Families are all too often under-utilized allies for educators. Proactively building a strong relationship with families in the opening weeks of the school year can pay a host of dividends in supporting a more robust partnership throughout the rest of the year.
Parents and caregivers are the experts on their children, and by tapping into their knowledge, we immediately become more effective in serving the needs of our students. As family engagement expert Anne Henderson writes, “If you don’t know your students’ families, you don’t know your students. If you don’t know your students, how are you going to reach them, motivate them, and be that important other adult in their life?”
When we forge a strong initial connection with families, that relational trust buoys both our work in the classroom and families’ efforts at home.
Family Engagement from Day One
Research makes clear that strong school-family ties are one of the five keys to moving from a good to great classroom, school, or district. As I explore in my book, On The Same Team: Bringing Educators and Underrepresented Families Together, when we forge a strong initial connection with families, that relational trust buoys both our work in the classroom and families’ efforts at home.
This work can start from the first day of the school year. Here are eight straightforward strategies to cultivate a strong relationship with students’ families right from the beginning.
1. Send a postcard or letter introducing yourself to your new students' families. Share some relatable information about yourself and express your enthusiasm for the upcoming school year and the opportunity to support their child's learning journey.
2. In the first month of the school year, make a personalized welcome phone call to each family, with the sole purpose of establishing trust and learning about their child. Track which families you call and when. Set a specific time for this kind of outreach: For instance, you might designate 10 minutes during your Thursday planning period to make two or three calls. School leaders can also carve out time at the beginning of the school year for staff to engage in these best practices.
3. During the opening weeks of the school year, ask families what type of communication they prefer and in what language. Some families may prefer emails, while others may prefer text messages, and knowing this can make your outreach more effective. If you have families that speak different languages at home, consider using an app such as Talking Points that will translate messages. Remind families that they have the right to request an interpreter for any conversations they’d like to have with you throughout the school year.
4. Tell families that your “door is open” and that you welcome ongoing feedback (questions, concerns, compliments, etc.). Convey the best ways and times to reach you.
5. Send home a survey to help you learn more about your new students and their families. Consider asking questions such as:
- What passions do you have that you share with your child?
- Is there anything in particular you’re worried about or want me to pay careful attention to with your child?
- What does your child do particularly well?
- What motivates your child? What is your child excited about?
6. Be extra visible and accessible for families in the opening month of school. This might mean taking five to ten minutes before and after school to stand outside your classroom door so you’re ready to engage in quick conversations with families, or, for secondary teachers, offering a drop-in office hour and making sure that all of your students’ families have your email address and phone number. Over time, these brief exchanges lead to stronger relationships, trust, and communication.
Be extra visible and accessible for families in the opening month of school.
7. Reach out to families that were unable to attend Back-to-School Night or other welcome back events and set up a relationship-centered home visit or introductory phone call to share information about your classroom that they may have missed.
8. Ask families what resources they need to support their child's learning at home. Research shows that when parents communicate high academic expectations and actively support learning at home, it significantly boosts student achievement.
A Strong Relational Foundation
Even if you only implement a handful of these strategies, you will begin to forge a strong initial connection with your students’ families. The foundation we establish early on through proactive outreach and intentionality leads us, and our students and families, to a more rewarding and successful school year.
Ari Gerzon-Kessler is the coordinator of family partnerships for the Boulder Valley School District in Colorado. He is the author of the new book On the Same Team: Bringing Educators and Underrepresented Families Together (Solution Tree, 2024). Previously, Ari served for 16 years as a principal, assistant principal, and bilingual teacher.
