Key points:
- School-home communication is critical in boosting attendance and decreasing absenteeism
- A thoughtful school communication plan is as important to good schooling as a great teacher
- See related article: 5 ways video improves school-home communication
When you think about Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds, do you think “HVAC?”
While ESSER funds were vital for making schools safer during the pandemic, they cover more than infrastructure. The true goal of ESSER funding is learning recovery, and the heart of learning recovery is attendance.
Attendance is an important predictor of student success.
School communication is an essential piece in supporting attendance and reducing absenteeism. Parents can’t help if they don’t know what’s going on. Consistent school-home communication helps home adults understand the benefits of coming to school. If school communication is the bridge between home and school, let’s leverage ESSER funds to ramp up the percentage of students crossing that bridge.
Here are three core areas for ESSER funding and their connection to school-home communication:
1. Technologies for educational interaction
The more teachers communicate with parents and caregivers, the more successful students are. The reason is that it builds trust. When teachers share what’s happening in the classroom, parents feel better able to support their learners.
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