Home-School Collaboration Benefits Students, Parents, and Teachers

By Bridget Anderson, M.Ed., BCBA

[This column was published in the West Springfield Republican on October 16, 2025.]

Building a strong, collaborative relationship with your child’s school team is important for their academic and personal success. Collaboration across school and home settings can: help students learn how to use skills mastered at school in the home environment; ensure that teachers and parents are aware of and prepared for changes and upcoming transitions; and promote understanding of why and how to enhance or change supports to best meet the child’s needs.

Here are some tips to build a collaborative, productive, and meaningful relationship with your child’s team:

Learn the communication system:
Find out what systems the school already has in place. Some schools may provide a brief weekly communication (e.g., phone call, email, or newsletter), while others may offer consultations, parent/teacher conferences, or progress meetings on a monthly or quarterly basis. Some teachers reach out with daily or weekly written communication by sending notes home, emailing, or through an online platform or application. Most schools outline parent communication systems in their school or parent handbook.

Ask for flexibility as needed:
If you find the school’s communication system isn’t meeting your family’s needs, share this concern with the teacher or administrator to see if there is any flexibility. Ask if you can respond to school communications and, if so, the best way. Schools typically welcome and encourage parent input and collaboration. Often, schools are able to work with families on the type of communication needed, and modify their system, when possible, based on the resources available.

Ask for clarification:
While schools try to avoid using terminology or jargon that is hard to understand, sometimes this can happen even with the best of intentions. Remember that there are no wrong or bad questions to ask in order to increase your understanding. When done in a respectful way, asking questions shows your engagement in your child’s learning and is a collaborative moment. If there is disagreement, addressing the situation calmly and with a solution-focused approach can help improve outcomes. Use the scheduled phone contacts, emails, and more formal meetings as opportunities to ask for clarification or to resolve problems. If it is a more urgent matter, initiate outreach to your child’s team outside your typical communication plan, maintaining a collaborative approach. State regulations require schools to provide free interpreter and translation services. You can contact your child’s teacher or school administrator to request these supports, if needed.

Two-way feedback/information sharing:
Be on the lookout for opportunities to participate at the school such as parent and student events, parent trainings, educational workshops, and/or parent advisory groups. These are great opportunities for families to connect with the larger school community and determine the best ways to support their children and the school.

Utilizing the school’s communication systems, asking for flexibility and clarification when needed, participating in school events and groups, and informing your child’s school about any upcoming changes or transitions at home are all ways to ensure you have a strong, collaborative relationship with the school team. Building and maintaining this relationship with the team will lead to better outcomes for your child in the school setting and a happier home environment.


Bridget Anderson, M.Ed., BCBA, is the Executive Director of the May School | West Springfield, Mass. She can be contacted at banderson@mayinstitute.org.

About May

May Institute is a nonprofit organization that is a national leader in the field of applied behavior analysis and evidence-based interventions, serving autistic individuals and those with other developmental disabilities, brain injury, and neurobehavioral disorders. Founded over 70 years ago, we provide a wide range of exceptional educational and rehabilitative services across the lifespan. May Institute operates seven schools for autistic children and adolescents and individuals with other disabilities. For more information, call 800.778.7601 or visit www.mayinstitute.org.