Includes bibliographical references and index.

"Turner-Vorbeck and Marsh content that the vast majority found in schools and society today suggests an urgent need to reconsider the ways in which families are currently represented and addressed in school curriculum and culture. In this important volume, they provide critical and theoretical analyses combined with narrative experiences to address such issues as multigenerational views of the schooling experiences of immigrant families, the educational needs of gay and lesbian families, the representation of adoption and adoptive families in children's literature, and the experiences of homeless students and their families with the educational system.

Essential reading for everyone interested in building more inclusive communities, this book:
Looks at families that diverge from the so-called norm, including single parent, multiracial, foster, adoptive, blended, LGBTQ, and immigrant families.
Features a varied group of authors, including teachers, students, parents, principals, school counselors, and professors.
Offers examples of how both school and university personnel have responded to incorporating all family types into the school community.
Provides guidance to help readers effect positive and appropriate change in their own classrooms and communities.
Includes questions for reflection and discussion at the end of each chapter." (Book Cover)

CONTENTS

Introduction

PART I: DIVERSE FAMILIES: NARRATIVES OF EXPERIENCE

1. Hegemonies and "Transgressions" of Family: Tales of Pride and Prejudice / Elizabeth Heilman

2. Immigrant Families and Schools: The Need for a Better Relationship / A.Y. "Fred" Ramirez

3. From the Principal's Desk: Making the School Environment More Inclusive / Teresa J. Rishel

4. A Welcoming Tone in the Classroom: Developing the Potential of Diverse Students and Their Families / Lisa Rieger

5. Wards of Wisdom: Foster Youth on a Path Toward Postsecondary Education / Ilyana Marks

PART II: REPRESENTATIONS OF FAMILY IN SCHOOL CULTURE AND CURRICULUM

6. Evolving Images: Crafting Family Lives in Colonial Pennsylvania / Monica Miller Marsh

7. Doing the Difficult: Schools and Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer Families / Janice Kroeger

8. What Makes a Family?: Representations of Adoption in Children's Literature / Lesley Colabucci and Matthew D. Conley

9. Emerging Faces of Homelessness: Young Children, Their Families, and Schooling / Tracy Thoennes

10. From Textbooks to the Teachers' Lounge: The Many Curricula of Family in Schools / Tammy Tumer-Vorbeck

About the Editors and the Contributors

Index