The importance of parent participation in a child's education is undisputed, and low-income urban parents can and want to help with their children's schooling, both at home and at school, as much as do middle class parents. However, most poor urban children live in single-parent, female-headed households--often Black or Hispanic--and many school officials tend to decide in advance that single and working parents cannot be approached or relied upon. Since parents' involvement in school activities can be related to the flexibility of leave policies on their jobs employers should be encouraged to allow flextime to enable working parents to observe their children in the classroom or attend meetings. Home-based learning is one of the most efficient ways for parents to spend their time; when teachers help parents help their children, these parents' activities can be as effective as those of parents with more education and leisure, whom teachers expect to help their children. Suggestions are offered for improving both school-based participation and home-based learning. A list of references is included. (BJV)