What to Do When the School Calls in the First Month

You see the number on your phone and your stomach drops. It's the school.

A lot of parents in Fort Worth are getting those calls right now. Behavior in the classroom. Something that happened at recess. A meltdown that the teacher didn't know how to handle. A referral to the office.

The call is hard. What comes next doesn't have to be.

What the call usually means

Schools call when something is happening they can't manage on their own. That's not a judgment on your kid or on you. It means your child is communicating something through their behavior and the school needs help understanding it.

Most of the time, the behavior making the school call home is the same behavior you've been seeing at home. It followed your child into the classroom. That's actually useful information.

What not to do

Don't come in defensive. Don't come in apologizing either. Come in curious.

Ask what the behavior looks like specifically. When does it happen. What seems to make it better or worse. Who on staff has the best connection with your child.

You're building a picture, not accepting a verdict.

What to do with what you learn

If there's a pattern at school that mirrors what you see at home, that's a sign your child needs more support than school or home alone can provide.

Getting a behavioral health worker involved now, while the school year is early, is far easier than trying to course-correct in November after things have built up.