Todd Whitaker is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is a leading presenter in the field of education and has written more than 30 books, including the national bestseller, What Great Teachers Do Differently.

Douglas J. Fiore is Dean of the Dwight Schar College of Education at Ashland University and is author of numerous books, including the popular textbook School-Community Relations, Fourth Edition.

About the Authors

Preface

Introduction to the 2nd Edition

1. Dealing with Difficult Parents: An Overview

Part I: Today's Parents

2. Who Are These Guys?: Describing Today's Parents

3. What's Wrong with These Parents Anyway?

Part II: Communicating with Parents

4. Building Credibility: Everyone Wants to Associate with a Winner

5. Taking Your Classroom Social

6. Positive Communication with Parents: An Ounce of Prevention

7. Listen, Learn, and Cultivate

Part III: Soothing the Savage Beast

8. Initiating Contact with Parents

9. Never Let 'Em See You Sweat

10. What If The Parent Is Right?

11. The Best Way to Get In the Last Word...

12. Do You Feel Defensive? If So, Something Is Wrong

Part IV: Dealing with Parents in Difficult Situations

13. Delivering Bad News

14. But I Did Get a Good Deal: Examining the Car Salesman

15. What If They Use the "F" Word - Fair?

16. Focus on the Future

Part V: Increasing Parental Involvement

17. Understanding Parent Involvement

18. Increasing Parental Involvement at School

19. Increasing Parent Involvement at Home

Parting Thoughts

References