STRATEGIES FOR STRONG PARENT COMMUNICATION

If you’re a trustee representing a single-member district, you may wonder if your obligations to those voters who elected you are any different from the district as a whole. This might come up, for example, if you hear from parents or community members impacted by a proposal specific only to your area – such as a school building project, a boundary issue, or a campus leadership change.

You might also wonder how to handle concerns outside of your single-member district that impact an area relative to one of your fellow board trustees.

It’s important to remember that school board trustees are not like other elected public office holders, such as city council members, state legislators or county commissioners. Once elected, a school board member is a “trustee” charged with exercising authority and using district resources for the benefit not only of voters, but also for those without a voice at the ballot box – the children of your district. School board trustees serve as a body corporate. That means that trustees are called upon to serve the needs of the district, and its students, as a whole, not the wishes of a particular block of voters, even in a single-member district, according to this unique governance structure established by the Texas Legislature.

This distinction is often confusing, not just for school board members, but also parents and community members from single-member districts. When faced with a challenge specific to your single-member district or from a single-member district of a fellow board member, your obligation is the same: You’ll want to listen to parents, understand the issues and then make the best decision for the district, and its students, as a whole.

Regularly communicating your obligation to serve the entire district and all students during routine board votes can help make it easier to convey the same message during a board meeting where there may be geographic divides.

Intentionally listen to parents outside of the boardroom

A regular board meeting will give parents only a few short minutes to speak on a topic of concern or agenda item. That time limit is often a source of frustration for families who have a lot they want to discuss, particularly if they are concerned about an issue.

Consider setting up regular parent meetings with two to three other board members that comply with the Open Meetings Act (OMA) and allow for more extended conversations with families and community members. These types of forums will feel more informal and may help you connect with parents who may never consider going to a regular board meeting.

It’s important to remember that these meetings are more casual listening opportunities. Their format should not leave the impression that they are official board meetings.

To keep these events more intimate, host them in community centers, parks, or other venues away from the schools.

Establish advisory groups of students and parents

Your superintendent may already have established advisory groups that regularly bring recommendations and concerns to the attention of administrators who manage the day-to-day operations of the district.

Your school board may also establish advisory groups as a resource for its governance work, especially in relation to key functions of the board, such as strategic planning, superintendent searches, facility planning, or local policy development.

Creating advisory groups that have a documented charter and purpose — and include a mix of parents, community members and students — will help ensure your board is hearing all perspectives. In addition, a shared decision-making approach will help build trust and involvement.

Make yourself “chief listener” at these advisory meetings so that participants feel like they’re being heard and their suggestions and recommendations are meaningful to the process.

Monitor all channels of information

If social media platforms were physical places, they’d be noisy ones. However, one of the most valuable aspects of social media is that you can use it to listen to your community. Parent Facebook pages, for example, can be a good bellwether for what’s on parents’ minds. It can also be a hotbed for gossip and misinformation. By regularly monitoring social media, you will be able to see topics and trends that are of real concern to parents.

Keep in mind, that not everyone on these parent channels will have a student in the district. You may also hear from community members who have opinions about public education in general or who may be trying to promote a partisan viewpoint on a controversial topic such as vouchers or library books.

It’s OK to post and let people know who you are and that you’re listening. If someone reaches out to you directly, thank them for their input and emphasize the common ground you share.

If you’re feeling angry after reading comments, walk away. Do not engage until you’ve had time to calm down, think, and re-evaluate whether the comment warrants a reply.

Monitoring social media for an entire district can be a little overwhelming. You can divide the social media channels among your board members. For example, it could be helpful to have a couple of trustees monitoring the posts and conversations of middle school families while others focus on elementary and high school channels.

Don’t take it personally

Although parenting and parent concerns are very personal, board members should not take comments or actions of parents personally, even when they are presented that way. This mindset is helpful to remember when talking with parents, particularly on topics that may generate a lot of emotion or debate.

Acknowledging the concerns of an upset parent can go a long way to diffusing a potentially volatile situation. One of the most effective practices is to use empathetic listening techniques that help build a connection and establish trust. Some phrases to use include, “Thank you for sharing,” or “I understand how challenging this situation is and I want you to know I’m listening and hearing what you’re saying.”

Those types of attentive and compassionate responses will help keep lines of communication open so that you can gather information that may help resolve the problem or concern.

Empathetic listening works just as well in individual conversations as in board meetings that draw dozens of parents. If there’s an item on a board agenda that brings out crowds, acknowledge the interest by saying, “We know this is a topic that people feel passionate about,” or “We appreciate everyone coming out on this important item. Your feedback is essential.”

Serve as a bridge between schools and families

Trustees have the unique advantage of providing leadership for the district without being on campus or in the administration building each day.

This gives school board members an opportunity to help those who are on the front lines understand and better appreciate the concerns of families who are deeply interested in what’s happening at school, but not there to observe hour to hour.

Use empathetic listening techniques that help build connection and establish trust.

Do not be afraid to say, “As someone who is not on campus each day, I think we need to go to great lengths to explain what this means.” Educators are working so hard to meet the needs of their students, as they should, and that puts trustees in the best position to describe how things look from outside the building.

Ask district administration to set up quarterly meetings between teachers and two to three trustees to offer educators a direct way to communicate with school board members. These meetings could be done by level — elementary, middle, or high school, or by region in larger districts.