In the case of the staff listservs, these typically function as "electronic meeting places" in which anyone on the list can post to the list. For example, on the e-mail below from Erin Schlenger to the Whitman listserv, she provides other staff members at Whitman with some web-based instructional resources that they may find useful. Rather than getting a paper memo in their mailboxes, paper and ink were saved, and more importantly, the end user (recipient of the e-mail) can just click on the links and go directly to the websites listed.

Our parent listservs have been constructed as subscription services, providing school staff members another way to communicate with parents. We have listservs in action as E-mail Subscription Services for Parents from a Kindergarten classroom to middle school teams to entire schools.

Teams can use these to remind and update parents on general information, such as the e-mail below from Team Unity. At Riley, Cooper, and London, teams (and a Kindergarten teacher) are using these tools on a regular basis.

Likewise, Riley's Learning Coach has established an electronic Parent Subscription Service for GaTE parents at Riley. Again, the use of a link in the communication allows parents to go directly to the website of the National Association for Gifted Children with just a click.

At the school level, electronic subscription services for parents are great for sending out reminders about upcoming school events as well as for getting the word out quickly about last minute changes, such as a meeting or event cancellation due to weather. In those cases, while not everyone will receive the e-mail, those that do may communicate its contents to others via word-of-mouth, thereby helping to spread the word.

Things to consider...

First, there are significant ethical issues in that not all of our families have Internet access available to them at home. In fact, many do not have such access. Thus, other than those last minute cancellations, anything that goes home in electronic format should also go out in print to ensure that all parents have access to critical information.

Second, it is important to understand that only one person can "own" the listserv, and depending on the type of listserv created, that individual may be the only one who can post to the listserv. If teammates provide useful information to share electronically, this is not a significant burden for that person, but if this person has to type every message from scratch, this may prove unwieldy.

Third, once you start to communicate to parents using such a tool, you should do so with some regularity. It does not need to be weekly or on a perfect schedule, but a pattern should present itself to end-users in order to help them know what to expect and when.

Fourth, if you begin a parent listserv, you will need to plan a "launch" and market it to parents. Encourage them to e-mail one another to sign up. It is as simple as them sending an e-mail to: whateverthelistservisnamed-on@ccsd21.org. You will not need to hand-enter all of their e-mail addresses. You will need to encourage them to sign-up, though.

Fifth, if you initiate or are part of a staff listserv, there should be clear rules communicated to everyone on the listserv about how it is to be used, and these rules do need to comply with our Acceptable Use Policy.

Finally, it is cheap and easy! Using our existing e-mail system, it only takes a few minutes to set-up and use a listserv. If you have a need that a listserv may help resolve, contact Jason Klein.