Shop Subscribe

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Schoolyard Blog | Teacher Resources | School Specialty

Classroom must haves for teachers plus essential teacher supplies, lesson plans and activities.

schoolyard-logo
  • Education Essentials
  • Inspiration & Planning
  • Learning Spaces
  • Topics
  • Search
  • < Previous post
    Next post >
    Best Practices in Informing Parents of Changing Policies and Programs

    Teacher Life
    School Specialty • Jul 5, 2015 • Last Modified: Nov 15, 2017

    Best Practices in Informing Parents of Changing Policies and Programs

    Things change. School boards come up with new policies all the time. Once-popular programs fall by the wayside or need updating. Many of these changes are out of your control.

    Even though you might not have come up with the changes, it falls to you to notify parents who might be affected or the general community as a whole. This is usually not fun. Here are some best practices:

    Utilize all means of communication

    The worst outcome in this situation is for a parent to assume the change hasn’t happened because they never received your message. That parent is the one that calls your office five times a day until the problem is resolved.

    In a 2011 Pew Research survey, 73% of adults text and 31% would rather be notified of something via text than a phone call. In the three years since that survey, those numbers have surely gone up. Many parent outreach systems now include texts and you need to use that functionality for every message. Take an all-of-the-above approach to outreach, especially on important changes that affect parents.

    Provide an alternative, even at another school

    Although affected parents will usually have been keeping up with the issue, if a program is ending at your school there will inevitably be parents who are surprised when the news comes down. You can’t assume anything, including that people will make alternative arrangements themselves.

    If something significantly alters the school experience for a child, like the end of a special program, you become the ambassador for the district. In your outreach, provide alternatives for affected parents—even if that alternative is relocation. You might lose that kid but goodwill and transparency goes a long way in community relations.

    Utilize the teachers

    No matter how helpful and personable you are, a child’s teacher will always have more contact with parents than you do. If they’re doing it right, that relationship will be a lot stronger as well. And while schoolwide news should still come from you, there’s nothing wrong with enlisting the help of teachers to smooth the process.

    Start your initial outreach strategy (see above), then ask the teachers of affected families to reach out to their parents with tips and suggestions on how they can best transition to the new policy or program.

    What these strategies show is that the entire school is a community invested in the welfare of every child. Although you might often be the scapegoat or the lightning rod, you can lessen the strikes with some thoughtfulness.

    Facebook Comments

    Recommended

    Why Books Matter: 3 Steps to Building a Successful Classroom Library

    Reading & Literacy

    Why Books Matter: 3 Steps to Building a Successful Classroom Library

    School Specialty Acquires SchoolKidz to Make Supply Kitting Solutions More Accessible for Education and Non-Profit Use

    News

    School Specialty Acquires SchoolKidz to Make Supply Kitting Solutions More Accessible for Education and Non-Profit Use

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    Celebrations & Themes

    9 Easy Halloween Costumes for Teachers

    How Smart School Design Promotes Teacher Wellness

    Learning Spaces

    How Smart School Design Promotes Teacher Wellness

    Explore The Schoolyard

    Education Essentials

    Inspiration & Planning

    Learning Spaces

     

    TopicsShop Subscribe

    Copyright © 2023 School Specialty, LLC. All rights reserved. Privacy Statement · Social Media Statement · Do Not Sell My Personal Information - CA Resident Only

  • CATEGORIES

    • Education Essentials
    • Inspiration & Planning
    • Learning Spaces
  • TOPICS

    • Arts & Crafts
    • Early Childhood
    • Special Needs
    • Physical Education
    • Educational Technology
    • Student Resources
    • Organization & Storage
    • Classroom Management
    • STEAM & STEM
    • 21st Century Learning
    • Reading & Literacy
    • Healthy Students
    • Teacher Life
    • Back to School
    • Celebrations & Seasons
    • Out of School
    • News
    • Math
    • Science
    • Topics
    • Shop
    • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube