School Administrator's Clip File • August 5, 2020

Reach families with technology
It’s more important than ever to embrace the digital tools that help schools stay connected with students and their families. You may not be able to see parents face-to-face, but you can connect with them digitally to foster their engagement and boost student achievement. Here are a few ideas:
- Use social media to keep parents informed about school events and news. Use popular channels like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and Google Plus. In your posts, include a link that will take parents to your school website.
- Include content on your school website outlining ways parents can support student learning.
- Post videos of teachers providing guidance on how parents can help with certain assignments.
- Use online conferencing tools to meet with parents when face-to-face meetings aren’t possible.
Five ways to overcome language barriers
Communication with families who have limited English proficiency can be challenging. To promote two-way communication:
- Get to know the families. Learn their stories. Be respectful of situations at home.
- Provide information about the American school system. Parents who were educated in other countries might be unfamiliar with U.S. education concepts.
- Recruit other families at your school to act as mentors for newcomers. If possible, match up families who speak the same native language.
- Translate materials sent home or posted on your website.
- Use interpreters during meetings. If you do not have a bilingual parent liaison on staff, ask for volunteers from the community.
Did you know?
According to new research published by the American Psychological Association, prospective teachers appear more likely to misperceive Black children as angry than white children, which may undermine the education of Black youth. This is the first study to show how anger bias based on race may extend to teachers and Black elementary and middle-school children.
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