Resource to Help Teachers Develop Relationships with Parents

As the first quarter of the 2008-2009 school year nears its end, early career teachers may be encountering their first communication regarding report cards with parents. This is a great time for district and building administrators to provide resources and support related to parent communication. The Kansas Parent Information Resource Center (KPIRC) is one such resource that can be valuable to all teachers in Kansas. KPIRC is supported by federal funding under the No Child Left Behind Act and works closely with KSDE. There are a number of resources on the KPIRC website related to:

• developing successful partnerships with parents
• information for first year educators
• informing parents on NCLB requirements
• informing parents on state assessments and grade level expectations
• special education rights and services
  
• information on early childhood services
• information for how parents can support academic learning at home

The New Teacher Welcome Packet offers a number of tips related to developing and fostering parent communication throughout the school year. Particular for this time of the year, it offers a number of great suggestions for conducting successful parent/teacher conferences. You can download the packet at http://www.kpirc.org/Downloads/NewTeacherWelcome.pdf.

2nd Annual Virtual Career Fair for Educators

On November 10th the Kansas Recruitment and Retention Program will be hosting the 2nd Annual Virtual Career Fair for Educators in Second Life. This is a great opportunity to recruit highly qualified educators from the comfort of your office or home. During the 2007-2008 school year, the program hosted two successful career fairs in this new virtual world that allows districts to visit with potential candidates from all over the country. Second Life allows districts to share information with potential candidates, have voice conversations, and view candidate resumes. The event is free for all public school districts and cooperatives who utilize the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB). If you would like to register or have questions about the event please contact us at support@kansasteachingjobs.com. Your registration email should contain the contact information for district personnel participating (personnel must be identified ahead of time to receive appropriate training).