Guidelines for Parent Communications

Our commitment to our parents is that we will promptly address any issues that arise and work closely with you to find a solution. If we have a concern, we will bring it to your attention and suggest ideas to resolve it. We will seek your support and be open to your suggestions as well. We will develop a clear communication plan for updating you over time should ongoing monitoring be part of the solution.

• Teachers: Due to the school schedule, it is most common for teachers to check emails before and after school. Teachers dedicate a considerable amount of time to meetings, peer collaboration, training, grading and lesson planning. Please allow your child’s teacher up to 24 hours to respond to your inquiry/concern. 
  • Email Communication: Emails permit teachers to respond to questions that are simple and straightforward. Email is not always a productive method to problem-solve with parents and leaves room for misunderstanding. With this context in mind, teachers will welcome the opportunity to share additional information. Conversations that require more extensive interaction should include a phone conversation or a face-to-face meeting.
  • Phone/Face-to-Face Meetings: These two communication methods permit teachers to more effectively problem-solve a concern with parents. We encourage our staff to use these two methods to problem-solve when possible. 
• Principals: Our school principals are the educational leaders of their buildings. Principals spend a considerable amount of time supporting teachers, helping students navigate their school day, and in planning meetings on a myriad of topics. Please allow your child’s principal up to 24 hours to respond to your inquiry/concern.
  • If your inquiry/concern is related to class, please first contact your child’s teacher. 
  • If your inquiry/concern is more general, please contact your school’s Main Office. 
  • If your inquiry/concern is sensitive or urgent in nature, please do contact the school principal. 

Similar to our teacher communication methods listed above, emailing a school principal works for inquiries that require a simple, straightforward response. However, a phone or face-to-face conversation is more effective to problem-solve specific concerns.

Step 1: Contact the teacher via email stating the general concern. The teacher will respond within one business day. If the concern can be resolved through email, the teacher will address it through email. However, if the concern is more involved, the teacher will contact you for a phone or face-to-face meeting.

Step 2 (when necessary): If you and the teacher have talked and cannot resolve the concern, please ask the school principal to participate in the problem-solving process. The principal will respond within one business day. The school principal is the final arbiter on all matters relating to student concerns. In the rare case that a concern cannot be resolved at the building level, the matter may be referred to the Superintendent of Schools or a District Office Administrator for further resolution.