Volumes of research suggest that one key to a child's academic success is having "engaged" parents, but parents know that, to teachers, engagement means a fairly circumscribed round of activities--back-to-school nights, parent-teacher conferences, potlucks, and interactive homework. Making the connection between schools and families is not getting any easier. Charters and magnet schools now draw youngsters from neighborhoods perhaps miles away. In cities that are undergoing big demographic changes--either growing or shrinking--neighborhood-school boundaries are in flux. Working parents have less time to volunteer at their kids' schools, and security precautions--locked doors, sign-ins, ID badges--discourage the casual drop-in. In this article, the author shares her experience of participating in the Parent/Teacher Home Visit Project, which trains teachers to visit students' families with a goal of getting to know families' interests, expectations, hopes and dreams, and previous experience with school.