MYTH BUSTED: Families Don’t Answer the Phone

If we want to make a connection with families, we first need to establish our identity as real people. An unknown number is easy to ignore, but a call from Ms. Stewart, your child’s second grade teacher is one families will want to answer. By shifting the school’s identity from an “unknown caller” to a saved number—with a name and a face—teachers, school staff, and district leaders build trust, credibility, empathy, and responsiveness.

No More “Unknown Caller IDs”

When an “unknown caller” appears on our phone screens, 67% of us will not answer. Many of us avoid accepting a phone call, or reading a text, because we think it might be that “Scam Likely” sender. Scammers, robot callers, and fear of data breaches are all valid reasons to pause before picking up the phone. But, when we receive important information from someone we know, we read it. 

Communication: When and Where it Matters

Families who are juggling their work, personal lives, and the lives of their children often have limited time for phone calls. But, limited time doesn’t equate to a lack of interest. When it comes to their children, families do take time to engage. And they want to hear from you. 

Maybe the issue is that we have been communicating in the wrong way. 

Start the school year by sending a welcome text to students’ families and asking them to save your name and number. Once families have your number saved, you need to make sure your messages are relevant, translatable, and read. 

If a direct phone call is difficult to get through, try sending a text. 99% of text messages are read. Make an even bigger impact by automatically translating text messages to a family’s preferred language with SchoolStatus Connect. 

Combining phone calls with emails or text messages, based on families’ preferences, helps bridge communication divides and overcome time constraints, schedule conflicts, and language barriers—so we all feel more connected.

Stay Connected

With SchoolStatus Connect’s integrated communication hub, it’s easy to see if messages were received and read, and to access and search call logs to confirm that information has been shared with families.

If we want to bust the myth of families and caregivers not answering their phones, we need to shift our focus to how our information is shared. Once the relationship between school and home is established, families can–and will–answer your call.

Looking for more ways to connect with and engage families? Read “Tips for Making Positive Phone Calls to Parents.”

Create Meaningful School Culture & Improve Communication Quality

See how SchoolStatus Connect helps you get your messages across by:

• Creating two-way dialogue with families 
• Bridging communication gaps
• Encouraging more family involvement
• Making it easy for families and caregivers to participate in school conversations
• Sending the right message to the right group translated into each person’s preferred language
• Reducing time spent on manual communication tracking