Parent & Student Handbook - Independence Charter School

Parent-Teacher Communication Guidelines
The teachers and staff at Independence Charter School strive to maintain open and positive lines of
communication with parents. Our high expectations for staff include dedicating 100% of their time to the
instructional setting. Therefore, in order for communication with parents to be effective, it should take place at a
suitable time and in an appropriate setting.
Types of communication fall into the categories of informal and formal:
Informal communication is suitable for everyday
situations such as:
Your child forgets his/her lunch or book bag
Confirming the date of an upcoming classroom
event
Confirming that a teacher received materials you
sent in with your child
Planning a birthday celebration
Appropriate forms of informal communication
include:
• Email message
• Written note
• Phone message
• Brief conversation in passing
Formal communication is necessary when a parent
or teacher needs to communicate about a more
serious and ongoing issue or concern. Examples
include:
Your child is struggling in a subject area
Your child is not feeling challenged in class
You have questions or concerns about your
child’s curriculum
Your child does not feel safe at school
Your child needs extra emotional support due to
changing circumstances at home
Often, scheduling a meeting to resolve the issue
will be necessary.
Appropriate forms of formal communication include:
• Email message
• Written letter
• A pre-arranged phone conversation or
meeting
Teachers and staff will make every effort to respond to your formal concerns as quickly as possible. Sometimes
you will receive an immediate response. It is often not possible, however, for a teacher to check and thoughtfully
respond to phone and email messages during the school day.
We have created minimum guidelines so that both teachers and parents know what to expect when
communicating back and
1) Teachers CANNOT take phone calls during the school day because they are engaged in instruction. If you
call the office you will be transferred to the appropriate voicemail. If you have regular Internet access, email is the
generally preferred form of communication.
2) Teachers will check email and phone messages once daily on school days between 3:30 and 4:00 P.M.
3) You will receive a confirmation of receipt of the message by the end of the next full school day. (For example,
if you send an email on Monday at 12:00 P.M., you can expect a confirmation of receipt no later than Tuesday at
4:00 P.M. Or, if you send an email on Friday at 12:00 P.M., you can expect a confirmation no later than Monday at
4:00 P.M. The confirmation will outline next steps and when to expect further information regarding your inquiry.)
4) If you do not receive a confirmation of receipt within the expected timeframe, try one alternate form of
communication in case there is a technical problem. (For instance, your email could have gone to a junk folder
or your phone message could have been directed to an incorrect mailbox.)
5) If you still do not receive a confirmation of receipt, contact your Principal.
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