It’s parent-teacher conference season in Canyons District. In the coming days, tens-of-thousands of meetings are planned throughout the District, a significant investment of time and energy on behalf of schools and families — all with the best interest of students in mind.

So, how can parents get the most out of this opportunity for facetime with faculty? What kinds of questions should they be asking? Are these meet-and-greets even still useful in today’s hyper-connected world where parents receive daily electronic homework reminders, tardy notices, and report card updates? 

In the latest episode of Connect Canyons, we hear from Canyons Assistant Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson who has seen the effectiveness of parent-teacher conferences as a teacher for more than a decade, an elementary principal, director of school performance, and now as Canyon’s Assistant Superintendent.

“It truly is a such a great opportunity for parents, as well as for teachers,” he says. “They’re to facilitate communication between the parents and the teachers to discuss academic performance, possibly behavior, social development, and just overall progress in school.”

This year, parent-teacher conferences are being held between Sept. 23 and 25 with Brighton High holding parent-teacher conferences on Thursday, Oct. 3.

Robinson recommends parents come prepped with any questions or concerns they may have about their children. “With it being so early in the year, there may not have been a lot of communication between the parent and teacher until this point. There are a lot of questions that could certainly be asked and it really just comes down to what you truly want to know about your child when they’re in the school setting,” he says.

Opening the line of communication between parents and teachers can also help the teacher to know what is going on with their student at home. Parents, on the other hand, may notice their students are doing well reading at home, but wonder if they’re reading at a level which is appropriate for their grade level. It’s those types of discussions Robinson says can make the discussions more beneficial — benefits which extend well past elementary school.

Even though parents have access to their students’ progress and data online (through Skyward and CSD’s learning management system, Canvas), it can help to sit down with the teachers to go through all of the data.

Because it can be difficult for some parents to get away from work, CSD schools provide opportunities for parents to meet with teachers over Zoom.

If students may be struggling, parent-teacher conferences are a great time to set up an action plan. “The parents can be working on things at home, while the teacher can be working on them at school,” says Robinson. “Then they can set up a follow-up in a few weeks or at the next parent-teacher conference.”

Parents and students also have access to counselors at their school who have resources to help ensure students graduate college- and career-ready.

“The reality of it is, any time a student or parent is able to come in and you can see they’re nervous, or worried, or scared,” says Robinson. “But if they are able to stand up at the end of that 15 minutes and walk out celebrating their child, or the child celebrating their own success, I think that’s a huge win.”

Parent-Teacher Conference Schedule

Elementary Schools — Sept. 23, 25

Middle Schools — Sept. 24, 25

High Schools — Sept. 23, 24

Early out day (except Brighton) — Sept 26

No school (except Brighton) — Sept 27

Brighton parent-teacher conferences — Oct.3

No school for Brighton — Oct. 4

Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Parent-Teacher Conferences

We introduce Canyons Assistant Superintendent Dr. McKay Robinson and outline the importance of parent-teacher conferences.

02:59 Key Questions to Ask During Conferences

Robinson talks about ways parents and teachers alike can get the most out of parent-teacher conferences.

04:18 Handling Concerns and Follow-Ups

Robinson emphasizes the importance of opening the line of communication between parents and teachers and shares ways to keep that communication going throughout the year.

05:50 Parent-Teacher Conferences at the Secondary Level

Even though parents have access to their students’ progress and data online, Robinson talks about why he believes parent-teacher conferences are important at all levels of a student’s education.

10:52 Resources and Support Available

We hear how parents and school counselors can work with parents and students to support them throughout the school year.

12:09 Success Stories and Final Thoughts

Robinson reflects on his time as a teacher and the joy teachers feel when students succeed.