Possip Team Teacher Appreciation

Teacher Appreciation Week is in May annually, but at Possip we celebrate teachers and educators year round! Many of our reporters and full-time Possip team members have worked in education as classroom volunteers, teachers, and school administrators. They bring their education expertise into their work– making recommendations for school leaders and teams, helping our partners meet their goals, and creating blog content for school leaders and teachers.

Over the next few weeks, we are going to feature Q&As with current and former teachers on our team to show teacher appreciation!

First up for Possip Teacher Appreciation, meet Possip Reporting Team members, Alyssa, Thomas, and Lauren.

Why does parent partnership matter?

Student success at school is heavily reliant on parents and schools partnering consistently. Teachers know what’s happening while students are physically present in the school building, but parents are the secret-keepers to all the rest. They know how students are feeling, where they are feeling successful or struggling, and how they generally perceive school to be. Strong parent partnership allows schools and teachers to understand the whole student and their experience. Therefore creating meaningful school and learning experiences. (Alyssa).

As a reporter, how does your teaching experience inform your recommendations?

I am always reading feedback with my teacher’s hat on – where are the spots that the school is excelling? Where are the spots that need to grow? Specifically, I try to highlight recommendations that are actionable and specific to create quicker feedback and implementation cycles. (Alyssa).

What is your hope for teachers and teaching?

My hope for teachers is a more manageable workload and better support. I think teaching today requires a small team, yet we expect one person to do it all. At the very least, I think every teacher should have an assistant/partner. Then they could split up the responsibilities like lesson-planning, parent communication, teaching the lessons, extra tutoring, grading, seating charts, and classroom organization. I think this would make for really great teaching! Something every teacher I knew desired but was rarely ever provided was having adequate time to prep, plan, and prepare for each lesson. (Thomas).

What has been a favorite recommendation you’ve left?

During the pandemic, there were a handful of comments that were just heartbreaking. And although it wasn’t rainbows and sunshine to read the comments or provide recommendations, I was happy these people had a place to share their needs. Possip was reaching out to these families and giving them a way to call out for help. Sometimes the need was beyond what a school could provide, but they could at least make contact and provide families with other resources or organizations that could help. (Thomas).

Why do you love teaching?

I love teaching because every day I have the opportunity to see students experience success, whether it’s with an academic skill, a social win, emotional control, persevering through a tough assignment, or even just showing up in class that day. I get to help them identify those successes so they can be celebrated and so students can name and repeat those victories, so they can build a feeling of success at school. This helps them want to return to my classroom, where they can continue in their journey as lifelong learners. (Lauren).

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Thanks Alyssa, Thomas, and Lauren! Read more Possip Team stories here.

The post Possip Team Teacher Appreciation appeared first on Possip | Parent Engagement Platform | School Feedback App.

Resources for Academic Recovery Amidst the COVID-19 Learning Gap

As schools return to in-person learning, many educators are preparing to address the “COVID learning gap.” Due to over a year of at-home or alternative learning, studies have found that students may be up to three months behind in math. Moreover, this gap is even wider for many students of color facing the effects of the pandemic, which only amplify forms of systemic racism.

Overcoming the gap will take a variety of partnerships, policies, and changes across sectors. In classrooms, the work can continue through the creative and intentional efforts of educators. Many Possip team members have spent time in schools as teachers, volunteers, and school administrators. To help you think through ways to assist your students’ academic recovery, Amanda Richards, our Reporting Team Lead, has compiled tips and resources for teachers planning their 2021-2022 curriculum.

Quick Tips for Knowing your Curriculum:

1. Firstly, know the curriculum and how to prioritize it. Questions you might want to ask yourself:
   1. What is prerequisite knowledge? 
   2. Can I combine lessons? 
   3. What lessons can I condense?
2. Secondly, plan and collaborate with other teachers and educators. Teachers are content experts. By collaborating, no one has to reinvent the wheel. Give yourself planning time together to talk about the best path forward. 
3. Thirdly, focus on reading fluency. This is especially important for lower grades. Success in all subjects is deeply connected to reading. Therefore, focus on fluency/reading comprehension will be key during this time.
   1. For instance, research shows dysfluency causes as much as 40% of the variance in students who pass tests versus those who fail. And this is true for every testing grade!

For resources for academic recovery, click the links below:

• Learning Acceleration for All: Planning for the Next Three to Five Year (TNTP)
• Accelerating Student Learning with High-Dosage Tutoring (EdResearch for Recovery)
• 5 Qualities of Effective In-School Tutoring Programs (K-12 Dive)
• Supporting Unfinished Learning in Math (Instruction Partners)
• Supporting Unfinished Learning in Science (Instruction Partners)
• Accelerating Learning As We Build Back Better (Learning Policy Institute)
• Fluency for Virtual Learners and Fluency Practice (Achieve the Core).

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Do you have a resource or strategy for planning for academic recovery? Let us know! Check back on our blog in the coming weeks for more helpful tips on supporting students in their academic recovery.

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Books to Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Stories, Voices, and History with Your Child

Every June across the US and world, we honor the impact of the Stonewall Riots and other justice efforts for the LGBTQIA+ community through Pride Month. This month and beyond, one way we can intentionally create inclusive classrooms and celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories, voices, and history is through reading books with our students and children.

Books to Celebrate LGBTQIA+ Stories, Voices, and History with Your Child

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Books for ages 5 and under:

• “Heather Has Two Mommies” by Leslea Newman
• “Love Makes a Family” by Sophie Beer
• “Rainbow: A First Book of Pride” by Michael Genhart
• “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding” by Sarah S. Brannen

Books for Ages 5 to 8:

• “And Tango Makes Three” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson
• “Julián is a Mermaid” by Jessica Love
• “Meet Polkadot” by Talcott Broadhead
• “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” by Rob Sanders
• “Prince & Knight” by Daniel Haack

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Books for ages 9 to 12:

• “The Best at It” by Maulik Pancholy
• “George” by Alex Gino
• “Hurricane Child” by Kacen Callendar
• “The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher” by Dana Allison Levy

Books for ages 13 and older:

• “Anger is a Gift” by Mark Oshiro
• “I’ll Give You the Sun” by Jandy Nelson
• “The Letter Q: Queer Writers’ Notes to their Younger Selves” by James Lecense
• “Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition” by Katie Rain Hill

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A helpful starting place for additional learning on how to create a more inclusive classroom comes from this Educators for Justice Story Highlight and resources to support LGBTQIA+ youth from the Trevor Project.

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Building Family Confidence in COVID-19 Safety Measures in Schools

Beverly Hamm, a Possip Reporting Specialist, former teacher, and mom of three, writes about the importance of building family confidence in COVID-19 safety measures at schools.

As excited as many families are to return to in-person learning, concerns and questions about COVID-19 safety measures at school can be overwhelming for families and school administrators. In fact, a top trend in our Pulse Check Reports is family questions and feedback on COVID-19 safety measures.  

Developing ways for families to share concerns and gather correct information can lessen anxiety and prevent the spread of misinformation. Here are six clear strategies schools can use to communicate with families on COVID-19 safety:

1. Provide both online and written copies of the school safety measures.

These measures can include policies for temperature checks, hand washing, lunch, social distancing, and masks. Remind families of the various ways they can easily access this resource if and when they need it. For example, a school district in Illinois created an online PDF copy of their safety measures.

2. Create and share a process on the consequences of not following safety protocols. 

Families want to know what happens if students do not follow policies. Sharing consequences will provide clarity for those who may be tempted to disregard the guidelines. It will also give assurance to those who desire to know a plan is in place to enforce them. To illustrate this, here’s an example from a district in Texas that shared updates to their Code of Conduct (on page 23) based on safety guidelines.

3. Ensure parents have access to up-to-date district quarantine policies for infected and exposed students.

Letting parents know about an infected or exposed student can be a tough phone call. The parent might have recently returned to a normal work routine, and the stress of virtual school could be overwhelming. That’s why it’s imperative families understand quarantine protocols upfront. Assure them that students will still receive academic support during quarantine. For reference, click on the following examples from a school district in Illinois and an Ohio school district that provided quarantine guidance.

4. Provide an online and written copy of student and teacher expectations during quarantine.

Parents may worry their child will not graduate or go to the next grade if they are quarantined and “miss” more school. Having a plan in place and sharing quarantine expectations in the quarantine notification will help reassure families.

5. Use Possip Pulse Checks to ask how families feel about COVID-19 safety. 

Families need an outlet to share their COVID-19 safety concerns. They could share any of the following:

• Academic concerns with quarantine 
• Lack of social distancing in overcrowded hallways, classrooms, or the cafeteria
• Violations of the mask usage policies
• Questions about how many cases would warrant a school or district closure

Surfacing their concerns can inform what questions you answer and gaps in safety to close.

6. Use Possip Bonus Questions to ask for suggestions or feedback on COVID-19 safety.

Many of your families may have great ideas–inspired by their workplaces or frequented spots–on improving safety. Make them part of the solution by giving them an avenue to offer suggestions and share their valuable insight. Here is a blog post about one of our district partners, Baltimore City Public Schools, and how Possip has helped them through the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Though you will inevitably have families that will be frustrated with processes and protocols, hopefully having clear and easily accessible guidelines, and multiple ways for families to share feedback, will help everyone feel better about safely returning to school.

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Possip Spotlight: How RPA Shares Parent Praise with Prospective Families

Rockwood Preparatory Academy (RPA) in Portland, Oregon has a simple and easy way to share parent praise with “prospective families and the community at large.”

RPA’s Parent Perspectives Page

We spoke to RPA’s Executive Director, John Nelsen, about their “RPA Parent Perspectives” Page. It includes parent praises from Possip Pulse Checks. According to Bright Minds Marketing, asking families to write positive online reviews is one factor that can assist with enrollment. And Possip partners, like RPA, receive easy-to-share praise each Pulse Check. “POSSIP reports provide specific comments of praise on a weekly basis. The weekly reports are goldmines of ‘AUTHENTIC’ promotional material,” John said.

The RPA Parent Perspectives Page provides unique perspectives from parents on Rockwood. John’s process is simple. First, he takes verbatim parent praises from Pulse Check reports. Then, he excludes student names, abbreviates teacher names, and finally, pastes them onto the page. 

Although he’s unsure of whether or not prospective families have enrolled their children specifically because of the page, he knows they appreciate it.

An Innovative Foundation

Not only does RPA use praise in a simple yet innovative way, RPA is one of Possip’s first partners. When we asked John about his decision to partner with Possip shortly after its founding, he said, “My father was an early educational innovator.  He always wanted to try new ideas to improve elements of public education.  I am a chip off the block.  I heard about Possip and thought: “Wow. This is a great idea.” I know how hard it can be to get a new entity (Possip) off the ground so I went all in.”

To John, Possip only helps reinforce RPA’s great reputation for parent communication. Their Parent Perspectives page is just one more example of this!

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Special thanks to RPA’s Executive Director, John Nelsen, for the spotlight story!

The school year may be over for you or ending soon, however, as a Possip partner, you can continue to share your 20-21 Possip parent praise in innovative ways. Looking for more inspiration? Learn about Inglewood Academy’s teacher shoutouts.

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Family Trends from May 24th Through June 1st

As we head into the summer months, Possip is still hearing from families about information they need to close out the year and feedback, questions, and insights about next year. This past week, Possip received over 2,100 responses submitted by parents, family members, and caregivers this week. We read all of the praises and insights sent in throughout the week of May 24th through June 1st. Even if you are a Possip parent that heard back trends from your school, we hope it is helpful and encouraging to know what topics other parents are discussing with their school across the country. Here is a quick summary of family trends from May 24th through June 1st.

 

Last week, 55% of families responded that they were happy with their child’s school, with the remaining saying they were mostly happy or not happy with their child’s school.

We saw a few positive trends from families across the country:

The majority of praises from families this year and again this week continue to be appreciation for teachers and staff members. Families shared how thankful they are for teachers and how they have supported students. A few representative comments from actual families this week:

• “ Agradecida con las maestra por todo su buen trabajo hacia los niños y todo el personal por la paciencia que an tenido TRANSLATION: Thankful to the teacher for all their good work towards the children and all the staff for the patience they have had.I praise them for being able to keep staff and students safe during this pandemic”

• “Thank you for being a good school. My daughter has finals this week and feels well supported by her teachers. That’s very important especially given the additional stress that end of course tests can create”

• “JUST KEEP BEING THE AMAZING SCHOOL AND STAFF YOU ARE”

Families also sent in praise about additional support the school is providing during this time, whether it be food distribution, safe community events for students, or providing summer resources. Here are a few comments from families:

• “The food pantry preCovid was awesome and the pantry is more awesome afterCovid.”

• “Praise for the prom event”

• “Thank you for the summer workbooks”

 

Here are the top two most frequently discussed feedback for schools across the country:

Over 12% of all Possip recommendations to schools this week related to academic needs. Families discussed wanting more communicating in regards to academic progress, sending grade updates to families, missing assignments, and providing more academic support for struggling students. Families asked questions about more tutoring options for students, questions about their student’s academic progress or grade. Here are a few representative quotes from families on this topic:

• ”I just don’t feel like my child is getting the help they needs and have fell behind”

• ”A tutor program for kids who has a hard time learning or understanding the different subjects in school.”

• ”We are hoping the kids will have access to Iready and Reflex during the summer.  And any additional resources would greatly be appreciated…”

• ”Pandemic hit us hard, and my concern is not all of them got the knowledge we were supposed to achieve and I wonder if the school is willing to provide any kind of support or guidance at least during their freshman year in college to comeback and open their door with any kind of help, whatever they might need”

 

9% of all Possip recommendations to schools revolved around increasing communication with families. Families are asking to receive more communication from the school and . Here are a few representative quotes from families on this topic:

• “Some not all staff members are hard to contact. I want better communication in regards to my child.“

• “I wish teachers would contact me when I leave messages“

• “[The school] need to do better with communication , work better with the kids and have some type communication with parents “
• “More communication”

We shared these blogs with our partner schools…

 

• Here are helpful resources to consider during summer planning to improve communication to families Possip Resources on Family Communication
• 4 Tips on Communicating Academic Progress to Parents VIrtually
• As you go into summer planning for next school year, here is a resource that may be helpful if you want to increase family response rates to Possip. 

 

We’d love to hear from you. What else do you need or want to see? Do these parent praise and insights align with what you see?

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Sustaining AAPI Heritage Month Beyond May

In 1992, May was officially designated as Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month to illuminate and celebrate AAPI contributions to United States history. This year AAPI Heritage Month comes in the midst of increased racial violence against the AAPI community, especially elders, women, and non-binary people. particularly poignant in light of increased racial violence against the AAPI community. From misinformation about the pandemic to targeted attacks against AAPI-owned businesses, the past year has revealed the importance of embracing AAPI heritage and sustaining our learning beyond a single month.

 

How Do We Sustain AAPI Heritage Month as Parents, School Leaders, and Educators?

 

Here are two initial starting points:

 

Creating a Culture of Trust

In order to sustain the momentum of AAPI Heritage Month, we must create safe spaces for our students to ask questions, rethink, and explore. Educators can build a culture of trust in their classroom through opportunities for students to express themselves and their identities. Teachers can also share their own experiences to encourage vulnerability and openness. 

 

Similarly, parents can create safe spaces at home by discussing current events and racism towards the AAPI community with students. However, these conversations can feel difficult to initiate. 

 

The following resources can help:

Part One: 6 Guides for Talking to Your Kids About Race and Racial Injustice…and Life (A Multi-Part Series)

Part Two: 6 Guides for Talking to Your Kids About Racial Justice

 

Uplifting AAPI Voice and Stories

We can integrate diverse voices into our teaching in order to further build a culture of trust. There has to be a conscious effort to include AAPI leaders, activists, and stories in history lessons, literature, film, and all forms of learning.

 

To help you start this process, we have compiled a list of books for all ages written by AAPI authors:

Have you read any of these books? How are you sustaining AAPI Heritage month in your school and home? We would love to hear from you!

 

These starting points are exactly that– starting points. Creating inclusive classrooms that not only acknowledge, but celebrate the heritage of all AAPI students is a necessary way to increase equity in our classrooms and help students feel seen. Most importantly, AAPI Heritage Month is more than a month. It must continue all year. 

 

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