The School-Home Connection: Forging Positive Relationships With Parents

"A useful resource for all educators with practical suggestions to help close the gap between school and home. Through analogies and shared reflections on real-life examples, the authors provide guidance for dealing effectively with parents, understanding the importance of family dynamics, and considering the effects of personality types on relationships."
―Annette Speach, Director of Human Resources
North Syracuse Central School District, NY

"Becoming skilled in relationships is the foundation for successful home-school collaboration, and these authors provide the why′s and how-to′s in a very readable form."
―Bonnie Dunn, Retired School Social Worker
The Collaborative School, New Gloucester, ME

The keys to bridging the gap between school and home!

Research has consistently shown that student success is directly related to the strength of the relationships between parents and schools. This book provides teachers and administrators with tools to build a foundation for student success based on positive relationships with students and their families.

Drawing on original research and their professional experiences, the authors identify the common sources of both negative and positive school-home relationships. The book presents a comprehensive approach to building closer connections and includes:

• Tools to help educators develop a deeper understanding of the communities they serve
• Strategies for improving interpersonal skills and communication skills
• A chapter on the importance of documenting and celebrating school events
• Guidelines for creating three distinct levels of parental participation in schools

With suggestions for cultivating a community network of support services and a summary of lessons for forging constructive relationships, The School-Home Connection is an essential tool for educators looking to strengthen the learning community and increase student achievement.

Rosemary Olender is a retired school administrator who is currently providing consulting and staff development services for school districts across a broad range of educational issues. She has focused her work on the development of educational practices that lead to higher standards for all students and increased public relations between schools and communities. Olender received her bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and audiology from the State University of New York at Albany, her master′s degree in speech and language pathology from Syracuse University, and her CAS in educational administration from Syracuse University.

Prior to becoming an administrator, Olender taught for 17 years as a teacher (Grades 1-2; 7-9; 10-12) of profoundly deaf children in inclusive settings. She then became a general education administrator as associate principal for a junior high school (Grades 8-9) and principal of an elementary school (Grades K-4) before becoming director of special education (K-12) for the North Syracuse Central School District in upstate New York. She now focuses her consulting and staff development training for school districts and state organizations on a variety of topics centered on effective parent relations, inclusive practices, special education laws and practices, behavior management, and school-related personnel.

Olender is a member of the American Speech and Hearing Association, the Council of Exceptional Children, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Additionally, she is a part-time administrator for the supervision of speech therapists providing Medicaid services in several upstate New York school districts.


Jacquelyn Elias is a retired speech therapist and school administrator residing in upstate New York. She received a bachelor of arts degree in speech pathology and audiology from the State University of NY at Geneseo and a masters and educational administrative degree from Oswego State University. Elias spent 19 years in the public schools as a speech therapist and special educator. Her primary interest was working with students with emotional disabilities and the very young child with language disabilities.

Elias was a school administrator for 10 years. She spent 3 years as an intermediate school principal and 7 years in the capacities of assistant director and director of special education programs in three different school districts. 

Elias was active in the NYSWA (New York State Women in Administration) organization and SANNYS, a NYS organization for all administrators.

Rosemary Mastroleo is a retired school teacher and supervisor now living in Southwest Florida. Throughout her career, Mastroleo was responsible for the set up and design of special education programs in public school settings. She focused her efforts on identifying the strengths and weaknesses of each child in order to build a successful academic program both at home and at school. Mastroleo’s consistent efforts to build cooperative relationships with families enhanced the success of her students and her programs.

Prior to becoming an administrator, Mastroleo taught for 17 years in the North Syracuse Central School District in central New York. During that time, she was a first grade teacher, an elementary counselor, a resource teacher, and then an itinerant junior and senior high school teacher. Following her tenure as a teacher, Mastroleo became a program monitor for the special education department in the North Syracuse District. Her duties included overseeing self-contained special education classes, sitting as a permanent member of the Committee on Special Education and providing consultant services for special education and regular education teachers regarding students with special needs. In addition to her supervisory and consultant duties, Mastroleo became a hearing officer for the North Syracuse District during her last five years of service.