What I say to parents who never respond — and what changed

For years I had a group of parents who simply never responded to anything. Emails, phone calls, notes home, nothing. I tried something different this fall: I s…

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For years I had a group of parents who simply never responded to anything. Emails, phone calls, notes home, nothing. I tried something different this fall: I started sending shorter, more specific messages. Not "here's a weekly update" — "your student did something specific today and I wanted you to know." Response rate from previously non-responsive parents: up significantly. My working theory is that shorter and more specific is less overwhelming than longer and general. It also signals that…

Reply from kellybrennan

Really helpful. I've been wrestling with the same problem and this gives me a clear next step.