Editorial: Schools find a way to connect with families through new app

Schools have always needed good lines of communication with the communities they serve, but perhaps never more than now.

With controversies including but not limited to the new Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) tests, Common Core, teacher pensions, administrative responsibilities and, of course, property taxes, it's easy for people to jump onto sometimes superficial and emotional bandwagons.

So schools must find whatever way they can to inject nuance into the conversation.

In Sunday's editorial, we explored the notion of news literacy - the important ability to think critically, sort fact from fiction and avoid lending credence to lies, distortions, unsupported points of view and opinion by not sharing them with everyone you know on Facebook.

The explosion in the ways we get and share our news - with their broad range of trustworthiness, political leanings and ethics - makes it harder to discern what's really happening and to find common ground.

It's not unusual for school districts to be criticized for a lack of community outreach and communication, and Palatine Elementary District 15 has particularly felt the sting of this complaint in recent years. District 15's policy of funneling communication both to and from the school board through the superintendent's office - common in the suburbs - has a tendency to limit real conversation.

So, District 15 officials found what sounds like an effective way to open up lines of communication, both internally and with the public, in a way that encourages participation from all - wherever and whenever the mood strikes.

The district is making a $30,000-a-year commitment to use a cloud-based app called Let's Talk.

Let's Talk is an app you download to your computer or smartphone, enabling you to pose a question, comment, condemnation or compliment, whether you're sitting at the swim meet, waiting in line to pick up the kids after school or whatever you're doing when the mood strikes. Responses appear on the same app.

Round Lake Unit District 116 has been using Let's Talk for almost a year, though mostly internally. The district plans to encourage parents and residents to use it this year.

This electronic bulletin board allows anyone to submit a question or comment, which then can be directed to an administrator to respond. The software makes note of trending topics. The district can track its responsiveness to residents, establish FAQ's and help establish hot-button topics that warrant clear-the-air meetings.

To date, many districts have held community forums and less formal coffees to bolster outreach.

District 15 officials wisely will maintain those face-to-face opportunities, using Let's Talk as an aid. We encourage other school districts to consider a similar method of bolstering communication in an informal and egalitarian way.