Let’s Keep In Touch
A school district email arrived today, announcing a new school to home communication platform. “Welcome to Q Communication Powered by ParentSquare.” You know it’s going to be cutting edge because it has a cute name, two words, both capitalized and run together to form one brand new word. This new miracle of technology promises a “safe, secure and modern approach to communication and collaboration.” I’m suspicious because the last part of that promise sounds a lot like the sales pitch for the Common Core Curriculum and we all know how that ended. Communication and collaboration are not all they’ve cracked up to be.
There Is Always A Link
Regardless of my doubts, I click the invitation link, which then directs me to a tutorial video link. A video? Do you know the backlog of things I’ve yet to binge watch? I haven't even started Tiger King, I’ve no time for your video. And, I have loginaccountaphobia, the fear of having to set up yet another username and password. It’s gotten to the point where I just use “incorrect password!” as my standard password.
All Together Now
On one hand, I applaud the school district’s effort, but on the other hand I’d prefer to muddle along using the patchwork of communication systems I’ve mastered over the years. Remind text, Google Classroom, Shutterfly shared site, Q Connect, Class Dojo, group emails and the occasional note at the bottom of a backpack. Another platform, all in the name of simplicity. How has simplicity become so complicated?
Scholastic Jigsaw Puzzle
I will be the first to admit frustration when trying to figure out each teacher’s method of communication. Back to school night leaves me with scattered notes filled with email addresses and codes to sign up for one platform or another. Like a parent/teacher jigsaw puzzle, I have to figure out which platform or email or text code matches up with each instructor and kid. It was barely manageable in elementary school with one teacher per kid but when Middle School rolled around and I had three kids, each with six different teachers, the communication train went off the rails. Or all the cars on the train split onto 18 different tracks. Either way, it was a train wreck. Eventually I adopted a wait and see policy, hoping that if my kids were not doing well, eventually someone will let me know.
All Aboard
I don’t fault the administration, they are trying to satisfy the insatiable demands of parents who need up to the minute reports on their children. I applaud the idea of one place where all communication happens, if there can really be such an informative nirvana. The difficulty is getting every single employee to jump on the ParentSquare train. There will be some holdouts, those that love the system they’ve been using and/or only have a few years until retirement or those who will play the long game, knowing this too shall pass.
Let It Go
Parents, do we need to know everything? We have become a people who want details, timelines, explanations, and answers to questions we haven’t thought of yet. And we want it right now. Remember when you didn’t know the answer to a question? There is something Zen about just letting go of the question and the need for an instant answer. No, I don’t know the name of that one movie starring that one guy and yet, I’m going to carry on with my life.
Good Enough For Mom
I don’t recall my mom ever communicating with my school. If she had I would have known because the only means of connecting required using me as the courier of a handwritten note. Twice a year, I’d come home with a paper report card containing a few lines, summarizing my academic achievements. Those brief notes were enough information to satisfy my mom who didn’t need to know my progress broken down into day by day analysis. “Regina learns quickly and is doing well in school,” seemed to be enough for that semester.
I’ll Be Waiting
So, please no, not another platform to access, another account I need to set up, an app I need to download, all in the name of making communication easier. At this point it's been made so "easy" someone should show up at my house and whisper what I need to know in my ear. And they should bring flowers and chocolate. Squared.
Regina Stoops is an award winning storyteller, comedian, writer, MS Warrior and Autism Mom living with her wife and three kids in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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