Preparation of teachers for home-school-community partnerships will be most effective if it is based on a foundational approach that makes teachers aware of the social and political context of teaching and cognizant of the economic, social, and political demands that are placed on schools. A foundational approach to home-school-community connections increases student teachers' attentiveness to families' investment in their children's learning. In addition student teachers learn about those aspects of the social organization for schools that support or hinder the efforts of teachers to collaborate with families and communities. Foundation courses should be integrated with student teaching and internship experiences. When reflection on practice is achieved by integrating university classroom learning with learning in schools and communities, students can explore the relationships between families and schools, and between communities and schools, and the social context of teaching. With this preparation students will understand the challenges of connecting families with schools and be better prepared to address and sustain efforts for school-community-family partnerships. (Contains 23 references.) (JB)