Whether you’re meeting with staff from your child’s school to talk about academic, social-emotional, or behavioral concerns, or meeting for a family-teacher conference, it can be helpful to think about your questions ahead of time.
The information below can help guide the conversation and be sure you get the information you need to best support your child.
Questions to Ask
Here are some questions you can use to prepare for your meeting. You can share these questions with the school staff (teacher, principal, counselor) ahead of time to make the meeting run more smoothly. You can also ask for a follow-up meeting if there’s not enough time to cover all of your questions.
- What do you see as my child’s strengths? What can I do at home to support and encourage those strengths?
- How is my child growing academically, socially, and emotionally? Do you see any areas of concern?
- How do you meet the different needs of children in the classroom, including those of my child?
- How do you measure my child’s growth in their learning and skills? How often will I get updates on their academics and behavior?
- What support will my child receive daily? Who will be providing this, and how do they coordinate with one another?
- What is the current focus for my child’s learning?
- What does my child’s day look like? What patterns in learning and behavior do you notice throughout the day?
- What’s the best way for you and me to keep in contact?
What to Bring
Advocating for your child’s needs at school can feel stressful and overwhelming. It can be helpful to prepare yourself emotionally ahead of time to be the best champion for your child.
Bring with you:
- Any documents you have that may relate to the situation. This might include past evaluations, progress reports, and your communications with teachers.
- Your list of questions and something to write with and write on – a pen and paper! Write down the key points you want to talk about and any steps to take after the meeting.
- An idea of what you want to get out of the meeting. It can be helpful to write these down and share them with the school team ahead of the meeting.
- If the school shared any documents with you before the meeting, take time to read them and share questions you have about them.
- Water! Sipping water can help calm your nervous system, which can help with feelings of worry or anxiety.
Before and After the Meeting
Before the meeting, look yourself in the mirror and say aloud: “I am advocating for my child because I know my child best.” Believe it! You got this.
Ask questions if you don’t understand something. You have a right to understand what’s happening in your child’s education, and there may be words or phrases used that are difficult to understand. You can ask for translation if that would be helpful to you, and many school districts also have parent advocates who can come with you to meetings.
Think of the meeting as the beginning or continuation of a partnership with the school in order to best support your child, and be open to working together with them.
After the meeting, follow up with school staff to confirm any decisions or action steps. Keep open lines of communication and continue to advocate for your child’s needs as necessary.