FAST-Action Blog

parent-tips 2026-04-29T06:00:02.190606 by Maria Santos

How to Talk to Parents About Test Scores Without Making Everyone Cry

Parent communication tip: Last week, I watched a parent's face crumple as I explained her daughter's FAST scores. Sofia's mom started apologizing, saying

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parent-tips 2026-04-22T06:00:01.366583 by Maria Santos

When Parents Ask "What Do These Numbers Even Mean?" - A Teacher's Guide to Explaining Test Scores

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had three parent conferences in a row where the conversation went exactly the same way. I'd slide the FAST score

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parent-tips 2026-04-16T06:00:02.197787 by Maria Santos

Stop Dreading Parent Conferences: A Survival Guide That Actually Works

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched a first-year teacher practically hyperventilate in the copy room. "Maria Elena," she whispered, "I have

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parent-tips 2026-04-10T06:00:02.775504 by Maria Santos

How to Explain Your Child's Test Scores Without Making Everyone Cry

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched Mrs. Rodriguez's face crumple as I explained her daughter Sofia's FAST scores. I had just rattled off

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parent-tips 2026-04-06T06:00:02.641798 by Maria Santos

When Parents Ask "What Does This Score Actually Mean?" A Teacher's Guide to Making Test Results Make Sense

Parent communication tip: Last Thursday, I had three parent conferences back to back. Three different families, three different FAST score reports, and

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parent-tips 2026-04-01T06:00:02.762291 by Maria Santos

When Parents Ask "What Does This Number Mean?" - A Teacher's Guide to Test Score Conversations

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, Sofia's mom cornered me after dismissal with a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. "Mrs. Santos," she said, eyes

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parent-tips 2026-03-12T06:00:02.460180 by Maria Santos

When Parents Are More Stressed Than Kids About School (And How We Can Help)

Parent communication tip: Last week, I watched a mom literally shake during our parent conference. Her daughter Sofia was sitting right there, calm as

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parent-tips 2026-03-08T06:00:02.334687 by Maria Santos

When Parents Are More Stressed Than Kids About School (And What We Can Do About It)

Parent communication tip: Last week, I watched a mom literally shake during our parent conference. Her daughter Sofia was doing fine in math, maybe a B

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parent-tips 2026-03-05T06:00:02.515807 by Maria Santos

The Conference Prep That Actually Makes Parents Want to Come Back

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched Mrs. Rodriguez walk out of my classroom with tears in her eyes. Not because her daughter Sofia was

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parent-tips 2026-01-28T06:18:00 by Maria Santos

The Parent Email Template That Changed Everything

Parent communication tip: Picture this: It's 7:30 PM on a Tuesday, and I'm sitting at my kitchen table with a stack of ungraded papers, trying to craft an

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parent-tips 2026-01-22T06:57:00 by Maria Santos

Conference Prep That Actually Works (And Won't Keep You Up All Night)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched my colleague Jessica frantically shuffling through stacks of papers at 7 PM, trying to organize data for

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parent-tips 2026-01-20T07:13:00 by Maria Santos

When Parents Say "My Child Would Never" (But Your Child Definitely Did)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I'm standing in the hallway during dismissal when Mrs. Rodriguez storms up to me with fire in her eyes. "Mrs.

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parent-tips 2025-12-30T08:22:00 by Maria Santos

The Gift That Keeps on Giving... Stress: Why Holiday Shopping Makes Us All a Little Loco

Parent communication tip: Last week, little Sofia asked me if I thought Santa would remember that her family moved apartments three times this year. My

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parent-tips 2025-12-21T05:48:00 by Maria Santos

The Gift That Keeps on Giving... Stress: Why Holiday Presents Make Parents Panic

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched Carmen's mom fidget with her purse strap during our parent conference. Carmen is doing great in math,

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parent-tips 2025-12-17T08:10:00 by Maria Santos

Conference Prep That Actually Works (And Won't Make You Want to Hide Under Your Desk)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched my colleague Jennifer sprint to the bathroom between conferences looking like she'd rather face a

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parent-tips 2025-12-08T07:19:00 by Maria Santos

The December Panic: When Holiday Gifts Feel Like Report Cards

Parent communication tip: Last week, I watched a mom in Target crying in the toy aisle. Her cart was overflowing with boxes, her phone was buzzing with

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parent-tips 2025-12-06T05:40:00 by Maria Santos

The December Stress Nobody Talks About: When Holiday Gifts Feel Impossible

Parent communication tip: Last week, I watched one of my students, Sofia, quietly slip a handmade card into my desk drawer. When I opened it later, it

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parent-tips 2025-11-30T06:30:00 by Maria Santos

Conference Prep That Actually Works (And Won't Keep You Up Until Midnight)

Parent communication tip: Last week, I found myself at 11 PM frantically shuffling through student portfolios, trying to remember which kid was struggling

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parent-tips 2025-11-22T08:55:00 by Maria Santos

The Conference Prep That Actually Gets Results (And Saves Your Sanity)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I watched a first-year teacher frantically shuffling through a mountain of papers five minutes before her first

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parent-tips 2025-11-13T05:38:00 by Maria Santos

When Parents Say "My Child Would Never" (Spoiler Alert: They Did)

Parent communication tip: Last Tuesday, I had to call Mrs. Rodriguez about her son Miguel throwing pencils at classmates during math. Her immediate

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