I think staying in contact with the parents is key. My high school did a wonderful job of keeping our parents in the loop of everything that was going on. My teachers sent my parents websites and documents explaining the course material so they could help us work on homework and various assignments. It was neat for my Dad especially because he was a big science geek when he was in school and loved trying to out-smart me when I was studying for quizzes and exams. I hope to have a similar relationship with my students' parents when I am teaching.
My Mom, who is a 3rd grade teacher, has actually had some pretty rough situations with parents on the other hand. This past year she wished she had not given out her e-mail address because she had a very intense mother harassing her with daily e-mails. They were not always rude, but the mother would send her an e-mail at least everyday and sometimes more than once a day. Typically the e-mails would be about whether or not the daughter was staying on task, but sometimes she would simply want to know if her daughter was having a good day. It was annoying for my Mom who was trying to keep the mother in the loop without giving daily, minute-by-minute progress reports.
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I agree that staying in touch with parents is the key. I use email to send out important flyers and our class newsletter each week. Additionally I am able to send out pictures we take in class to the parents, which they love. It's a wonderful way to keep your parents in the loop. Now with the use of class blogs and twitter the parents love the information they are receiving.
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