November is National Family Engagement Month As we prepare to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday, public schools can show parents how thankful they are for them by focusing on ways to improve and maintain customer service.
All parents and families want and deserve Chick-fil-A customer service when they come to the school or are engaged by school/district staff. I know parents and families want this service, and there are educators willing and ready to provide it.
But customer service isn’t just at the school level.
It should be in our operational practices, how we craft policies that impact our stakeholders, and how accountability is enacted should be a gold standard from school board members down to school level staff.
Tetiana Shataieva provides seven ways to improve customer service in schools:
1. Create a strong student community
2. Adopt a customer service mindset among your staff
3. Ensure a self-help option on your website
4. Use the benefits of a live chat widget for school
5. Be present on social media
6. Deliver tailored experience to parents and students
7. Ask for feedback
Customer Service Should Be Grade A for Parents in Public Schools
Customer service should be Grade A for parents and families in public schools because our schools should be a driving force of dignity, respect and valuing our fellow man.
Engagement is not something that is solely driven by the school. As school works to improve relationships with families and parents this month, I want to uplift the importance of relationships in the community.
Wrap around services for our schools is heavily dependent upon the support and donations from communities for many schools in lower income and working class communities of Atlanta.
If you’re a non profit leader, faith based institution, higher ed program or student activities department or resident who wants to support your community school(s), see the tips provided.
Advocacy Tips for Stakeholders
- Build a relationship/connection to the school leadership and educators.
- Advocate for students to use their voices in the decision making process.
- Get out, interact with and engage fellow parents and community members to support your community school.
- Review APS community engagement framework.
- Ensure your school and board rep attend NPU education committee meetings.
- Get involved with the school GO Team and ensure parents and student voices are included.
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Jason has worked in education for over 15 years as a teacher, blogger and community advocate. He speaks and writes primarily about the need to improve education for Black boys, particularly increasing the number of Black male educators in schools. In addition to blogging here at EdLanta, Jason is also a featured writer at Education Post.