This article problematises the discourse on ‘immigrant parents’ against the backdrop of a broader transformation of the welfare state in migration societies such as Germany. While studies have shown that post-welfare rationalities play a prominent role in shaping perceptions of what constitutes a ‘good parent’, little research has been conducted on how these dynamics influence political perceptions related to diversity in school and to ‘immigrant parents’ in particular. To fill this gap, the article presents results from a discourse analysis of the culturalist framing of ‘immigrant parents’–in interaction with assignments regarding social background and gender–within the field of education as gleaned from political documents from the post-war period. By exploring developments in political narratives around the school-parent relationship, the study highlights how current educational reforms foster processes of parents’ ‘exclusionary participation’ in schools by emphasising and strengthening individualistic and assimilationist approaches to education.