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Parent Communication Plan for New Teachers

by Renée Cockrell, MAT, NBCT

To achieve our mission of empowering the whole student to profoundly impact our world truly takes a village. We all must work together. As such, engaging parents and guardians effectively in collaboration to maximize student learning is an essential part of your work as a teacher at our school.  Each of the following statements in bold is an expectation for effective communication with parents or guardians. Accompanying each expectation, you will find suggestions and resources. Remember that your mentor teacher and department chair are available to help you with any questions you may have. See your Staff Handbook for more information regarding expectations for communication in your role as a student’s advisor. 

Establish a Positive Tone – ASCD (2015) identifies sharing the positive as a powerful way to establish rapport in your communication with parents and guardians. Hammond (2015) argues that effective educators must “work on creating positive relationships with students’ families so that you are in partnership with them” (p. 154). Here are some ways to set a positive tone from the start to begin building positive and collaborative relationships that will support student learning:

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• Set aside time each week to make a few phone calls or send a few emails solely for the purpose of sharing something positive about learners in your classroom with their parents or guardians. This might take the form of sharing about a student’s high-quality work or exceptional participation in class. It might be an update on progress or improvement with attendance, behavior, or course performance. Not only will this build rapport with parents and guardians, but it might boost your mood, too! I love to end the week this way, but I’ve also been known to take the time to make some positive calls after a particularly rough day. 
• Share key resources that will help a parent or guardian support student learning in your class. Consider including the URL for your class website, ways to contact you when necessary, and a copy of the course syllabus. Take caution, however, not to overload parents or guardians with more resources than are truly helpful. Use Blackboard to send a welcome message to all contacts for students in your classes during the first week of each quarter, and include key resources in this message. Beginning by offering useful resources and encouraging communication will help set a positive tone and begin establishing trust. 
• Even when you must call to address issues that may arise regarding student attendance, behavior, or course performance, be sure to take time to share what the student is doing well. Establishing the positive by focusing on student strengths, even in the midst of struggles, is a powerful way to form positive relationships that will support student growth. 

Center Student Voices – Whenever possible, include the student, the student’s own words about his or her learning, and/or the student’s goals in your communication.

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• See your Staff Handbook for a copy of the Weekly Progress Report, which all students are expected to complete on Wednesdays in advisory period. After working closely with students on setting quality SMART goals (Yemm, 2013), you can communicate the students’ goals, in their own words, to parents and guardians. Follow up with information regarding students’ progress toward achieving their learning goals as the quarter progresses to keep parents and guardians apprised of the work students are doing in our school.
•  For certain contacts, especially positive updates, it may be appropriate to call the parent or guardian on speakerphone and have the student present in the room with you. Allowing the student to speak to his or her own progress builds ownership, confidence, and agency. This is one reason conferences at our school involve parents, teachers, and students. By directing questions about what is going well, what would help improve the situation, and how you can help to the student first, you empower that student to own his or her learning and growth. Additionally, asking the parent or guardian for input will encourage collaborative support of the student’s learning and growth.

Employ Culturally Responsive Communication & Equitable Practices – Honoring the unique backgrounds and perspectives of every family our school serves will increase student learning (Hammond, 2015), and it is an expectation of all staff. According to Linton & Davis (2013), an equitable school culture is one in which “deliberate collaborative efforts exist between staff and the community, families, parents, and caretakers of students” (p. 79). 

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• By establishing a positive tone and centering the student’s voice, you should already be well on your way to establishing a learning alliance with students and their parents or guardians. According to Hammond (2015), an effective learning partnership alliance requires three components: a pact or “formal agreement… to work on a learning goal” (p. 94), teacher as ally and warm demander (see the Restorative Practices section of the Staff Handbook), and the student as the driver of his or her own learning. Engage parents as authentic members of the learning alliance partnership in giving feedback and suggestions on students’ personal learning goals and needs.
• It is of vital importance that all of our students learn and grow as much as possible. To that end, translation services are available for both written and spoken communications. See the front office for details. To be an equitable and effective teacher in our school, you must never avoid communicating with parents or guardians simply because you do not speak the same language as they do. 
• Collaborate with parents and guardians to get their voices, traditions, and values into the classroom. For example, Hammond (2015) recommends requesting that parents or guardians share “’dichos’ (proverbs and sayings) they use at home or grew up with… proverbs that guide and impart knowledge” (p. 148). Hammond (2015) suggests posting these “pithy sayings [that] express universal truths in just a few words and are easily remembered” (p. 148) around the classroom and the school. This can honor and strengthen cultural ties as well as supporting student learning and growth. 

Follow Up & Follow Through – Following up and following through is an essential element of professionalism. It also builds trust and rapport with stakeholders.

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• Take notes when you communicate with parents or guardians, and be sure to follow up on action you say you will take. This may take the form of passing a request for communication on to the school social worker or counselor, or it may involve cc’ing a parent or guardian on an email on a follow up to another staff member, perhaps the student’s advisor or other teacher. As you are expected to follow through with what you tell parents or guardians you will do, be careful not to promise things you cannot deliver. It is always acceptable to say, “I will check on that and get back to you,” as long as you do, in fact, get back to the parent or guardian.
• As you’ll note from reading your Staff Handbook, any parent contact must be logged in the Visits module of Q. Taking notes during parent contacts will assist you with this as well. 
• Our restorative practices model involves actively working to build, repair, and sustain authentic, collaborative learning relationships. As such, in the event that you have contacted a parent or guardian regarding a student’s struggles with attendance, behavior, or course performance in one of your classes, you are expected to follow up that communication with updates on progress or growth within two-three weeks at the latest. 

Don’t Avoid Difficult Conversations, But Ask for Help When You Need It – Authentic learning and growth for our students and ourselves does not come easily. There will be times when you must engage carefully in difficult conversations with colleagues, parents or guardians, and students. By following the suggestions above, you will be on the right track. However, in the event that you need support or require a moderator when emotions run high, your administrative team is always willing to help.

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References

ASCD. (2015). Tell me about… good ways to communicate with teachers. Educational Leadership, 72(7). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr15/vol72/num07/Good-Ways-to-Communicate-with-Teachers.aspx

Hammond, Z. (2015). Culturally responsive teaching & the brain: Promoting authentic engagement and rigor among culturally and linguistically diverse students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Linton, C., & Davis, B. M. (2013). Equity 101: Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Yemm, G. (2013). Essential guide to leading your team: How to set goals, measure performance and reward talent. New York, NY: Pearson.

New to Our School? A Family Orientation Guide

by Renée Cockrell, MAT, NBCT

This post is intended to serve as an orientation guide for parents, guardians, and families of students new to our school. It includes an introduction to the school's vision, mission, values, and history; an overview of events and opportunities to get involved; an introduction to procedures and policies; a guide to communications at our school; and an introduction to community and school partnerships.

Welcome to Our School: Mission & History

Our school dares to empower the whole child to profoundly impact our world. We do this through our small class sizes; emphasis on social-emotional learning; rigorous academic and behavioral expectations with support to help all students achieve at a high level; vibrant and unique school culture; commitment to learning and growth for students, staff, and stakeholders; restorative practices; equitable practices; and partnership with local programs that bring a multitude of post-secondary options, experiences, and support to our students and families. 

Our school was founded as an alternative for high school students who hadn't found success in the traditional high school model in the early 1970s in a storefront in downtown Colorado Springs. Since its inception, our school has served at risk youth in a setting of small class sizes and strong relationships with an "alternative" approach to credit recovery that enables students to make up credits and sometimes even graduate early. 

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The instructional model of our school has evolved with up-to-date research-based instructional strategies and an emphasis on the art of equitable pedagogy, but the emphasis on relationships, community, and success for all remains the same. Through all the changes, the small, tight-knit sense of community and inclusion in our school has remained the same. Graduates frequently use the word "family" when describing their experience of alternative education in our school. Several of our school staff have long history with the school, including two teachers who are graduates, and three staff members who have been at our school for over twenty years. New students often come to our school because their older siblings or their friends recommended it to them. Regardless of how you found your way here, we are so happy to welcome you to the family. 

Events & Opportunities to Get Involved

Part of being a Dragon means taking part in our school's unique traditions and cultural events. Please consider the following calendar of events as a standing invitation for our families and guardians to join in on the fun. Contact the front office (information in your Student & Family Handbook) with any questions about attending or volunteering at any of these events:

August

• Restorative Practices Training Workshop - Attendees learn the ins and outs of restorative practices at our school, including the purpose, design, and implementation of weekly connection circles and team-building activities, as well as formal restorative justice circles that trained volunteers can attend to assist as community members throughout the school year. 
• Enrollment Meeting - We invite you to join us in speaking with prospective students and families as they consider whether or not our school will meet their needs for credit recovery and alternative education. We can't think of better experts to share their experiences of our school that current and past students and families!

September

• Back to School Open House - We hope all students, families, and guardians will attend to share hors d'oeuvres, meet staff members, and learn about the classes and concurrent enrollment options available in our school.
• Annual Campus Car Show - See our school website for details on how to get involved in this annual community event, now in its 8th year (The Bijou School, 2019).
• Quarterly Skillshare

October

• Student Led Conferences
• Post-Secondary Options and FAFSA Completion Night
• Students Vote Chili Cookoff - Every year on Halloween (or the school day closest to it), our Student Leadership hosts a chili cookoff competition wherein staff and family members enter a crockpot of their best chili. Students, families, and guardians provide sides, chips, etc., sample, and vote to see who will win the trophy. 
• Enrollment Meeting

November

• Family & Community Thanksgiving Potluck Celebration
• Quarterly Skillshare

December

• Annual Advisory Gingerbread House Competition - We invite you to our pre-semester break potluck to share food, company, admire the first semester student work on display, and to vote for the winning gingerbread house created by student advisory groups. 

January

• Enrollment Meeting
• SAT/PSAT Tutoring - Volunteer to help with free tutoring groups. We're looking for volunteers with expertise to help students hone their skills or to provide snacks/treats for each meeting. 

February

• Post-secondary Options and FAFSA Completion Night
• Quarterly Skillshare
• SAT/PSAT Tutoring

March

• Enrollment Meting
• SAT/PSAT Tutoring

April

• Post-Secondary Options and FAFSA Completion Night
• SAT/PSAT Tutoring
• Student Signing Parties, Internship and Career Entrance, and College Acceptance Celebration

May

• Annual BBQ & Luau -- Get out your Hawaiian shirt and bring a side dish or dessert to share at this annual block party. Graduates, neighbors, retires staff, school board members, and community members attend and love to meet current students and families. We have a tradition of pie-throwing, so be sure to call the office ahead of time to let us know if you want to volunteer to help out with the fun and/or cleanup. 
• Quarterly Skillshare

Procedures & Policies

Attendance. Students in our school must be present in class a minimum of 80% of the time or better in a given course in addition to completing satisfactory coursework to be able to earn a credit. See your Student & Family Handbook for specific information regarding our quarterly attendance policy and the procedures around what qualifies for an excused absence. Please also see district policies regarding secondary school attendance and truancy. Worth particular note is that students who are ten or more minutes tardy to a given class period are marked absent in that class. They should still attend if they are running late, though, so they do not also end up with missing work.

Restorative Practices. While our school follows all rules and regulations set forth by our District and Board of Education regarding disciplinary and other issues, we also make use of restorative practices. This includes but is not limited to the use of restorative dialogues, connection circles, formal restorative justice circles, and community councils (made up of staff, students, community members, and family members like you) whose aim is to build empathy and to repair the relationships and the harm done to the community when wrongdoing occurs.

Performance Contracts & Multi-Tiered Student Supports. If a student fails to meet expectations regarding attendance, behavior, and/or course performance (ABCs), that student will be referred for additional support through our multi-tiered system of student supports (MTSS) to help ensure the student's needs (academic, emotional, social, etc.) are met. As part of this system, students and guardians may be asked to sign a performance contract with stipulations crafted specific to the student. If, after multiple quarters of ongoing support, the student fails to meet the requirements of the contract, the principal and counselor may convene a meeting with the student and guardian(s) to help find a more appropriate placement for the student.

Communications

Front Office. Our school's front office is home to our staff assistant, administrative assistant, and registrar. They can help answer questions you may have about attendance, scheduling, or contacting anyone else on staff. If you have general questions or you are unsure who to ask, call the front office for assistance. See your Student & Family Handbook for a list of phone numbers and contact information.

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BlackBoard & School Loop. Please download the district School Loop app on your smartphone or device and enable push notifications. You'll be first informed of important updates and news from our school, campus, and district. You confirmed contact information during enrollment, but should any of this information change, please notify the front office right away. 

Teachers & Counseling. All staff members in our school maintain a "Teacher Website." Please visit these websites for important information about daily events in classes, field trips, updates, and for links to email staff members directly. Remember that you are also welcome to call the front office to leave a message for a staff member who will return your call as soon as possible. 

Community & Partnership

Our school is very lucky to reside within a campus of alternatives that all serve our district. As such, we are able to share many resources and much of our learning with other schools and groups on our campus. This increases our access to exciting instructional materials, computer and science labs, the automotive shop, a culinary arts lab, a soil science lab and greenhouses, the campus nursery and early childhood learning center, and more. One of our unique partnerships enables all of our students to pursue a career pathway, spending one class period a day downstairs in a neighboring program, working on professional certification, licensure, and skills. 

Additionally, our school partners with the local community college's Career Start program, wherein students who have distinguished themselves are able to apply to attend the community college while still enrolled at our school to earn dual credit (credits that count toward both a high school diploma and an associate's degree) and pursue vocational learning at a higher level. Please see the Career Start tab on the school counseling page of our website for specific details on the many programs available, from nursing, welding, HVAC, mass communications, fire science, to automotive and more. 

In addition to partnerships that enable our students to attend the local community college, our school partners with a local private college to bring in undergraduate students majoring in education to tutor and mentor our students here on the campus. This has resulted in the formation of powerful and transformative positive relationships, broadening horizons and opening academic pathways for students that they might not have previously sought. These tutors assist students with skill building, organization, motivation, and perseverance. 

References

The Bijou School. (2019). RJWAC car show. Retrieved from https://www.d11.org/domain/4916