A mom friend recently texted me after trying to use yet another school communication app: “No more dumb apps.”
It was blunt, funny, and deeply familiar. I’ve seen the same sentiment repeatedly in Possip Pulse Check data from parents across the country.
Her text got me thinking.
Parents often tell schools and districts exactly what they want regarding communication, but their messages can get lost in translation.
How do we know? Because we see both sides. We hear what parents say through Possip Pulse Checks and how schools interpret those needs when we introduce them to Possip. Sometimes, there’s alignment. Sometimes… not quite.
So, what do parents want from school communication? And what can all organizations learn from this? After all, parents are people who work, consume, and volunteer. So, what they want from communication doesn’t just apply to them in their school life but also in daily life, whether as an employee, constituent, congregant, donor, volunteer, or program participant.
1. No More Apps
Parents’ phones are graveyards of abandoned school, camp, and activity apps- each one promised to be “the one.” But they rarely are.
Parents want simple, familiar communication:
- Texts
- Emails
- Flyers
- Signs
An app can be a channel, but it shouldn’t be the sole channel. Clunky portals and complicated logins just create barriers.
In the workforce, there are increasing companies developing apps for their team members who aren’t at desks. I think we can learn from parents that there may be better approaches than apps.
2. A Predictable, Routine System
Parents don’t want to guess how or when information will come. They want a reliable rhythm- weekly emails, Friday folders, monthly Pulse Checks, a regular newsletter- something they can count on.
3. Multiple Methods of Dissemination
How do parents want information? The answer is D – All of the Above.
Email it. Text it. Post it on socials and the website. Send it home in backpacks. Put it on the website. Put it on a sign on a bulletin board. If it’s important, say it more than once, in more than one way.
4. Opportunities to Give Input Easily
Parents don’t just want to receive information- they want ways to respond, ask questions, and share ideas without attending a two-hour evening meeting. Make it easy.
5. Don’t Bury the Important Stuff
Don’t hide key info five paragraphs down or in an attachment. Lead with it. Make it obvious. And don’t change topics. If the email subject is about the Athletics calendar, don’t include important details about Finals in it. If the So What for parents is they need to buy supplies for a science project, don’t bury that under cute pictures from the Halloween carnival. We’re only sharing examples parents share.
6. Share the What, When, How, and Why
Whether it’s a field trip or a district policy change, give parents the full picture. And everytime you share a reminder, share the information again that they need to know. Are parent teacher conferences coming up? Every time you remind parents about them, remind them how to sign up.
- What’s happening?
- When is it?
- How do they participate?
- Why does it matter?
It seems almost unfair. Schools are already caring for the kids – must they babysit parents too? 🙂
We know they don’t have to. But parents sure appreciate it when they do!
And they’ll love your organization when you listen and consider how they best like to listen and contribute.
