Despite reforms that argue for parental participation in schools, little is known about parents' and teachers' views on curriculum issues. This paper presents findings of a case study of a suburban high school that identified parents' perceptions of what constitutes the "ideal" English curriculum for today's high school seniors, and compared parents' views with those of their children's teachers. Data were gathered through interviews with 24 parents of high school seniors and all 10 English faculty members at a high school located in a middle-class suburb in a northeastern city. The case study shows that teachers and parents held conflicting views on curriculum goals, content, and teaching methods for the English curriculum, but that the lack of communication about these issues led to both a climate of suspicion and a lack of parental support for teachers' efforts in the classroom. Lack of a deliberative process also kept teachers and community members stymied about how to institute educational change. It is recommended that educators initiate a dialogue between parents and teachers; that teachers address their profession's lack of knowledge about the effects of various instructional practices and address criticisms directly; and that parents take an active role in disseminating information.The appendix includes three English curriculum scenarios. (Contains 21 references). (LMI)