Teachers and school staff, school administrators, and district communication teams expend a considerable amount of effort to ensure that they are able to reach all of the families they serve. They work hard to reach families who encounter various barriers. But what about guardians who face literacy challenges? Reaching these families can pose serious difficulty for two reasons: It is

When I was in 7th grade, I earned an ‘E’ in math. Not an ‘E’ for “exceeds expectations,” more an ‘E’ for “extreme errors in judgement and time management skills.” I had always struggled with math, and by just a few weeks into the year I had fallen so far behind in the material that even the basic homework assignments

Anyone who works in a school or school district knows the importance of engaging with students’ guardians. The benefits are researched and widely accepted, which drives you to do what it takes to reach your students’ families. But what about families who speak a language other than English? Are you able to reach them? Are they able to reach you?

Sometimes you feel like you’ve heard it all: they have to work, they can’t find a sitter, they already know this information from their older child. It feels like the parents have more excuses than the kids! You send home letters, you prepare for back-to-school night, you prepare conference folders, and still there are some parents you’ve never even met.

Have you ever conducted a group project in your class and then wished you could be a fly on the wall to see how the groups interacted? I certainly have. I love using group work in my classes because it teaches students such valuable lessons that they can take with them to college, future jobs, and beyond.  Students learn how

As we start the new year with renewed energy, excited for what is to come, we would like to draw attention to the importance of a single word: “equity”. Equity means giving all families access to tools and resources in the ways they need it whereas equality refers to giving everyone the same resources. When families are able to engage

How does a school district communicate with its families? For some, this is a difficult question to answer. Should they explain how they communicate district-level decisions, successes, initiatives, and announcements? Or is the question referring to each school’s communication from the administration? This question is complicated further when considering that each teacher and staff member may have his or her

The bulletin boards are up, your lesson plans are done, and you’ve completed your in-service days. This can only mean one thing…it’s time for a new school year! There are some sayings that seasoned staff are sure to hear and repeat year after year. Some they will say for novice staff, and some they will say to remind themselves. But

I was sitting in the staff lounge during my third week of teaching when I first heard a colleague refer to “The List.” She was complaining about how difficult her student was and another teacher responded, “Well, add that name to your list,” referring to the list of names that they would never name their children, thanks to having taught