Parent Communication

There are several moving pieces that help schools to be successful. The support of school superintendents and school boards empowers educators to strive to serve students. School leaders that support the classroom efforts of teachers and students is vital as well. An important piece that is often overlooked is the partnership of parents and schools.

Parent involvement is helpful in many ways for schools. Parents can provide a unique perspective on how your campus is viewed by members of the community. There are parents that want to be involved at their child’s school, but don’t know where to start. Part of our responsibility as educators is to help show parents where they can help.

Communication with parents sets a foundation for your school year. Sometimes educators assume that parents are not concerned with their students academic progress. This, in most cases, is not true. Parents want to be involved but don’t know how they can help.

The easiest way to involve parents is by making a phone call. The call doesn’t have to last long, just long enough to share important information. Most people will appreciate you taking time to call.

Sometimes it is necessary to deliver information that is not pleasant for parents to hear. This is part of the reality of education. When relaying news that may be difficult for parents to hear, stick to the facts of the situation. Remember, this is a partnership. Work with parents to find solutions for the benefit of the student.

Something I hear from parents often is that they don’t know how to help their student at home. There are different solutions to help this issue. Communication through a student planner could be a solution. Having notes about what was done during the school day and assignments to be completed written and communicate the need for parents to check the planner daily.

There are a ton of resources on the internet and social media. Teachers could create short videos explaining concepts learned in class. There could also be newsletters emailed detailing important events coming up. Some examples of this could be research assignments, daily homework, or upcoming assessments.

Schools must be intentional when it comes to parent communication. Oftentimes the members of communities don’t have complete knowledge of what’s happening in their schools. Giving parents opportunities to volunteer and inviting them to school events helps to strengthen the relationship between community and school.

Parents can be our strongest advocates. We, as educators, have to be intentional when considering how our parents can help us. Knowledge is power and the more parents know about what happens in school from day-to-day, the more they can help students to be successful. Embrace the opportunity to include parents as much as possible.