The Ritz-Carlton is teaching educators in Georgia how to roll out the red carpet for parents.

The Ritz partners with the Georgia Department of Education as part of a broad plan to create more family-friendly schools.

Research shows that when parents are involved with school staff, students perform better and have better social skills. There's also a link to students finishing high school and attending college.

Education officials say making families feel welcome at schools that can sometimes feel like fortresses is key to parental involvement.

And experts say it's important to build trust and respect between school staff and parents.

During the recent training, a small group of Georgia educators learned about making things easy for families, listening, and asking parents how they want to be helped.

Tags: teachers, Georgia Department of Education, parental involvement, hospitality, educators, Georgia educators, ritz-carlton