Allied Forces: The Working Alliance for Meaningful ParentEducator Partnerships in Special Education

Authors

Danielle Magaldi-Dopman, Lehman College
Timothy Conway, Lehman College

Abstract

Strong parent-educator partnerships in special education yield benefits for parents, teachers and students, however there are often obstacles to the development of these partnerships, and teacher preparation programs and professional development are often deficient in preparing special education teachers for the complexities of this relationship building. In the following, the varied interpretations of parental involvement are explored, followed by a discussion of some of the significant obstacles to strong parent-teacher partnerships in special education classrooms. Authors introduce the working alliance as a solution for framing positive parent-educator relationships. Finally, the three elements of a working alliance are described with an emphasis on the element of the shared bond, and five practical applications are discussed.

Recommended Citation

Magaldi-Dopman, Danielle and Conway, Timothy (2012) "Allied Forces: The Working Alliance for Meaningful ParentEducator Partnerships in Special Education," The Journal of Special Education Apprenticeship: Vol. 1: No. 2, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.58729/2167-3454.1008
Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/josea/vol1/iss2/3