6172.5 Parent-Teacher Communication

SHIPMAN-RECOMMENDED NEW POLICY

                                                                                  6172.5P

                                                                            INSTRUCTION

                          PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION

The Colchester Board of Education (the “Board”) believes that parents should be
knowledgeable about the education that the Colchester Public Schools (the “District”)
provides to enrolled students. The Board believes that parents are most knowledgeable
when they have regular communication with teachers. Therefore, it is the policy of the
Board to encourage parent-teacher communication. The Superintendent or designee
shall be responsible for developing procedures in furtherance of this policy. Such actions
to improve parental involvement may include methods to engage parents in the
planning and improvement of school programs and to increase support to parents
working at home with their children on learning activities.

The procedures developed in furtherance of this policy may include strategies such as
monthly newsletters, regular contact with parents, and the use of technology to allow
parents to check on their children’s assignments and students to receive assistance if
needed.

Such procedures shall require the District to conduct two flexible parent-teacher
conferences for each school year. In addition, the procedures shall require the District
to:
    A. offer parents the option of attending parent-teacher conferences by telephonic,
       video, or other conferencing platform,
    B. conduct one parent-teacher conference, in addition to the two flexible
       parent-teacher conferences described above, during periods when the District
       provides remote learning for more than three consecutive weeks, and one
       additional parent-teacher conference every six months thereafter for the
       duration of such period of remote learning (for purposes of this policy, and in
       accordance with applicable law, “remote learning” means instruction by means
       of one or more Internet-based software platforms as part of a remote learning
       model), and
    C. request from each student’s parent the name and contact information of an
       emergency contact person who may be contacted if the student’s parent cannot
       be reached to schedule a parent-teacher conference required during periods of
       District-provided remote learning.

On or after January 1, 2022, the procedures must also require a teacher conducting a

PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION                                                 Page 1 of 2
parent-teacher conference that is required in section (B) Remote Instruction above to
provide a copy of the document, to be developed by the Department of Education, to
provide information concerning educational, safety, mental health, and food insecurity
resources and programs available for students and their families, to the parent prior to
the parent-teacher conference. If, after making three attempts, a teacher is unable to
make contact with a student’s parent in order to schedule a parent-teacher conference
required in section (B) Remote Instruction above, the teacher shall report such inability
to the school principal or designee. Such principal or designee shall contact any
emergency contact person designated by the student’s parent to ascertain such
student’s and family’s health and safety.

Legal reference:

       Connecticut General Statutes:
             Public Act No. 21-46, “An Act Concerning Social Equity and the Health,
             Safety, and Education of Children”
             June Special Session, Public Act No. 21-2, Section 390.
             § 10-220(c) Duties of Boards of Education
             § 10-221(f) Boards of Education to prescribe rules, policies and
             procedures



POLICY ADOPTED:       December 14, 2021




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