOME ISSUES OF PARENT-COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN THE SCHOOLS. HE NOTES THE INCREASING COMMUNITY CONCERN WITH BETTER TEACHER PREPARATION AND PERFORMANCE, QUALITY INTEGRATED EDUCATION, AND VARIOUS CURRENT EDUCATIONAL STRATEGIES AND PRACTICES. HE POINTS OUT THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS THE KEY TO THE SUCCESS OR FAILURE OF PARENT-COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. HARRY GOTTESFELD STATES THAT GHETTO RESIDENTS HAVE THE GREATEST UNDERSTANDING OF THE FACTORS INFLUENCING THE CHILD'S LIFE AND SCHOOL BEHAVIOR AND, THEREFORE, COMMUNITY PEOPLE CAN OFFER CONSIDERABLE KNOWLEDGE TO TEACHER EDUCATION. HE OUTLINES SIX PRODUCTIVE ROLES FOR COMMUNITY RESIDENTS IN TEACHER EDUCATION AND IN THE SCHOOLS. DON WATKINS SAYS THAT LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES CAN EXPLAIN THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF POVERTY AREAS TO TEACHER TRAINEES, INVOLVE THEM IN AREA ACTIVITIES, AND OFFER THEM DIRECT PERSONAL EXPERIENCES WITH THE POOR. HE URGES THAT SCHOOL SYSTEMS GUARANTEE PARENT-COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN DECISION MAKING BEFORE TEACHERS ARE PLACED IN THE SCHOOLS AND THAT ADULT EDUCATION COURSES TRAIN RESIDENTS FOR VARIOUS PROFESSIONAL JOBS. ELLIOTT SHAPIRO IN SUMMARIZING THE PANEL PAPERS ADDS HIS CRITICISM OF THE "ALOOFNESS AND SMUGNESS" OF THE EDUCATIONAL ESTABLISHMENT, AND SUGGESTS THAT TEACHER TRAINEES BE TAUGHT HOW TO COPE WITH THIS ESTABLISHMENT. (NH)

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