PARTNERS IN LEARNING:
MARKS OF QUALITY
COMMUNICATIONS
Is your school's communication:
 Positive? Establish contact early
in the year with friendly notes, phone calls, and informal gatherings.
If problems do crop up, it will be easier to talk with parents
and gain their support. Many schools' first message home is a
list of rules and punishments-not a warm introduction.
Two-way? Effective communication
is a back-and-forth process, not a monologue. Schools that are
serious about encouraging parents to communicate with teachers
ensure that parents know how to contact them and make it easy
to do so. Schools also can solicit feedback, ideas, preferences
and questions from parents (students and community members too)
in a variety of ways.
Frequent? When notices, memos, newsletters
and student work go home on a regular schedule, parents learn
to watch for them.
Clear? Keep the writing simple and
straightforward. Avoid jargon and acronyms. Don't make the mistake
of the school that put "PCN" on the school calendar,
but never explained that PCN stands for "Parent Communication
Network" and is the parents' home/school organization.
Inviting? Make sure written materials
are attractive and readable. Use a comfortable print size and
plenty of white space. Cut the copy-the less you write, the more
likely it will be read.
Personal? Nothing beats one-on-one,
face-to-face communication. It helps to establish trust, break
down barriers, increase understanding, and form lasting relationships.
Take advantage of any opportunity to talk with a parent-in the
school or in the community. Consider extending conference time
for more parent-teacher interaction.
Inclusive? Don't leave some families
out of the communications loop. How does the school reach parents
who don't speak English or are unable to read? How about grandparents,
noncustodial parents, families without phones or those who work
nontraditional hours? Examine your communication methods to make
sure you are reaching all families.
Timely? In order for parents to be
active partners, they must know quickly if their child is falling
behind or creating problems. Parents also need to receive the
times and dates for meetings and events well in advance-and more
than once.
Error-free? Confidence in schools
is eroded when communications have a misspelling or use incorrect
grammar. Proofread over and over again.
Basic? Sounds simple, but many parents
say what's missing in the home-school communication link is basic
information-when report cards come out, who the workshop is for,
how grades are determined, what steps to take when a child is
absent.
Written by The Family Connection
of St. Joseph County, Inc. for Partners in Learning [Vol
3:1, 1999] a newsletter of the Indiana Center for Family, School
& Community Partnerships. If you would like more information
about using technology to involve families, contact the Center
at 317-205-2595 or email: fscp@indy.net
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