Email Do's and Don'ts

Do's:

Appropriate information to share with parents via email:

Upcoming events specific to a teacher’s classroom (e.g., units of study, field days, community service projects, concerts, performances, etc.)

Six weeks assignments (book reports, projects, tests, etc.)

Deadlines for various school activities (fundraisers, permission slips, field trips, testing dates for SAT, etc.)

Scheduling of parent conference requests

Specific requests for grades by a parent (If more explanation is needed, request a parent conference.)

Positive social interactions between classmates as long as other students’ names are not mentioned

Don’ts:

District Guidelines prohibit school personnel from communicating the following information with parents via email:

Discipline situations, (e.g. rude behavior, use of inappropriate language, fighting, etc.)

Student behavior (sleeping in class, not prepared for class, tardiness, attitude, etc.)

Any information related to another student because of FERPA (Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act) guidelines

Email cannot be accepted in the following situations which would normally require a parent signature, such as:

Think about it....

A parent has emailed you and requested her child's grades in your class for the six weeks. Is it appropriate to reply with that student's grades? Yes. The parent requested the grades.
One of your students is constantly disrupting class and has refused to follow your class rules despite repeated referrals and trips to the office. You decide to call the student to your desk and have him watch as you email his father at the office email address the father gave you. In that email you describe the student's behavior and ask that the father try to address the problem at home. Would this use of email to a parent be appropriate? No. Request a parent conference but do not detail the behavior problems in an email.

Hint: Check yourself by highlighting the whitespace after the statement.