Virtual parent conferences prepare parents for a smart restart to the school year

From safety protocols for health and wellness to how to use Parent Portal, the first day of Dallas ISD Virtual Parent Conferences on Aug. 11 provided parents with a wealth of practical information going into the new school year.

The Dallas ISD Family and Community Engagement Department is organizing the educational workshops to help ensure parents and students have a smart restart to the school year that begins Sept. 8. These three-hour informational sessions will be taking place on Zoom every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the next two weeks from 3–6 p.m.

On Tuesday afternoon, Assistant Superintendent of School Leadership Leslie Stephens spoke about the district’s safety measures and the expectations for students who are opting for at-home learning. Stephens explained how the district is planning to manage the on-campus, virtual and hybrid learning models. She also reminded parents who are planning to send their students to on-campus learning to encourage their students to follow safety guidelines.

“I’d like to ask parents to talk to their children about the importance of wearing a mask and about washing their hands properly,” Stephens said. “In that face-to-face setting, nothing would make a teacher happier than students who are familiarized and who understand why they have to follow the safety procedures. We recommend parents to reinforce the behaviors that they want their child to do.”

Meanwhile, Manager of Applications and Training Tierney Chaney discussed the importance of parents having a Parent Portal account, which helps them stay engaged with their student’s learning and progress.

“Due to Covid-19, more teacher-parent interactions will be taking place online,” Chaney said. “This is a vital tool that allows all parents to check the student’s grades and look at attendance in real time.”

More than 2,000 parents have registered for the sessions taking place this week and next. The full schedule is available here. Future topics include “Motivating My Child to Learn at Home,” Video Conferencing Tools” and “Home to Home Visits.”

Parents can register to participate in the virtual sessions at the Family and Community Engagement website. A recording of the full meeting will also be posted on the website.