This panel brought together educators and thought leaders who all have unique perspectives when it comes to the importance of K–12 teachers, student success, and family engagement. The six panelists engaged in a conversation, guided by these key questions:

• Why do K–12 teachers and educational leaders need to engage families in their work?
• What’s the status of teaching about family engagement in educator prep programs nowadays, in terms of coursework and fieldwork?
• When teacher education programs teach about “families,” what sorts of families are discussed? Are these families diverse and representative of the families teachers will work with when they become practicing teachers?