As a school leader, you know that communication is what connects your community with resources and community services. Having this connection and access can be as important as having the best education programs. They are both important for student success! School closures due to COVID-19 affected student learning in many ways. We all know that remote learning took a toll.

In our quickly shifting environment, it can be hard for families to feel personally connected to and build long-term relationships with one another and the staff at their schools. In Chicago Public Schools, John Charles Haines Elementary School has had a great year. Its success is largely due to the decision to incorporate a digital app for communication that empowered

The end of the school year might bring barbecues, picnics, travel, and relaxing in the sun. But there’s no reason to put learning on hold until September arrives again! Summer school looks different in every district. So a good communication strategy is always essential to minimize confusion and mix-ups. Summer school students are often the ones who need the most

Ms. Perry, a first-year teacher to second graders, is anxious about calling the home of one of her students, Ismael. Ismael is consistently falling asleep in class, and Ms. Perry suspects it may have something to do with Ismael’s at-home routines. She doesn’t want to come across as blameful, but she’s concerned about Ismael’s school success if the pattern continues.

The end of the school year is a funny thing. For months, it seems so far away. Then, inevitably, it’s here — along with the many details of successfully closing out an academic year. As a result, many of us find ourselves with more than just a handful of loose ends to tie up in these final days before the

This summary is derived from a book titled Organizing Schools for Improvement.  This book is a synthesis of longitudinal research conducted by the Chicago Consortium for School Research (CCSR) and is considered its seminal publication.  CCSR has been studying school reform in Chicago for more than 2 decades under a partnership between the University of Chicago and Chicago Public Schools. 

Educational professionals know that effectively communicating with the school community drives successful learning. However, sending your communication is only half the battle. Two-way communication with parents is essential. So how do you encourage parents and stakeholders to read and engage with your messages? Here are three high-impact questions to propel your school or district’s communication efforts: Who’s listening (or not)?

Since the pandemic began, districts have changed their school engagement plans to meet a new world that blends the web with real life. Dialogue among districts, students and their families has improved in many districts using virtual tools. This blend allows them to reach each other in many spaces and at many levels. A stronger bond between schools and families

SchoolCNXT is a mobile and web-based family engagement app that connects students, guardians, teachers, and school administrators. It provides an easy way to equitably share news and events, send reminders, participate in two-way messaging, and engage with the community. The app’s two-way messaging can be initiated by any user. It also provides language translation and text-to-speech capabilities to bring equity