While the best method of communication is in person, that’s not always possible in a school setting with hundreds, possibly even thousands of students. Teachers have to balance lesson planning, classroom management, with organizing events and activities, and even grading papers.

The best approach will be to leverage technology to share information with parents.

In this blog, we’ve explored the best digital solutions available that can help you communicate with parents, share key information, and make your job easier. 

What communication methods are actually best?

In 2016, Speak Up Research Project published findings that showed principals and parents have different ideas for what qualifies as an effective communication method.

Most agree that personal emails and text messages are the most effective. 65% of principals and 70% of parents agree on emails, while 45% of principals agree with 52% of parents that text messages are quite effective.

But when it comes to personal phone calls, the differences start to emerge. 70% of principals believe calls are effective, while only 36% of parents agree.

We also see that handwritten notes and push notifications are the most unpopular, gaining less than 30% support across the board.

With school portals, the story is similar; 34% of principals agree that they are effective, while only 20% of parents seem to think so.

From this data, we can take away two things:

Emails and phone calls are very effective and parents are open to communicating via these means

Nobody likes push notifications, even though they leverage technology.

Based on all this information, we’ve compiled a list of communication methods that both parents and teachers will find really helpful.

Best ways to communicate with parents using technology

1. Optimize emails with LLMs like ChatGPT

LLMs are very handy for improving your communications, whether you need their help researching a topic or generating ideas. Teachers can use ChatGPT in the same way. As this reddit thread shows, the biggest benefit is using it to handle specific email conversations and replies.

For example, you could paste the email you got, and ask ChatGPT to write a polite response that explains your perspective. Say a parent writes asking why their kid was marked down for plagiarism, or why some topics are in the curriculum. 

An LLM could help summarize the answer and put it in the most polite way possible. Just be sure to double check the email before sending.

2. Send emails and SMS through SchoolStatus 

SchoolStatus is a great way to open communication lines with parents because there are several options to choose from. You could send emails – which we’ve established a lot of people prefer, but you could also communicate via SMS as well.

You may be familiar with the platform back when it was called ClassTag, but don’t worry, it still has amazing features, like a nifty translation tool that covers over 100 languages, reporting options, and much more.

Remind allows you to reach anyone that can receive text messages. But that’s really just the beginning. You can also use Remind to create groups, send broadcast messages, and, yes, translate your messages too.

Remind is especially helpful because parents don’t need a smartphone to receive notifications from you.

4. Leverage school communication apps and make things easier

We already covered two options for keeping things simple, but there are a host of communication apps out there that allow you to connect with parents and share everything from homework deadlines, upcoming school trips or details of attendance statistics. 

Chances are you've either used these school messaging apps, or are at the very least aware of their existence. Apps like ClassDojo, Klassly and ParentSquare streamline communication between teachers and home and make it simple to ensure that parents are getting important information.

It’s important to remember that, while these apps are some of the best ways to manage parent teacher communication, it can be easy for parents to miss key announcements if they don't spot the notifications.

According to EdTech Review,  Parents already agree that effective technology implementation is critical for students’ success. The effectiveness of digital signage in education is already well documented.

Digital signage has grown to become a popular method of displaying almost anything from local announcements to promotional material, and it's well suited to use within schools.

While the term digital signage might sound technical, in reality it's just a TV screen or monitor, powered by a $40 Amazon Fire TV Stick and a $20 ScreenCloud subscription.

Find out more about what digital signage is.

There are, in fact, many  reasons to use digital signage within a school or college setting, including:

Eye-catching displays are effective for sharing announcements or updates

Share events, reminders, announcements, congratulations and other important information

Share images, videos and artwork from across the school

Digital screens in elementary schools can also be a great way to foster community.

6. Use social media platforms like Facebook to – meet parents where they are

There are lots of apps and communication systems designed to help schools communicate with parents. But sometimes, you’ll get a more seamless communication experience when you meet people where they are. 

Facebook groups, for example, can be an easy – and free – way to share information with parents and get feedback. And because it’s a social media platform, you know they already spend time on there and will be more open to communicating. Remember to keep the groups closed (or even secret) to maintain parent privacy.

There are also options like Instagram and X (Twitter) that are perhaps less relevant as a school communication platform, but can be useful to showcase group work from the classroom or to start conversations online. 

Using ScreenCloud to improve parent teacher communication

When it comes to strategies for effective communication, digital signage has become an essential addition to public spaces around the world. And it also makes a great focal point in schools for teachers, parents and children to be able to view critical or important information.

Setting up digital signage with ScreenCloud is simple, and as we mentioned you can use readily available technology such as a TV and an Amazon Fire stick. Or, use our purpose-built PIXI device and run your content all day, every day with no interruptions. 

For more tips on which device to choose, check out our helpful hardware selector tool.

Want to find out more about digital signage, or ready to get started?

Sign up for our free trial, or request a demo today.

Discover six smart ways teachers can use technology, from emails to digital signage, to improve parent communication and keep families informed, engaged, and in the loop.

6 Ways Teachers Can Communicate with Parents Using Technology

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6 Ways Teachers Can Communicate with Parents Using Technology

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