Systems of Communication

Communication Consistency“View the district or school LMS (e.g., Google Classroom) as a key communication tool. Inconsistent set-up or use can lead to confusion on the part of all stakeholders and create particular obstacles for English Learners and students with learning differences.”

Teachers and administrators need simple systems for two-way communication so recipients know what to expect and when to expect it. What modes of communication will be used when? How frequent will communication be? What are the expectations around making sure that communications are accessible to all stakeholders? Consistent, two-way communication allows schools to keep everyone on the same page about the goals, plans, and next steps for ensuring student learning and to allow for questions and input.

Black woman with face mask reading business reports while working on laptop at home during virus pandemic.

Guiding Questions

How do we ensure that administrators, teachers, and other school and district staff have both the long-term vision and the day-to-day updates?

Professional Development Connections

All school community stakeholders need support getting accustomed to all-remote communications. Teachers, as the staff who will have the most frequent contact with students, will not only need to become comfortable with the systems themselves, but may also need PD specifically on how to effectively troubleshoot and support students and their families.

Use these selected strategies and resources

High-leverage Strategies	Aligned Resources
Seamless Communication and Clarity Create or refresh a comprehensive district or school communications plan that includes clarity around: The learning management system platform, tools, and apps that will be used (keeping in mind that families have children in different grades and in different schools across a district, so coherence is helpful) Website features such as, a highly visible “Updates” section A plan for emergency communiques	Develop a Network/School Communication Plan such as the one from Instruction Partners (recommended in The Field Guide for Accelerating Learning, Equity and Well-Being, CCEE) Use this dashboard spreadsheet for assessing online professional learning platforms to ensure that the district LMS is the best fit possible. (The Learning Accelerator) Use this school’s website as a model for sharing information with students, families, and teachers. (Arts & Letters 305 United)
Connection Goals As a district or school, take weekly or monthly audits of how many times and in what ways the school community received communications intended to create connection. Reflect: It is too much? Too little? Just right? Have district, school, and teacher team leads create and share connection goals and enlist everyone in staying accountable to them.	Connection goals should include: Scheduled check-ins between and among all stakeholders: colleague to colleague, supervisor to direct reports, teachers to students, staff to families Joyful, fun school community events such as: Neighborhood parades Dance parties Shared read-alouds, such as having principals doing online read-alouds for students (examples compiled by The Learning Accelerator)

High-leverage Strategies

Aligned Resources

Seamless Communication and Clarity

Create or refresh a comprehensive district or school communications plan that includes clarity around:

The learning management system platform, tools, and apps that will be used (keeping in mind that families have children in different grades and in different schools across a district, so coherence is helpful)
Website features such as, a highly visible “Updates” section
A plan for emergency communiques

Develop a Network/School Communication Plan such as the one from Instruction Partners (recommended in The Field Guide for Accelerating Learning, Equity and Well-Being, CCEE)

Use this dashboard spreadsheet for assessing online professional learning platforms to ensure that the district LMS is the best fit possible. (The Learning Accelerator)

Use this school’s website as a model for sharing information with students, families, and teachers. (Arts & Letters 305 United)

Connection Goals

As a district or school, take weekly or monthly audits of how many times and in what ways the school community received communications intended to create connection. Reflect: It is too much? Too little? Just right?

Have district, school, and teacher team leads create and share connection goals and enlist everyone in staying accountable to them.

Connection goals should include:

Scheduled check-ins between and among all stakeholders: colleague to colleague, supervisor to direct reports, teachers to students, staff to families
Joyful, fun school community events such as:
- Neighborhood parades
- Dance parties
- Shared read-alouds, such as having principals doing online read-alouds for students (examples compiled by The Learning Accelerator)

Nurturing Instructional Leadership during Remote and Hybrid Learning