Practising ‘anti-biased’ communication with parents
Finding ‘common ground’ among people with diverse world views can be tricky, because those with the most power will often use it to ensure that their views prevail. To counter this, staff can draw on the principles of anti-bias education (see, for example, Derman-Sparks et al 1989) to help them to communicate equitably with parents (Hughes and Mac Naughton 1999)
• offer all parents equal access to you and time with you;
• provide all parents with the same basic information about the centre and encourage them to share information with you;
• ensure that all parents know about any current and planned opportunities to become involved in the centre, including attending meetings