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TEACHMICHIGAN

EARLY CAREER EDUCATOR FELLOWSHIP

YEAR 2 FELLOWS | 2026-27

KNOW YOUR LEARNERS

Created by Early Career Educators, For ALL Educators

Use this resource to prepare for conversations with families, reflect on what you understand, and identify what you still need to learn.

Classroom evidence tells part of the story.

Students and families help us understand the learner more fully.

EXPLORE THE RESOURCES

Supporting resources are included in each slides’ note.

ABOUT THIS PLAYBOOK

On September 19, 2026, more than 50 educators from across Michigan came together through TeachMichigan’s Early Career Educator Fellowship to create this Family Partnership Playbook during Workshop 1, “From Insight to Instruction: Knowing Your Learners at the Start of the Year.”

Working in eight teams, fellows explored eight questions about building stronger partnerships with students and families. They contributed guiding principles, practical actions, language educators can use, approaches to avoid, and questions that help us understand learners more deeply.

Their collective thinking was reviewed, refined, and organized into this resource.

Created by Early Career Educators, For ALL Educators.

HOW TO USE THIS PLAYBOOK

For each section:

Review the family partnership question.
Explore the suggestions contributed by Early Career Educators.
Consider which ideas could strengthen your upcoming conversations with students and families.
Review the slide notes for relevant tools and resources that can deepen your learning and support your practice.

RECOMMENDED CITATION

TeachMichigan Early Career Educator Fellowship Year 2 Fellows. (2026). The Family Partnership Playbook: Eight questions for stronger conversations with students and families (Cassandra Baptiste, Ed.). TeachMichigan.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD A / QUESTION 1

How do we communicate academic data clearly without reducing a student to a number?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Begin with what the learner knows, can do, and cares about.

Explain what the measure captures and what it does not. Describe progress toward learning goals rather than comparing students.

TRY THIS

Pair scores with work samples, student reflection, and teacher observation.

Share one strength, one priority, and one way school and home can support the next step.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“This result is one piece of the picture. In class, I also notice...”

“Here is what [Name] can do now, what they are working toward, and how we can help.”

AVOID

Using “below grade level” without explaining the skill, context, and next step.

Treating a score as a fixed trait or comparing the learner with classmates.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

What are you noticing at home about what feels easy, challenging, or exciting for your child?

Question 1 developed by Pod A

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

Learning Heroes | Readiness Roadmap

Family-friendly tools for understanding grade-level expectations and discussing progress.

https://bealearninghero.org/readiness-roadmap/

National PTA | National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

See Standard 3, Support Student Success, for practices that connect families to learning and progress.

https://www.pta.org/home/run-your-pta/National-Standards-for-Family-School-Partnerships

Panorama Education | Family Engagement Toolkit

Conversation guides, surveys, and planning tools help educators elevate family voice, strengthen two-way communication, and build meaningful partnerships.

https://www.panoramaed.com/toolkits/family-engagement-toolkit

NOTES

During Workshop 1: From Insight to Instruction: Knowing Your Learners at the Start of the Year, fellows emphasized beginning with strengths, using common language, and pairing data with student reflection. Here in the final version, I’ve added context, multiple forms of evidence, and a clear next step.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD B / QUESTION 2

How do we lead with assets while still being truthful about areas of concern?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Name a specific strength and show how it can support the next step.

Describe the concern directly through observable evidence, empathy, and belief in the learner’s capacity.

TRY THIS

Invite the student and family to name strengths, goals, and supports that have worked before.

Connect the concern to a shared action and a short follow-up window.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“I see ___ as a strength. We can build on it as [Name] works on ___.”

“I have noticed ___ on several occasions. What are you seeing, and what might help?”

AVOID

Using vague praise to soften or hide the concern.

Labels, assumptions, or body language that communicates blame or low expectations.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

When have you seen your child feel most confident and successful as a learner?

Question 2 developed by Pod B

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

Search Institute | Developmental Relationships Framework

Concrete actions for expressing care, challenging growth, providing support, sharing power, and expanding possibilities.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UP9pYWpPrH-Y_D6sXjL5LekiAfADo4_R/view?usp=sharing

Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

A strengths-based framework for building relational trust and shared responsibility.

https://www.dualcapacity.org/

Capturing Kids’ Hearts | Building Relationships with Students and Families

A teacher example shows how consistent, strengths-based communication builds trust and creates a foundation for addressing academic or behavioral concerns collaboratively.

https://www.capturingkidshearts.org/blog/texas-teacher-of-the-year-shelley-jeoffroy

NOTES

Fellows centered empathy, family goals, and a collaborative tone. This final version replaces the “compliment sandwich” with specific assets, clear evidence, and a shared plan.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD C / QUESTION 3

What can we ask students and families that assessment data cannot tell us?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Ask about identity, interests, routines, relationships, language, and belonging.

Invite the learner’s perspective as well as the caregiver’s. Each person may notice something different.

TRY THIS

Use a short family survey to learn about strengths, goals, communication preferences, and helpful supports.

Invite families to share knowledge that can connect to classroom learning.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“What helps you feel known and supported at school?”

“What should I understand about how your child learns, communicates, or responds to challenge?”

AVOID

Contacting families only when a problem occurs.

Treating one response, culture, language, or family experience as the learner’s complete story.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

What is one hope you have for this year, and what would meaningful progress look like to you?

Question 3 developed by Pod C

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

PRACTICAL TOOL | FAMILY PARTNERSHIP SURVEY

A short survey could include:

• What would you like me to know about your child?

• What are your child’s strengths and interests?

• What goals or hopes do you have for your child this year?

• What helps your child learn, persist, or feel supported?

• Is there anything that makes learning more difficult right now?

• What language do you prefer for school communication?

• How would you prefer that I contact you: phone call, text, email, messaging app, or another method?

• What days or times generally work best for you?

• Is there anyone else you would like included in communication about your child?

Keep the survey brief, offer paper and digital options, and revisit responses during the year.

RESOURCES

Colorín Colorado | Partnering with Multilingual Families

Practical guidance for reciprocal communication with multilingual families and effective use of interpreters.

https://www.colorincolorado.org/families

Search Institute | Developmental Relationships Framework

Use “Share Power” and “Expand Possibilities” to shape questions that reveal interests, voice, and aspirations.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UP9pYWpPrH-Y_D6sXjL5LekiAfADo4_R/view?usp=sharing

Panorama Education | Family-School Relationships Survey

A research-based survey helps educators understand families’ perspectives, communication preferences, experiences, and relationships with their child’s school.

https://www.panoramaed.com/products/surveys/family-school-relationships-survey

NOTES

The fellows recommended a parent survey and named strengths, interests, family goals, preferred communication, free-time activities, and challenges as important information. This final version makes that recommendation explicit and turns it into a ready-to-use tool.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD D / QUESTION 4

How do we discuss behavior and engagement without labeling a student or overlooking context?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Describe what happened, when it happened, and the surrounding context. Separate behavior from identity.

Stay curious about the need or experience beneath the behavior.

TRY THIS

Track what happens before, during, and after the behavior to look for patterns.

Ask the student and family when engagement feels easier and what support helps.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“During independent work, I noticed ___ three times this week. What might I be missing?”

“When does ___ feel easier at home or at school?”

AVOID

Labels such as lazy, defiant, disruptive, or unmotivated.

Assuming intent, leading with emotion, or treating the family as the cause of the concern.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

What helps your child feel safe, regulated, and ready to participate?

Question 4 developed by Pod D

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

Center on PBIS | Family Resources

Tools for including families in positive, preventive, and evidence-based behavior support.

https://www.pbis.org/topics/family

CASEL | Family Partnerships

Guidance for reciprocal relationships that connect social and emotional development across school and home.

https://casel.org/school-family-partnership-strategies/

Attendance Works | Three Tiers of Intervention

A tiered framework helps educators match attendance supports to students’ and families’ strengths, needs, and barriers.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/chronic-absence/addressing-chronic-absence/3-tiers-of-intervention/

Attendance Works | Use Effective Messaging

Practical guidance helps educators communicate about attendance in a positive, supportive, and nonthreatening way that encourages partnership rather than blame.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkits/teaching-attendance-2-0/create-a-welcoming-environment-that-engages-students-and-families/strategy-2-use-effective-messaging/

NOTES

Fellows emphasized interests, home context, positive information, and evidence-based observations. Our final version strengthens neutral description and curiosity about patterns and support.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD E / QUESTION 5

How do we make the conversation genuinely two-way?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Treat students and families as essential sources of expertise.

Design the conversation for listening, accessible language, interpretation, and more than one way to respond.

TRY THIS

Share a prompt before the meeting and open with the family’s priorities.

Pause, reflect back what you heard, and ask what you missed before moving to solutions.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“What would be most useful for us to talk about today?”

“Let me make sure I understood. You are noticing ___. What would you add or correct?”

AVOID

Doing most of the talking or relying on educational jargon.

Asking for input after the decision has already been made.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

What has helped your child thrive in the past, and what makes learning harder right now?

Question 5 developed by Pod E

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

National PTA | National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

See Standard 2, Communicate Effectively, and Standard 4, Speak Up for Every Child.

https://www.pta.org/home/run-your-pta/National-Standards-for-Family-School-Partnerships

Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

Use the framework’s relational and interactive conditions to plan conversations that share power.

https://www.dualcapacity.org/

Attendance Works | Caring Conversations for Attendance

A conversation guide helps educators use open-ended questions, empathetic listening, and collaborative problem-solving to understand barriers and plan solutions with families.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Session-3-Partnerships-That-Make-A-Difference-Groups-1-2-v7.pdf

Panorama Education | Family Engagement Toolkit

Conversation guides, surveys, and planning tools help educators elevate family voice, strengthen two-way communication, and build meaningful partnerships.

https://www.panoramaed.com/toolkits/family-engagement-toolkit

NOTES

Fellows highlighted family insight, plain language, and asking what has worked before. This final version adds structures that protect listening time and confirm understanding.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD F / QUESTION 6

How do we invite students and families to help set a meaningful goal and shape the plan for reaching it?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Begin with the learner’s and family’s hopes, then connect them to evidence and a manageable goal.

Shape responsibilities around realistic routines, preferences, and available support.

TRY THIS

Use student work and data to co-write the goal and describe what success will look like.

Name one action for the student, educator, and family, then choose a check-in date together.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“What would make this goal worth working toward for you?”

“Here is one idea based on what I see. What would you change?”

AVOID

Arriving with a finalized goal and asking for agreement.

Assigning steps to the student or family without asking what feels useful and realistic.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

What strength, interest, or support can we build into the plan so this goal feels possible?

Question 6 developed by Pod F

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

Learning Heroes | Readiness Roadmap

Use the grade-level learning information and planning tools to support shared, meaningful academic goals.

https://bealearninghero.org/readiness-roadmap/

Search Institute | Developmental Relationships Framework

“Challenge Growth,” “Provide Support,” and “Share Power” offer a useful lens for co-created goals.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1UP9pYWpPrH-Y_D6sXjL5LekiAfADo4_R/view?usp=sharing

Attendance Works | Student Attendance Success Plans

Planning tools help families and educators set shared attendance goals, identify supports, and agree on concrete next steps.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/student-attendance-success-plans/

NOTES

Fellows emphasized empathy, accountability, and gathering family input. Final version keeps preparation while ensuring the student and family help author the goal and plan.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD G / QUESTION 7

How do we communicate with families when we do not yet have a complete picture of the learner?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Name what you know and what you are still learning.

Treat uncertainty as an invitation to collaborate with the student and caregiver, who hold perspectives school may not yet see.

TRY THIS

Share one specific observation and ask how it connects with what the family sees.

Agree on what each person will notice or collect, then set a time to reconnect.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“I am still learning about [Name], and I would value your perspective.”

“I noticed ___. Is that familiar or different from what you see?”

AVOID

Filling gaps with assumptions about the learner, caregiver, culture, or home life.

Presenting an early observation as a conclusion.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

What is something about your child that school might not see right away?

Question 7 developed by Pod G

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

Dual Capacity-Building Framework for Family-School Partnerships

The framework centers relational trust, respect, and shared learning when educators and families build understanding together.

https://www.dualcapacity.org/

Colorín Colorado | Partnering with Multilingual Families

Resources for learning from families while attending to language access and different communication norms.

https://www.colorincolorado.org/families

Attendance Works | Consider Needed Supports

A root-cause worksheet helps educators distinguish what they know from what they still need to learn from students and families before determining appropriate support.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/toolkits/teaching-attendance-2-0/use-data-for-intervention-and-support/strategy-2-consider-needed-supports/

NOTES

The fellows emphasized caregiver expertise, a collaborative tone, leading with questions, and avoiding assumptions. Our final version adds transparency about uncertainty and a plan to gather more information.

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FAMILY PARTNERSHIP PLAYBOOK

POD H / QUESTION 8

How do we close a conversation with shared next steps, clear responsibilities, and a plan for checking progress?

Fellows’ ideas, refined for classroom use

KEEP IN MIND

Restate the shared goal and confirm that the student and family agree with the plan.

Keep next steps specific, manageable, documented, and connected to a check-in date.

TRY THIS

Name one action for each partner and the evidence everyone will use to notice progress.

Send a brief written recap in the family’s preferred format and schedule the next check-in.

POSSIBLE LANGUAGE

“Here is what I heard us agree to. What would you add or change?”

“I will ___ by ___. What feels realistic for you and [Name]?”

AVOID

Ending with “we will keep in touch” without a responsibility or date.

Introducing new corrective information as the conversation closes.

GET CLOSER

A question that can help the educator understand the learner more deeply

How will we know the plan is helping, and when should we check in again?

Question 8 developed by Pod H

Resources and links are in the speaker notes

RESOURCES

National PTA | National Standards for Family-School Partnerships

Standard 3, Support Student Success, emphasizes shared information and coordinated action.

https://www.pta.org/home/run-your-pta/National-Standards-for-Family-School-Partnerships

Learning Heroes | Readiness Roadmap

Planning tools can help families and educators translate information about progress into concrete next steps.

https://bealearninghero.org/readiness-roadmap/

Attendance Works | Student Attendance Success Plans

Planning tools help families and educators set shared attendance goals, identify supports, and agree on concrete next steps.

https://www.attendanceworks.org/resources/student-attendance-success-plans/

NOTES

Here fellows emphasized student interest, written references, transparency, and shared support. Our final version makes responsibilities, evidence, documentation, and timing explicit.