Written by Jodee Blanco, author, speaker, and founder of INJJA, jodee@jodeeblanco.com
There’s something so hopeful and promising about a new school year. The energy and excitement are palpable. It’s a fresh start. Whether you’re a teacher, principal, or counselor, now is the time to lay a strong, healthy foundation with parents so when issues arise, a relationship has been established that allows everyone to shine.
As an anti-bullying and communications expert who has worked with hundreds of Catholic schools, the number one complaint I hear from teachers and principals isn’t having to deal with bad student behavior. It’s how certain parents treat them. I’ve seen many dedicated educators just trying to do their jobs get blindsided by a frustrated, angry parent. I’ve also had parents complain to me that the only time they hear from their child’s school is when something is wrong or a task is required of them.
It’s all about communication. The more proactive you are engaging in practices that nourish the connection with parents, the less time you’ll spend later navigating situations that could have been avoided. Here are some simple, practical tips and strategies for starting the year off right with parents and building upon that momentum all year long.
- Setting Boundaries
Send a warm, positive email to parents expressing how excited you are to begin the new school year and the best way for you to communicate with each other. Be transparent about when you typically read and respond to emails and phone calls. Let them know, for example, if they email you after a certain time, you may not see it and be able to reply until the next day, and what to do if it’s urgent. It’s also helpful to explain what constitutes “urgent.” Be open and honest about communication and encourage the same of them. Lead with what you can do, not what you can’t, and explain that you’re sharing all this info because working in partnership to serve their child is a priority for you, and it starts with healthy communication. - Expectation Management
Everyone talks about classroom management, but there’s another type of management that’s equally important to a school. Expectation management is about managing the expectations of others through clear, consistent communication that insulates everyone against assumptions. For any plan of action with a parent to work effectively, both sides need to know what to expect of one another and to agree upon a realistic follow-up strategy that specifies who’s doing what and when, a practical system for making adjustments if needed, and a “nudge strategy” because we’re all human and sometimes need help staying on track. - Keeping Parents Looped in on The Good Stuff
Invite parents into the funny, touching, and joyful moments that happen at school each day. Consider creating a dedicated page on the school website where teachers can regularly share a moving or humorous moment from the week, then email parents a link so they can read the latest posts. You might also encourage students to record short videos about their favorite school moment of the week and share the best ones. An email newsletter featuring these sweet stories could work well, too. Videos are especially effective because they are engaging and personal. The goal is to give parents a glimpse of the many small, wonderful moments that make the school special and help them see it through a positive, inspiring lens all year long. - Stay Visible
If you’re a principal, let parents and families see you enjoying events and functions—encourage teachers to attend parish and school functions too. The more families see their school principal and teachers at events, the deeper the connection will grow which helps when challenges arise. - Showcase Classrooms
Each week, feature two or three teachers with their students. Teachers can choose in advance which month they’d like their week to fall under. During that week, they take photos of various activities their students are engaged in and write short captions which are featured on the school website. It’s an opportunity to make parents proud and they love seeing their children highlighted on the site!
An old and dear friend of mine, Jeanne Von Feldt, a Catholic school principal for forty years, says that keeping it fun is also key to fortifying a healthy foundation with not only parents, but families. Here are a couple of things that she always did at her school that I think are wonderful!
- First Day Back to School
Roll out a red carpet (they can be purchased inexpensively at Menards or Home Depot—some parishes have them in storage for special events) and as students enter school on the first day, have the school song playing on the loud speakers and the entire staff from the faculty to the cafeteria workers and custodians clapping as the kids walk in. - Catholic Schools Week
The last day of Catholic Schools Week, kids are allowed to come to school dressed in their pajamas and parents can join them for a special breakfast at school, that they too can attend in their pajamas!
Here’s to the 2026-2027 school year!
Looking for additional insights from Jodee Blanco?
Join Jodee at CLS 2026, where she’ll give a session on A Crisis Communication Tool Kit for New Catholic School Superintendents during Professional Learning Session 1 on Monday, October 19, at 11:30 AM in in the Winchester Room, Third Level.
Also, all are welcome to explore these two recent NCEA webinars with Jodee.
About Jodee Blanco
Jodee is the author of the seminal New York Times bestseller Please Stop Laughing at Me… and multiple other books including a series on bullying for NCEA. One of the earliest voices of the movement, she is the founder of INJJA (It’s NOT Just Joking Around!), the first survivor-led anti-bullying program in the nation. For more info on her work in Catholic schools, please visit: www.jodeeblanco.com/catholic-schools/
