Knoester, Somé publish book on multicultural school-family communication

Matthew Knoester, professor and chair of educational studies, and Touorizou Hervé Somé, associate professor of educational studies, recently published a book focused on establishing effective multicultural communication between families and educators.

The book, titled “Fostering School–Family Relationships in Multicultural Communities,” was published by Teachers College Press, Columbia University and edited by James A. Banks.

“We are thrilled to have our book included in the Multicultural Education Series with James A. Banks, one of the leading scholars in this field,” Knoester and Somé said. “We hope this book will be a useful tool and meaningful contribution toward high-quality communication and trust between families and schools.”

Knoester and Somé collaborated with Maura G. Robinson, a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) consultant and coach to school districts and organizations, to write the book.

The book is a practitioner-friendly resource to help parents and educators with different values and viewpoints to better communicate, understand and collaborate for the benefit of all children in kindergarten through 12th grade.

“The three of us came together about five years ago for a dinner, and that is where the idea of the book originated,” Knoester and Somé said. “We thought about how the three of us could bring unique perspectives from our abiding interests and professional experiences in family engagement and equity in schools.”

The book leverages personal experiences and recent research to propose strategies for families and schools to collaborate effectively. It emphasizes enhancing the academic, social and emotional growth of all students, particularly those from diverse backgrounds and families.

Knoester and Somé said the contents of their book are closely related to several of the classes they teach at Ripon College, specifically EDU 260: Diversity in American Education, which Somé teaches every semester, EDU 190: School and Society, which Somé also teaches, as well as several courses taught by Knoester in the educational studies department, including EDU 323 and EDU 348.

“This book is a reminder that communication is not a one-way path, in the direction of schools to families,” Knoester and Somé said. “Two-way communication is extremely important.”

Included in the book is a series of discussion questions that Knoester and Somé said they hope will encourage school communities to establish voluntary book clubs or study groups involving both families and teachers.

“Each of us has been part of school-based book clubs, including both parents and teachers, but the books read for these groups were never written specifically for that purpose,” Knoester and Somé said. “We hope the book will be a conversation starter, with valuable information for both educators and for families to learn from one another and to build trust.”