<p>The participation of parents and legal guardians is fundamental in the educational process. The objective of this study was to understand the concepts of parents and guardians of elementar education students from public and private schools about the social competence of teachers. The 16 participants answered a semi-structured interview. The collected data were analyzed using the IRAMUTEQ software. The results indicated that both groups believe that teachers should support students in their personal difficulties, instruct on activities, use educational resources and organize the physical environment to promote student success. The parents of private schools emphasized the evaluation of the educational service provided, while parents of students from public schools highlighted issues related to the affective relationship between teachers and students.</p>