LEAP LEARNS THE ART OF SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
For copies of presentations, go to: http://www.lcps.org/Page/161339
Professional counselor Neil McNerney had some common-sense tips for effective communication between
parents and teachers during the October 14th meeting of the Loudoun Education Alliance of Parents
(LEAP).
McNerney had a quick list of do’s and don’ts parents should consider before and during communication
with school personnel.
Don’t immediately get defensive when a teacher questions your child’s behavior. “Not my kid.”
Remember that your child and the teacher may see a situation differently and that both perspectives
need to be heard.
Don’t go immediately to the principal when you have a concern with a teacher. “Wasting time.” The
principal will send you back to the teacher. McNerney said the best chance of successfully resolving a
problem lies with the person closest to the situation, the teacher.
Don’t take it personally. “Not everything that goes on with my kid is a reflection on me... The more we
become emotional, the harder it is to problem-solve.”
Don’t bad mouth teachers to other parents. This can lead to confrontations with parents who like that
teacher or generally poison the atmosphere around that classroom.
McNerney suggested that when parents communicate with teachers or their children they do so in a
shoulder-to-shoulder physical setting rather than toe-to-toe. A toe-to-toe physical setting would feature
the teacher and parent conferring across a desk. Sitting shoulder-to-shoulder allows both parties to
examine any material in front of them at the same time in a non-confrontational manner.
Parents should realize the teacher in a parent-teacher conference is probably as nervous as the parent.
McNerney said teachers are use to dealing with students every day, but are leaving their comfort zone
when they interact with parents.
Do assume the best of the teacher and their intentions. McNerney, a former school counselor, said he
had yet to meet someone working in education who hated children.
Check your feelings during a conference with a teacher or principal; to the point of having an internal
conversation with yourself if you feel things getting out of hand. “I’m feeling a little angry now.”
McNerney said making a conscious note of your feelings will serve as a calming mechanism.
When a parent is entering a conference with an educational professional or group of professionals,
McNerney suggest they write out their questions and talking points in advance. He said parents often find
such conferences intimidating and forget the things they wanted to discuss.
McNerney suggested e-mailing a teacher after the conference with your understanding of what decisions
were made. While the teacher cannot always respond to such e-mails, it will lay a groundwork for
understanding.
Three principals told the LEAP delegates how they foster good communications at their school.
Elaine Layman of Tolbert Elementary said the principals in the Heritage High School cluster – of which
Tolbert is a part – have a Sunday Blackboard Connect phone call and e-mail that outlines what will be
happening at school during the coming week. She said the Sunday message has taken the place of the
traditional newsletter, which Tolbert now does on a quarterly basis.
Layman said messages from Tolbert also are conveyed through Facebook and Twitter so parents will
have several channels through which to receive a message. Layman also has a practice that teachers
answer parent e-mails within 24 hours.
With all the electronic means of communication, Layman said the best way to handle concerns regarding
your child’s education is face-to-face with the child’s teacher. She said some parents have told her that
they come to the principal with a concern rather than the teacher because they are afraid of retaliation
against their child. Layman said nothing could be further from the truth.“There is no incentive to have
your child do anything but their very best.”
River Bend Middle School Principal David Shaffer said social media has profoundly changed the way he
communicates with his school community. A poll of the River Bend community found that 85 percent of
parents receive their information through Facebook while 80 percent don’t read the traditional newsletter.
Thus, Shaffer oversees a very active Facebook page and Twitter feed. “It’s a great way to make
connections.” He added parents need to make principals aware of the method they prefer for
communication.
Connections are especially vital in middle school, Shaffer added, because parents are now dealing with
multiple teachers (eight or nine) rather than one primary teacher at the elementary level. On a human
level, Shaffer said the middle school deans are a tremendous resource that help parents and teachers
connect.
Woodgrove High School Principal Sam Shipp said high school is a time when parents should learn to shift
the responsibility for communicating with school personnel to their student. “Self-advocacy is a skill.” By
the time students graduate high school, Shipp noted, they are adults. College professors, military
personnel and employers will not take input from parents when their child has a problem.
Shipp said parents should gradually withdraw from their child’s school communications. “It’s not a switch
that you turn on or off.”
Parents who wish to be involved – and parents should be involved – are best served by joining booster
organizations, Shipp added. Such organizations include PTA’s and PTO’s and athletic and fine arts
boosters.
Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) Supervisor of Information Management and Data Security Rachel
Johnson walked the LEAP delegates through the new ParentVUE student information portal.
Johnson showed delegates how they could:
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Access near-real-time information on assignments and grades;
Check student schedules;
Check student attendance reports (daily and overall);
View (unofficial) immunization records;
Check school calendars;
Update student and contact information (the only exception to this is changing a student
address, which has to be done in person with proof of residency);
Check overall student transcripts and progress toward graduation.
Johnson said consolidated school calendars, featuring school and school division events are on the
horizon. Directories showing contact information for school personnel is already in place.
Activation keys for the ParentVUE system (94,000 of them) have been mailed to parents. Thus far,
34,000 accounts have been activated.
LCPS Chief of Staff Dr. Michael Richards, Assistant Superintendent for Pupil Services Dr. Mary Kealy and
Project Manager Suyi Chuang invited LEAP delegates to become the first group to take a survey related
to the Vision 20/20 Strategic Plan. The delegates were invited to provide input on the draft Strategic
Actions that have been developed.
School Board member Jeff Morse (Dulles District) attended the October 14th LEAP meeting.