KQED News Mind/Shift – Zaidee Stavely
“When Yesenia Gonzalez welcomed her daughter’s teacher into her home for the first time, she was ready for another lecture on how she could be a better parent. That’s what she was used to hearing from school officials. So she was surprised when the teacher asked about her hopes for her daughter’s future, and her concerns. “I didn’t become a better parent, which is what schools always seem to want to train us on,” Gonzalez said. She already knows she’s a good parent, but the visit gave her something else. “I became an advocate for my children and I grabbed that tool and I went with it. It took one teacher in my home, in my living room, to give me that,” Gonzalez said. The home visit helped Gonzalez see that the teachers at her daughter’s school wanted her to succeed. Gonzalez had a terrible middle school experience herself and hadn’t finished high school, but having a teacher in her home, treating her as an equal partner, made her feel respected. She was no longer afraid school staff would turn her away if she needed help, and her new trust in the teacher made her want to support him by helping out in the classroom.”(more)