Following our first Back to School Event – Anticipating Parent Concerns, I realized that no matter how we cut our data, the theme always emerges: Communication is queen!
Possip Founder and CEO, Shani Dowell, reflects on some of the most common feedback about school communication we hear from parents across the nation.
We typically see Communication Traps fall into two categories: UNDER-communicating and OVER-communicating.
Under-Communication Traps
When schools or districts communicate less than they need to. This could include the following:
-
- No Communication
- Having Unspoken Rules
- Communicating on a “Need to Know” Basis – as Interpreted by Leadership
- Having an Insiders Club
No Communication
It seems obvious that families need communication – but it often just doesn’t happen. We recommend having a plan and system for communicating with families at least weekly – and having a system to hear from families at least bi-weekly. As you plan your system, think about how often you want families to hear from the following contacts at school:
- District or network leadership
- School leadership
- Grade level leadership
- Teachers
- PTO or Other
Also, consider how you’ll communicate during special events or times. So often, leaders get so busy solving problems in times of crisis that they forget to communicate!
What systems will you create to make sure there families always receive pertinent and timely information.
