“We Are Bridges”: Bilingual Latina Teachers as Cultural Mediators in Family–School Partnerships

Abstract

This paper explores the critical role of bilingual Latina educators as cultural mediators in fostering inclusive and effective parent engagement within schools. It calls for a shift from traditional, deficit-oriented approaches to parent engagement towards a strengths-based model that recognizes the valuable knowledge and contributions of families and for the incorporation of parent engagement courses in teacher education to better prepare educators for this critical work. Drawing from teacher reflections, this paper examines the unique ways in which these educators navigate cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers to create spaces where Latinx families feel seen, heard, and valued. This paper highlights four key themes: (1) the role of bilingual educators as cultural and linguistic translators, (2) the challenge of reframing the deficit-based perspectives of Latinx families, (3) the importance of relationship-building through home visits, and (4) the emotional labor involved in advocating for marginalized families. Through these reflections, this paper advocates for systemic changes, emphasizing the need for formal institutional support for bilingual educators. It concludes by urging schools to adopt flexible, culturally responsive strategies that build long-term partnerships between educators and families.

1. Introduction

For decades, schools have operated within a framework that privileges institutional authority and defines parent involvement on the school’s terms. In this traditional “school-centric” approach (Lawson, 2003), families are often positioned as the supporters of school-determined goals, expected to help with homework, attend scheduled meetings, and comply with school policies. While this model may appear inclusive on the surface, it often reinforces power imbalances and fails to recognize the diverse ways families contribute to their children’s learning, especially those from historically marginalized communities. For many Latinx families, this school-centric orientation creates barriers rather than bridges. The cultural and linguistic practices that shape their home lives are rarely acknowledged or valued in school settings. Parents who do not engage in ways that align with dominant norms may be labeled as disinterested or uninvolved. In reality, their support is constant and deeply rooted in care but often remains invisible to educators who are not attuned to their ways of knowing and doing.

In response to these limitations, a growing number of educators and scholars are calling for a shift toward a “family-centric” approach to education (Pushor, 2015). This approach recognizes families as co-educators and centers their knowledge, values, and cultural practices in school life. Within this paradigm, the role of educators also shifts. Instead of acting solely as transmitters of knowledge, teachers become cultural mediators and relational connectors, working in partnership with families to co-create inclusive learning environments. Bilingual Latina educators are uniquely positioned to lead this shift. As members of racialized communities themselves, they often carry lived experiences of navigating systemic exclusion. As teachers, they draw from those experiences to bridge the gaps between schools and families, making educational spaces more responsive, relational, and just. Their dual perspectives allow them to see both the structural barriers that families face and the deep strengths they bring.

This paper explores the ways in which bilingual Latina educators, if at all, mediate cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers between schools and families. It also examines how, if at all, they challenge deficit narratives by recognizing and uplifting the often overlooked contributions Latinx families make to their children’s education. Drawing on teacher reflections from a graduate course on parent engagement, this study highlights the practices, beliefs, and emotional labor that shape more humanizing and equitable approaches to family–school relationships.

2. Theoretical Frameworks

This research is guided by three interconnected theoretical frameworks that underscore the significance of asset-based perspectives in education, particularly in relation to Latinx families: Funds of Knowledge (Moll et al., 1992), Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (Paris, 2012), and Parent Knowledge (Pushor, 2015). These frameworks collectively emphasize the valuable cultural and experiential resources that Latina educators bring to educational settings, advocate for the active affirmation of students’ cultural and linguistic identities, and highlight the importance of recognizing families as active and knowledgeable partners in their children’s education.

2.1. Funds of Knowledge: Valuing Family Expertise

The Funds of Knowledge framework (Moll et al., 1992) highlights the valuable cultural and experiential resources within Latinx families and communities, suggesting their strategic integration into educational practices. By valuing the knowledge embedded in household practices, work experiences, and community networks, this approach directly challenges deficit-oriented perspectives that often overlook the strengths of marginalized communities.

Empirical evidence underscores the positive impact of the Funds of Knowledge framework on student engagement and learning outcomes. For instance, Bennett et al. (2020) illustrated how Latinx youth’s activist identities and community engagement, cultivated through programs like CHANCE, a college access pathway program that fosters scholar–activist identities among Latinx students, are deeply rooted in their familial funds of knowledge. These findings highlight the framework’s capacity to empower students by forging meaningful connections between their cultural backgrounds and their academic and social development.

Contemporary research further explores the synergistic relationship between the Funds of Knowledge framework and technology-enhanced learning environments. Studies by Y. Chen et al. (2024, 2025) demonstrate how mobile-assisted writing tools can significantly enhance Latinx English learners’ narrative abilities and intercultural sensitivity. These investigations reveal that when educational practices intentionally incorporate students’ cultural and linguistic assets, the benefits extend beyond improved academic performance to include a stronger sense of belonging and enhanced intercultural competence. This intersectionality underscores the framework’s enduring adaptability in contemporary educational contexts, particularly for Latinx students navigating complex and evolving cultural identities.

The Funds of Knowledge framework, therefore, provides a robust lens through which to examine the crucial role bilingual Latina teachers play in bridging home and school environments by recognizing, valuing, and activating the rich knowledge bases of the families they serve.

2.2. Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies: Affirming Identity

This section examines Paris’ (2012) Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies (CSP), a framework that extends the work of Funds of Knowledge. CSP centers the preservation and celebration of Latinx students’ cultural and linguistic identities. It challenges assimilationist approaches in education and promotes teaching practices that sustain students’ heritage languages, traditions, and community knowledge. The framework treats cultural and linguistic diversity as assets to be nurtured, not deficits to be fixed. It aligns with a broader push for equity in education.

Case studies offer compelling evidence of CSP’s effectiveness across diverse classroom settings. For example, Bennett et al. (2020) illustrate how dual-language programs that leverage Latinx students’ Spanish proficiency contribute to both enhanced academic achievement and a stronger sense of cultural pride. Further implementations of CSP include curriculum designs that intentionally incorporate familial narratives and community histories, thereby fostering deeper connections between school content and students’ lived experiences. It is important to note, however, that critiques of CSP highlight systemic barriers that impede its widespread adoption, such as standardized testing mandates that often prioritize monolingual outcomes and insufficient teacher preparation in culturally responsive methodologies.

Despite these existing challenges, CSP offers a transformative vision for the education of Latinx students by actively seeking to bridge the gap between educational theory and practical application. Its central emphasis on sustaining, rather than merely acknowledging, cultural identities effectively complements the frameworks discussed previously, particularly in its shared focus on recognizing and leveraging community-based knowledge.

CSP’s significant potential to reshape prevailing educational paradigms is evident, particularly as it informs both the parent engagement M.Ed course from which this research data is drawn and the Latina teachers’ own teaching practices, when implemented with genuine fidelity to its core principles of cultural and linguistic affirmation.

2.3. Parent Knowledge: Families as Co-Educators

Pushor’s (2015) concept of Parent Knowledge, advocating for a fundamental shift in perspective from viewing families as passive recipients of school directives to recognizing them as active and vital co-educators. Pushor’s framework posits that parents possess critical insights into their children’s unique learning styles, rich cultural backgrounds, and diverse lived experiences, knowledge that can significantly transform educational practices when intentionally and respectfully integrated. Furthermore, E. Chen (2024) underscores the significant value of the knowledge that transnational parents, who often come from diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds, bring to their children’s education. This perspective strongly aligns with ongoing efforts to build equitable and meaningful school–family partnerships, particularly for Latinx families whose valuable knowledge has historically been marginalized or overlooked within traditional educational spaces.

Research conducted by Pavlakis et al. (2019) compellingly demonstrates the resourceful ways in which Latinx parents actively navigate both physical and virtual school environments to provide crucial support for their children’s education, showcasing their agency and commitment despite facing systemic barriers. Their study highlights the significant role of technology and language in shaping parental engagement, yet it also reveals that parents consistently find innovative ways to contribute to their children’s schooling. Similarly, Flores et al. (2019) meticulously document the notable success of the Latinx parent engagement programs implemented at Gene Ward Elementary School, where targeted parent development initiatives demonstrably led to measurable improvements in student outcomes. These compelling findings collectively underscore the considerable potential of collaborative educational models that genuinely recognize and strategically leverage Parent Knowledge.

Centering the often untapped expertise of Latinx families enables educators to move beyond superficial parental involvement towards the genuine co-creation of enriching and relevant learning environments. The practical applications of Pushor’s Parent Knowledge framework, as highlighted by the studies reviewed, underscore the critical need for schools to proactively cultivate inclusive and welcoming spaces where Parent Knowledge is actively sought, deeply valued, and respectfully integrated into educational practices. This analysis effectively connects the preceding discussions on Funds of Knowledge and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies, demonstrating the powerful synergy of these frameworks in holistically addressing the complex and multifaceted educational needs of Latinx families.

3. Research Method

This study employed a qualitative approach, utilizing narrative analysis (Riessman, 2008) to explore the experiences and perspectives of four bilingual Latina educators regarding family–school partnerships. Data were collected through written reflections submitted weekly by these teachers in a 10-week Master of Education course titled Parent Engagement in Education. The course curriculum critically examined family–school relationships, equity, and culturally sustaining practices, providing a rich context for the educators to connect theory with their practical experiences in multilingual and racially diverse school communities. Their dual identities as educators and members of minoritized communities offered a unique lens through which to understand and articulate the complexities of parent engagement.

3.1. Data Source

The data for this study consisted of 62 written reflections and responses, capturing the participants’ ongoing meaning-making, observations, and insights throughout the course. The narrative analysis focused on understanding the stories the teachers constructed within their reflections—how they framed their experiences, the key actors in their narratives (students, families, colleagues, administrators), the challenges and successes they described, and the underlying assumptions and beliefs that shaped their accounts.

3.2. Data Analysis

The data analysis process involved several stages.

First, I engaged in a close reading of all reflections to identify individual narratives and recurring narrative elements. This involved paying attention to the sequence of events, the characterization of individuals, the identification of problems and resolutions, and the overall arc of each teacher’s unfolding experiences and reflections.

Second, I focused on identifying common narrative themes and patterns across the four participants’ reflections. This involved looking for similarities and differences in the types of stories they told, the challenges they emphasized, and the strategies they highlighted for effective parent engagement. Particular attention was paid to narratives that illuminated their roles as cultural mediators.

Third, I analyzed the structure and form of the narratives, considering how the teachers organized their reflections, the language they used, and the ways in which they connected personal experiences with course concepts. This included examining the use of metaphors, analogies, and other narrative devices. In particular, I examined the use of metaphors, analogies, and other narrative devices as indicators of conceptual understanding. For example, when a teacher described herself as “a bridge between two worlds”, I interpreted this metaphor as a reflection of her self-perception as a cultural mediator, someone who connects school expectations with the lived realities of families. Metaphors like this helped signal how participants internalized and embodied key ideas from the parent engagement course.

Fourth, I interpreted the meaning and significance of the identified narratives, considering the broader social, cultural, and political contexts in which these teachers operated. This involved exploring the implications of their stories for understanding and improving family–school partnerships, particularly for Latinx families.

To illustrate the analysis process in more detail, one teacher wrote: “I used to think it was my job to get parents to follow the school’s lead, but now I see my job as listening first”. In the initial round of coding, I marked this excerpt with the in vivo code “listening first”, which I noted as signaling a shift in the teacher’s perception of her professional role. I then connected this to other reflections expressing discomfort with one-way communication or school-dominant practices. In the second cycle of coding, this excerpt was categorized under “shifting role perception”, a focused code capturing changes in how teachers understood their responsibilities in building partnerships with families. Eventually, this code contributed to the broader theme of “reframing families as knowledge holders”, which described how participants moved away from seeing families as lacking and toward recognizing their knowledge and contributions. This analytic progression, from teacher’s words, to initial code, to focused code, to thematic insight, captures the layered and interpretive nature of narrative analysis used throughout this study.

The codes used in this analysis closely align with the theoretical frameworks guiding this study. Codes relating to Funds of Knowledge included references to families’ cultural practices, work experiences, and community resources that teachers recognized and incorporated into their engagement strategies. Codes tied to Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies captured how educators affirmed students’ and families’ cultural and linguistic identities through sustained, inclusive teaching and communication. Meanwhile, Parent Knowledge codes focused on how teachers acknowledged parents as active co-educators, highlighting families’ insights, agency, and collaborative role in their children’s education. The goal of this narrative analysis was to move beyond simply identifying themes to understanding the lived experiences of these bilingual Latina teachers as they narrated them, revealing the nuanced ways in which they understand and enact parent engagement as a relational, political, and culturally mediated practice. The narrative form of the reflections provided rich, contextualized accounts that offer valuable insights into the complexities these educators navigate.

4. Bilingual Latina Educators as Cultural Mediators: Key Themes from Reflections

Bilingual Latina educators’ reflections reveal the complex and layered work they undertake as cultural mediators, effectively bridging the gap between schools and families. Their distinctive position, simultaneously insiders within the educational system and members of marginalized communities, grants them a keen awareness often missed by others. They perceive the subtle yet significant barriers that can make families feel unwelcome, recognize the often unacknowledged strengths that families bring which are sometimes misinterpreted as disengagement (E. Chen & Pushor, 2023b), and bear the emotional weight of advocating for and supporting both school and home.

Across their narratives, four central themes emerge. First, these educators consistently describe how their role extends beyond mere linguistic translation to encompass the crucial task of making school systems, policies, and expectations comprehensible to families navigating unfamiliar cultural and institutional landscapes. Second, they actively challenge prevalent deficit-oriented perspectives by re-centering Latinx families as invaluable holders of knowledge, explicitly highlighting home-based practices such as storytelling and rich oral traditions as integral and vital components of student learning. Third, their reflections underscore the profound impact of home visits and informal interactions in cultivating trust and rapport in ways that formal, often impersonal, school structures frequently fail to achieve. Finally, they poignantly articulate the significant emotional labor inherent in this work, detailing the experiences of burnout, frustration, and unwavering perseverance required to effectively advocate for families within often rigid and bureaucratic systems.

Taken together, these interconnected themes vividly highlight the essential yet frequently invisible work that bilingual Latina teachers perform to humanize school environments (Tigert et al., 2022) and reimagine parent engagement (Pushor, 2012) as a practice that is fundamentally relational, genuinely reciprocal, and deeply rooted in the recognition and valuing of shared knowledge.

4.1. Navigating Cultural and Systemic Barriers Through Relational Translation

One of the most compelling insights gleaned from the bilingual Latina educators’ narratives is their profound role as relational translators, navigating far beyond the mere exchange of linguistic meaning. Positioned uniquely at the intersection of the formal school system and marginalized communities, these educators possess an acute awareness of the often invisible barriers that impede genuine parent engagement. Their reflections reveal a deep understanding of the systemic complexities and cultural nuances that can render schools alienating spaces for many families, particularly those who are recent immigrants (E. Chen, 2021), multilingual, and navigating unfamiliar institutional landscapes.

The teachers’ accounts underscore that language proficiency is but one aspect of the challenges faced by families. They articulate how the “hidden curriculum” of schooling (Eisner, 1979; Jackson, 1968), the unspoken rules, ingrained routines, and specialized jargon, often presents a more significant obstacle to meaningful participation. One teacher observed, “Families have great knowledge and are the experts when it comes to their students and their communities… they feel as if they don’t know how to help their students academically or don’t understand the educational language used such as IEP or foundational skills”. This reflection brings forward a critical tension: the recognition of families’ inherent expertise juxtaposed with the school’s unintentional marginalization of that knowledge through exclusionary language and practices. The use of acronyms like “IEP” or pedagogical terms like “foundational skills”, without explicit explanation and contextualization, can create a sense of inadequacy and disempowerment for parents, hindering their ability to actively support their children’s learning.

The feeling of entering unfamiliar territory is a recurring theme in the teachers’ narratives—not only in how they described families’ experiences but also in how they positioned themselves in response. As one educator articulated, “Bringing in their student to school can feel like a foreigner. They don’t know the school systems, or they are new to the country”. The powerful use of the word “foreigner” extends beyond simply geographic displacement, highlighting a profound sense of cultural and systemic disconnection (Pushor, 2015). Schools, often structured around dominant cultural norms and expectations, can inadvertently create an environment where families from diverse backgrounds feel like outsiders, lacking the insider knowledge necessary to navigate the system effectively. This sense of alienation can be further exacerbated by a perceived power imbalance, where the school holds the institutional knowledge and families feel relegated to a position of dependence (E. Chen & Pushor, 2023b).

In response to this disorientation, teachers in this study positioned themselves as relational translators. They drew on their cultural knowledge, language skills, and shared lived experiences to support families in navigating unfamiliar school systems. The experience shared by a teacher regarding the Thai-speaking family, isolated as the only one from this linguistic and cultural community in the school, paints a vivid picture of this vulnerability: “The family shared how hard it has been to arrive in this new country, relocate because of their work, and discover that they are essentially alone”. The teacher’s empathetic tone underscores the critical role educators play as witnesses to families’ experiences, recognizing isolation that may not be captured by formal school data. These moments of relational connection reveal the human cost of systemic oversights and the crucial role of individual teachers in bridging these gaps.

The reflections collectively showcase the significant cultural labor undertaken by these bilingual Latina educators as they navigate and address the systemic barriers faced by families. Driven by a deep sense of shared experience and genuine care for their communities, their actions extend beyond simply clarifying school processes; they fundamentally reshape how marginalized families experience the school environment. By actively reframing schools as dynamic spaces with the potential for greater inclusivity, these teachers embody the essence of relational translation. They act as crucial buffers, softening the often sharp edges of unfamiliar systems through quiet yet persistent advocacy within school structures. Their adaptation of communication practices, such as transforming newsletters into welcoming invitations and demystifying educational jargon, empowers parents’ understanding and participation. Their reflections advocate for a fundamental shift in school–family communication, moving from a unidirectional flow of information to a reciprocal exchange that fosters genuine connection. Crucially, their translation efforts aim not for assimilation but for the diligent building of relational bridges, creating inclusive spaces where families can engage authentically without needing to alter their cultural identities to be accepted and valued. In doing so, these teachers model a transformative vision of schooling, one that prioritizes listening and understanding as foundational to meaningful engagement and the dismantling of systemic barriers.

4.2. Reframing Latinx Families as Knowledge Holders

A powerful and consistently articulated theme within the teachers’ reflections is a resolute rejection of the enduring deficit narratives that have historically framed school perceptions of Latinx families (Rudden, 2023). These educators demonstrate an awareness of the damaging assumptions frequently levied against multilingual and racialized students (Matias & Liou, 2015) and their families. They also actively engage in dismantling these harmful stereotypes. Their approach involves a deliberate and consistent effort to name and elevate the inherent knowledge, rich cultural practices, and significant strengths that families already possess, often despite their lack of formal recognition or validation within the traditional school system (E. Chen, 2024).

A central idea in their reflections is the profound understanding that the genesis of learning predates formal schooling, deeply rooted in the home environment. One teacher articulated this briefly yet powerfully: “Students spend 80 percent of their lives with their family. Before schooling, families were the educators of their children… they are the map of their children”. Drawing from their understanding of Pushor’s (2015) distinction between education and schooling, this statement offers a radical reimagining of the very concept of education, shifting the locus of authority away from the institution and firmly back to the family unit. It validates the home as the primary and often most enduring learning space (E. Chen, 2024), challenging the school’s assumed primacy in a child’s intellectual and social development.

Another teacher’s reflection, “Families have strengths and bring resources that strengthen our communities; they are a ‘fund of knowledge’”, is particularly insightful. The deliberate use of the pronoun “our” is striking, signifying a profound sense of collective belonging and shared purpose. These educators do not position themselves as external experts serving a separate population. Instead, they identify as integral members of the same community, sharing responsibilities, experiences, and narratives with the families they serve. This insider perspective fosters a sense of solidarity and mutual respect, directly countering the hierarchical power dynamics (Dowling et al., 2003) often present in school–family interactions.

The concept of “invisible parenting” emerged as a significant point of reflection, with one educator explaining, “When I think about invisible parenting, I think about oral stories and family dinner talks… it set the foundation for my education”. This reflection directly challenges the pervasive belief that parent engagement is only valid or measurable when it aligns with visible school-based activities (Lightfoot, 2004). It brings to light the often unseen yet profoundly influential daily acts of care, wisdom transmission, and informal instruction that occur within the private sphere of families (Pushor, 2015), around dinner tables, during bedtime conversations, and through the sharing of oral traditions. These are fundamental acts of parenting that shape a child’s identity, foster early literacy skills, and instill core values. However, these crucial contributions are frequently overlooked or dismissed by schools simply because they do not occur within the institution’s physical boundaries or adhere to conventional definitions of parent engagement.

One teacher captured this inherent tension: “Parents are constantly engaged in their children’s schooling and education, it just isn’t in a way that aligns with teacher perspectives”. This statement pinpoints the core of the issue: it is not a lack of parent engagement that exists but rather a fundamental mismatch between the school’s narrow definition of engagement (Pushor, 2012) and the diverse ways in which families actively support their children’s learning and well-being. These educators are issuing a powerful call for schools to broaden their understanding of parent engagement. They urge their colleagues to move beyond traditional metrics like PTA attendance or back-to-school night participation. Instead, they advocate for recognizing the equally significant, yet less visible, forms of engagement that deeply shape a child’s life journey.

Through their insightful reflections, these teachers shed light on a critical truth that schools often fail to acknowledge: families, particularly those from historically marginalized communities, are already deeply invested and actively engaged in their children’s education (E. Chen, 2024; E. Chen & Pushor, 2023a). They are consistently performing the essential work of teaching, nurturing, and guiding their children. What these families require is not prescriptive instruction on how to be “involved”, (Pushor, 2012) but rather genuine recognition, profound respect, and authentic validation for the valuable contributions they are already making.

These educators serve as crucial witnesses to this often invisible labor, actively listening to families’ experiences and perspectives. They ask open-ended questions that invite families to share their knowledge and practices. They consciously resist the ingrained pressure to impose a singular, culturally biased standard of what parental involvement should look like. Within their classrooms and professional interactions, they actively cultivate spaces that honor and value multiple ways of knowing, diverse teaching methodologies, and varied expressions of care. By actively reframing Latinx families as foundational knowledge holders, these teachers are engaged in more than just a rhetorical shift; they are actively working to redistribute power within the educational landscape. They are advocating for a transformative model of schooling where family knowledge is not considered supplementary or secondary but is recognized as central and integral to the educational process. Ultimately, they are envisioning and actively building school communities where trust is built upon a foundation of mutual recognition and where families are not perceived through a lens of deficit but are instead acknowledged and respected as knowledgeable leaders in their children’s education (Pushor & Amendt, 2018).

4.3. The Power of Home Visits and Relationship-Building

Across the reflections, teachers consistently highlighted that their most meaningful and impactful connections with families often transcended the formal structures and scheduled events of the school. While traditional avenues such as parent–teacher conferences, open houses, and official school gatherings provide initial points of contact, their effectiveness is frequently constrained by inherent formality, persistent language barriers, or the adherence to often rigid institutional scripts. In stark contrast, home visits and a range of other informal interactions emerged as profoundly powerful catalysts for building genuine connection (Paulick et al., 2022), fostering deep trust, and ultimately achieving transformative shifts in family–school dynamics.

These dedicated educators shared candid accounts of how families often approach the school environment with hesitation or even underlying skepticism. For some, this apprehension stems from the complex process of navigating unfamiliar cultural and institutional systems (E. Chen, 2021). For others, it is rooted in the lingering weight of past negative school experiences, characterized by feelings of exclusion, judgment, or marginalization. One teacher recounted an initial negative experience a family had with the school office, which left them feeling profoundly devalued: “A simple copy and signature were needed… turned into a long wait only to be turned away… Meeting me and connecting before school really reshaped how [the mother] felt about school and set the tone for her student”. This pivotal shift, from feeling dismissed and unimportant to feeling genuinely welcomed and valued, was not achieved through the implementation of a new policy or the completion of a particular form. Instead, it was the direct result of a teacher intentionally investing their time, actively listening to the family’s concerns, and showing up with an attitude of openness and profound respect. This anecdote underscores the critical role of individual teacher actions in shaping families’ overall perception and engagement with the school (Smith et al., 2022).

Another teacher’s reflection showed how cultivating a relationship that extended beyond the confines of the classroom walls proved instrumental in uncovering the complex narrative behind a student’s recurring absences: “By building the relationship beyond the classroom, the teacher was able to get the student back to school… This could give me an inside view of their life and their values and how to carry those into the classroom”. In this instance, what initially appeared to be a straightforward issue of school attendance was revealed to be a deeply human situation: the student was staying home to provide essential care for her ailing grandmother. This crucial piece of information, vital for understanding and addressing the student’s needs, would likely have remained hidden without a foundation of trust and open communication built through informal interactions. This highlights the limitations of solely relying on formal school structures to understand the complex lives of students and their families.

Several teachers shared compelling examples of how home visits provided a unique and invaluable opportunity to witness and understand the holistic context of their students’ lives. One teacher wrote, “Home visits can be just that—home visits. We put aside our biases and enter with a clear lens. It is a chance to connect and learn from the family and bring that into our classroom”. This reflection signifies a profound and intentional shift in the educator’s stance. Rather than entering a family’s personal space with a predetermined agenda or a sense of professional authority, these teachers consciously chose to enter as learners and respectful guests. This simple yet powerful act begins to dismantle the traditional power imbalances that often characterize school-home relationships (Whyte, 2015), fostering a more equitable and reciprocal dynamic.

One teacher summarized the transformative potential of these informal connections: “Without building that relationship, the teacher would not have known that the student was missing school because her grandmother was sick… resulting in a great community within the classroom”. This example illustrates how what began as a private family hardship, when shared and understood within the context of a trusting relationship, could become a catalyst for fostering deeper connection, cultivating empathy among students, and building a stronger sense of collective care within the classroom community.

These powerful moments collectively reveal the innovative and deeply human ways in which bilingual Latina teachers are actively working to soften and reshape the often rigid boundaries between school and home. They are not passively waiting for families to navigate the often intimidating school environment on their own terms. Instead, they are proactively reaching out, intentionally creating welcoming spaces, and prioritizing active listening as the foundation for building meaningful relationships. In doing so, they are not only forging strong connections with individual families but also actively cultivating the conditions necessary for the development of more resilient, empathetic, and deeply connected classroom communities.

The significant emotional investment inherent in these relationships is particularly evident in the initial encounters. Many teachers described how a single thoughtful conversation or one genuine welcoming gesture could fundamentally alter a parent’s entire perception of the school. In these critical moments, the teacher transcends the role of a mere institutional representative, becoming a trusted adult who sees and genuinely values the family as a whole. The profound significance of this earned trust cannot be overstated, as it lays the groundwork that allows students to feel safe, supported, and empowered to show up fully, take academic and social risks, and ultimately thrive within the school environment. By consciously stepping outside prescribed professional roles and rigid institutional structures, these dedicated educators model a fundamentally different kind of school. In this model, authentic relationships are prioritized, and families are met not as problems but as invaluable partners for learning and growth.

4.4. The Emotional Labor of Advocacy: Burnout and Resilience

The narratives shared by these educators are deeply imbued with relationality, demonstrating profound care and insightful understanding of the families they serve. However, beneath this warmth and commitment lies a quieter, yet significant, undercurrent of exhaustion. This weariness rarely surfaces overtly, often appearing as fleeting comments, almost as an aside. As one teacher noted, “burnout is real”, a sentiment tucked between reflections on positive aspects of her week and a list of aspirations yet to be realized.

These bilingual Latina educators carry a unique and often invisible weight. Their roles extend far beyond that of traditional teachers instructing children. They function as vital cultural brokers (Gentemann & Whitehead, 1983), linguistic translators, crucial emotional anchors, and relentless advocates for families who have historically faced misunderstanding and marginalization within school systems. For many, this demanding work is deeply personal, fueled by their own lived experiences (Bailey, 2021) of feeling unseen or unheard within systems not designed with their communities in mind.

And the cumulative effect is profound weariness. One teacher’s clear statement shows what many others also experience: “This work is hard, uncomfortable, and mentally draining… and those are the very reasons it is not meant to be done alone”. Her words underscore the significant emotional labor involved in bridging systemic inequities (Kariou et al., 2021), a labor that often lacks adequate institutional support. While their passion for their students and families remains strong, the necessary systemic structures, resources, and recognition to sustain this work are often insufficient, leaving these educators feeling isolated and overwhelmed.

Another teacher’s account reveals the difficult process of managing overwhelming demands and limited resources: “I had to prioritize with must-do’s now, must-do laters, and next year. It was hard”. Beyond physical tiredness, the exhaustion described here also involves emotional and moral strain (Kariou et al., 2021). It arises from the constant internal conflict of navigating the significant gap between what these teachers know their students and families urgently need and what the existing system realistically allows them to provide. This ongoing negotiation between ideal practice and systemic constraints takes a significant toll.

Adding to this burden is the frequent invisibility of this crucial labor to colleagues and administrators. One teacher’s experience of sharing parent engagement ideas inspired by her coursework highlights this lack of institutional understanding and support: “They said they would back me up instead of taking a leader stance”. The quiet disappointment in this statement speaks volumes. Instead of fostering a shared vision and collective action towards more inclusive practices, the teacher was left to shoulder the responsibility alone, without the necessary structural changes or institutional investment to ensure meaningful impact.

Yet, despite these significant challenges and the pervasive sense of exhaustion, these Latina educators persist. Their perseverance is rooted in a deep-seated belief that authentic parent engagement is not a peripheral task but rather the very foundation of effective teaching. They understand firsthand the transformative power of genuinely welcoming a parent’s voice and perspective into the classroom. As one teacher reminded herself and her peers, “We need the help of our families. They are the experts on their child”.

These powerful reflections reveal that an essential part of how bilingual Latina educators mediate cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers between schools and families involves the emotional labor of relentless advocacy. This emotional toll is intertwined with their efforts to build trust and foster connection across divides. Their narratives highlight not only the challenges but also a profound sense of purpose and unwavering hope. These teachers are deeply invested in the long-term vision of more equitable and inclusive schools. Their stories show how sustained persistence ultimately led to meaningful connection, where the cultivation of trust, often requiring significant emotional commitment, unlocked crucial insights. Even small, deliberate shifts in how schools listen and respond created tangible and positive differences in the lives of children and their families. For these educators, hope is a deliberate and hard-won perspective. It grows in the quiet yet meaningful moments when a parent feels truly seen and valued. It is supported by everyday interactions in hallways, thoughtful home visits, and carefully translated communications that help families feel they belong. Importantly, this hope is often strengthened and shared among these dedicated educators, in significant conversations like the ones within these reflections, where their own voices, experiences, and steadfast commitment are finally heard and acknowledged.

5. Implications for Policy and Practice

These findings extend Funds of Knowledge by highlighting how bilingual Latina educators recognize and activate the rich cultural and experiential resources within Latinx families to strengthen school–family connections. They illustrate Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies by affirming and sustaining Latinx students’ cultural and linguistic identities through trust-building and culturally responsive practices. Finally, they operationalize Parent Knowledge by demonstrating how educators actively engage families as co-educators, valuing parents’ unique insights and fostering authentic partnerships that enhance educational experiences.

This study shows the following: (1) bilingual Latina educators mediate cultural, linguistic, and systemic barriers between schools and families through nuanced cultural navigation and sustained advocacy, highlighting the vital role they play in building trust and meaningful connections; and (2) these educators actively challenge deficit narratives by recognizing and uplifting the rich assets and contributions Latinx families bring to their children’s education. Together, these findings point to the urgent need to move beyond superficial parent engagement and call for systemic changes that formally support these educators, shift engagement paradigms, and prioritize authentic, trust-based relationships to foster truly inclusive and supportive environments for Latinx students and their families.

5.1. Formalizing and Resourcing the Role of Bilingual Cultural Mediators

The findings underscore that bilingual educators, particularly Latina teachers, are not simply language interpreters. These teachers are vital cultural mediators who bridge systemic and cultural divides. Policy must formally acknowledge this crucial role within school systems. This necessitates allocating dedicated resources and providing targeted professional development opportunities that equip these educators with the specific skills and knowledge required for effective cultural mediation. Schools should establish clear pathways and administrative support structures that empower bilingual teachers to lead cultural mediation initiatives. This could involve creating specialized positions or interdisciplinary teams focused on parent engagement and cultural liaison work, offering advanced training in areas such as intercultural communication, navigating systemic barriers, and community organizing. Furthermore, policies must protect teachers’ time for crucial relationship-building activities, recognizing these interactions as integral to their professional responsibilities rather than an added burden. This includes providing flexibility in communication approaches to align with family preferences and schedules, moving beyond rigid, school-centric models.

5.2. Embracing Strengths-Based and Relational Engagement Models

The teachers’ reflections resoundingly challenge deficit-based perspectives on Latinx families, revealing the wealth of knowledge and resources present within their homes and communities. Policy and practice must fundamentally shift towards strengths-based models that recognize and value families as essential co-educators. This includes actively inviting family narratives, home languages, and community experiences into the curriculum, creating a sense of belonging and validating students’ cultural identities within the learning environment. Educators should be trained to actively solicit and incorporate family expertise in meaningful ways, moving beyond tokenistic involvement. This could include co-designing learning activities, inviting parents as guest speakers to share their skills and knowledge, or establishing collaborative projects that connect classroom learning with home-based practices. The emphasis should be on building reciprocal relationships grounded in mutual respect and the recognition that families are active agents in their children’s education, possessing valuable insights into their learning styles, values, and aspirations.

5.3. Prioritizing Relational Infrastructure and Informal Interactions

The educators’ experiences consistently demonstrate that the most profound connections and transformative moments of understanding occur outside the confines of formal school structures. Policy and practice should prioritize the expansion of relationship-building initiatives that move beyond traditional and often impersonal interactions. This includes actively supporting and facilitating home visits as a valuable tool for building trust and gaining deeper insights into families’ lives and contexts. Schools should allocate resources and provide training for teachers to conduct home visits effectively and respectfully, emphasizing a learner-centered approach that prioritizes listening and understanding. Furthermore, schools should foster a culture that encourages and values ongoing, informal communication with families through diverse channels that are accessible and convenient for them, such as phone calls, text messaging, and culturally relevant digital platforms. Creating opportunities for casual, community-building events outside of formal school hours, such as potlucks, cultural celebrations, or parent-led workshops, can further strengthen relationships and foster a sense of shared community.

5.4. Including Parent Engagement Course in Teacher Education

The findings of this study, derived from reflections within a parent engagement course for in-service teachers, underscore the critical role of such training in shaping educators’ understanding and practice. Teacher education programs must integrate robust and sustained coursework focused specifically on parent engagement. These courses should equip pre-service teachers with the theoretical frameworks (such as Parent Knowledge and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies), practical strategies for building trust and rapport with diverse families, and critical awareness of systemic barriers that can impede family involvement. Curricula should include opportunities for future educators to engage in community-based learning experiences, interact directly with families from diverse backgrounds, and develop culturally responsive communication skills. Ongoing professional development opportunities in parent engagement should be provided for practicing teachers, ensuring that educators at all stages of their careers are equipped to build meaningful and equitable partnerships with families. This dedicated focus within teacher education will cultivate a generation of educators who view parent engagement not as an add-on but as a fundamental and integral aspect of their professional practice.

6. Conclusions

Bilingual Latina educators play a vital and complex role in supporting Latinx families by navigating school systems, advocating for cultural and linguistic diversity, and building inclusive spaces where families and students feel valued and supported. Their work involves not only language support but also emotional labor, relationship-building, and a deep understanding of family dynamics. However, this demanding work cannot be sustained without meaningful, systemic support. Educational institutions must formally recognize and resource cultural mediation as an essential part of teaching. This includes allocating time for relationship-building, offering ongoing professional development in cultural competence and communication, and providing consistent administrative backing. Integrating formal parent engagement coursework into teacher education programs is crucial. These courses prepare future educators to build trust with diverse families and engage respectfully with their cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Such training fosters strong, culturally responsive partnerships that treat parent engagement as a collaborative, ongoing process rather than a transactional task. As schools strive for true inclusivity, they must move beyond narrow, deficit-based views of parent involvement. Families need to be recognized as indispensable partners whose cultural knowledge and experiences enrich the educational process. Reimagining parent engagement through cultural mediation means adopting flexible, relationship-centered strategies that respect families’ unique contexts. These efforts, supported by institutional commitment and comprehensive teacher preparation, will create welcoming environments where families can actively participate, promoting the holistic success of all students.