Re-imagining Indigenous Parent Involvement in Teacher Education: One Parent's Experience in the Public School System

Abstract

My reflective stories, told both from my role as parent and scholar-practitioner, provideinsights to re-imagine Indigenous1 parent involvement in schools, to inform programsof teacher education. The insights and lessons from my lived-experiences within thepublic school system, first as a student and then as a parent of Indigenous students,propose a paradigm shift so that teacher candidates can understand Indigenous parentsand their lives better. Many Indigenous parents are influenced by severe life eventsthat inherently affect their participation or non-participation in public schools. It isimperative that Indigenous parents project their voices in the creation of responses andstrategies for parent-directed engagement and that teacher candidates are invited toconsider how they will understand parental engagement in their teaching practice. Todevelop positive strategies, parents, teachers, and administrators must be involved inthe educational planning process.