TalkingPoints: The Podcast

Falling enrollment isn’t just a numbers game; it’s a story problem.Every school-family interaction shapes your district’s public image. Communications leaders who recognize this can turn everyday moments into powerful PR that builds trust, boosts reputation, and drives enrollment. In this session, hear insights from Patti Moon, Chief Communications Officer at Aurora Public Schools, and learn how to:Equip all staff to use family communication as a lever for positive PRStrengthen your district’s reputation through authentic, inclusive messagingActivate families as co-creators and champions of your district’s story Stopping the drop is just the beginning. These strategies don’t just keep families from leaving; they foster a stronger learning culture that drives student success. We’ll break down the what, when, and how of digital communication to turn your school community into your most powerful PR team.Bonus⁠Click here⁠ to receive a companion guide for the "Stop the Drop" webinar.

In this short, "TalkingPoints: Fast Facts" episode of TalkingPoints: The Podcast, we dig into a routine task with a big impact: sending messages home. With nearly 1 in 4 students in U.S. schools speaking a language other than English at home, every message is an opportunity to build trust—or accidentally create confusion.You’ll learn eight simple strategies to make your messages clearer, kinder, and more accessible for every family, in every language—whether they read in English or rely on translation.You’ll also hear how TalkingPoints features like readability flags, Ed 101, and translated video captions can back you up as you build strong, two-way bridges with multilingual families.Let’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.⁠

*This is the third in a 3-part series about a groundbreaking approach that deploys family engagement as an effective intervention itself within a Multi-Tiered System of Supports. Visit episodes 2 and 13 for the first two parts of the series. Identifying and understanding the root cause of a struggling student is key to getting them back on track. Families often hold the clearest insight into where support is needed most.In this episode, the TalkingPoints team uncovers how to leverage family engagement to drive more intensive and targeted Tier 2 and Tier 3 interventions. The presenters share actionable steps to support these five key engagement strategies.Collaborate with families to identify root causesCreate school-family “wrap-around” supportsEnsure equal access to resourcesBuild intentional, respect-based relationshipsCreate outcomes-focused Tier 2 and Tier 3 engagementBonusClick here to receive a companion guide with communication templates and solutions that can be used to support your intervention strategies.

See how research-backed strategies and new features help districts partner with families to cut absenteeism, strengthen family engagement, and get students back on track. Chronic absenteeism rates are at near-record highs. Every missed day compounds learning loss. But what if you could turn the tide with proven strategies that deliver real results? Let’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.⁠Speakers:Rob Bayuk | Product Marketing Manager, TalkingPointsDr. Mallary Swartz | Director of Research, TalkingPoints

A strong school-family partnership is often established at the beginning of the school year. Back-to-school information and refreshed communication protocols outline a foundation that gives the relationship a fresh start.But by the second semester, new challenges may arise. What worked back in the fall may not be as effective in January.In this webinar, the TalkingPoints team shares strategies for building strong second-semester family engagement including:Identifying and analyzing root causes of engagement challengesBuilding a mutual combined response between families and schoolsSharing action-oriented resources to drive student successResetting mindsets with families to build trustLet’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsKristie Werner | Sr. Manager of Product Marketing, TalkingPoints

In this, the first TalkingPoints Solutions episode of our show, we share an up-close demo of one of our newest products!TalkingPoints Attendance Improvement Plus helps schools and districts turn attendance data into meaningful action to reduce absenteeism. By enabling two-way communication with families—powered by industry-leading translation—Attendance Improvement Plus supports attendance staff in uncovering the root causes of attendance challenges. It fosters collaboration between families and schools to solve problems and get students back in class. Let’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Rob Bayuk | Product Marketing Manager, TalkingPointsKristin Daniels | Partner Success Manager, TalkingPoints

Family engagement is often seen as a support within MTSS, Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports. But what if it were treated as an intervention itself?This episode explores how to evolve MTSS strategies to position family engagement as a complete proactive intervention strategy.Listen to this episode, led by the TalkingPoints team, to learn about these five actionable steps to make family engagement a high-impact intervention:Focus on predictable issuesPrioritize prevention over interventionStrengthen trust by being intentionalCreate outcomes-focused Tier 1 engagement effortsBuild a district-wide toolkitLet’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPoints Heather Dooley | Sr. Director of Brand Marketing and Communications, TalkingPoints

Listen to this episode to discover how districts like Minneapolis Public Schools are building systemwide cultures of learning, moving from problem-fixing to solution-building with families.You’ll walk away with:A playbook for using dual-level digital engagement to strengthen learning culture around the classroom—so families and educators can focus on the classroom.Practical strategies to unlock the power of families and educators working together to boost student outcomes.The opportunity to take part in a live, interactive 5-minute Thought Exchange workshop to share and rank best practices with peers on co-creating with families.Learn more about TalkingPoints - ⁠Watch this 90-second videoSpeakers:Donnie Belcher | Executive Director of Communications and Engagement | Minneapolis Public SchoolsAmanda Ensor | Senior Content and Learning Manager | TalkingPointsKate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPoints

For a decade, TalkingPoints has pioneered AI for social impact—long before it was mainstream. We have partnered with leaders like Google and OpenAI, harnessed big datasets, and were the first nonprofit to secure a GPT-3 license and the first social impact organization to experiment with custom GPTs. Today, our team of innovators continues to push boundaries and do things that weren’t possible even a few months ago.Join us for an inside look at how we’re experimenting with cutting-edge AI to improve outcomes for millions of students by transforming the way schools engage with families. You’ll hear directly from our R&D and data teams and see how we’re using AI to help educators craft effective research-based messages, analyze over one billion family–educator conversations, and unlock insights from decades of research. And you’ll walk away knowing how to build your own custom GPT.Learn more about TalkingPoints - Watch this 90-second videoSpeakers:Heejae Lim | CEO / Founder ,TalkingPointsRita Kirschner | Sr. Data and Product Manager, TalkingPointsSergio Sanchez | Sr. Data EngineerDavid Golkin | Principal Product Manager, TalkingPoints

Congratulations! You’ve made it past the beginning of the school year and built variable baseline relationships with your students’ families. Now’s the time to maximize those partnerships for the good of the students. To quote TalkingPoints founder and CEO, “Families are the game-changer.”In this edWebinar, the presenters discuss what comes after meaningful parent-teacher conferences. How do teachers turn those check-ins into lasting partnerships focused on student success post-conferences? Viewers explore best practices—through their own past experiences, peer discussion, and interactive tasks—for proactive and positive family engagement. Let’s maximize the power of partnership this year in pursuit of student outcomes. You are not alone.Download the TalkingPoints Conferences Quick-Guide and Collaborative Conferences Worksheet in our companion blog. Speakers:Paige DeLozier | Sr. Engagement Marketing Manager, TalkingPointsWendy Young | 27-year educator with KY DOE

The first weeks of school don’t just launch the year; they shape everything that follows.Listen to or watch this on-webinar designed for district and school leaders. You’ll walk away with hands-on tools to build the kind of family-school partnerships that fuel trust, equity, and student success all year long.When educators and families partner from the start, we create school cultures where every child thrives, and every family feels they belong.Whether you’re still finalizing your back-to-school plans or already mid-launch, this webinar will help you co-create a stable, connected culture. One that nourishes students every step of the way.In this episode, you’ll learn how to:Establish daily, trust-building communication routinesAlign family partnerships to student outcome goalsDesign sustainable systems that support teacher and student well-beingEngage all families with tools that remove common barriers—like language, time, and accessLet’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsHeather Dooley | Sr. Director of Brand Marketing and Communications

Bensalem Township School District set out to strengthen school-home connections across their district. Through collaboration with stakeholders, they gathered feedback and created action plans. What began as a pilot of TalkingPoints quickly evolved into a district-wide rollout.The result? A more equitable, inclusive school community where every family feels welcome and informed. Language barriers have been eliminated, family participation has increased, and students are seeing academic gains.Listen to this webinar to hear their journey and get tips for making positive strides in family engagement across your district.Assess your district’s family engagement strategy and uncover growth opportunities: Take the quiz now.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsLauren Steflik | Federal Programs Coordinator, Bensalem Township School District

Effective communication doesn't have to be at odds with building lasting trust.District communication leaders are often tasked with managing high-priority operational updates and urgent, district-wide messaging. Watch this webinar to learn these five essential strategies for tackling both kinds of communications while also fostering positive, trusting relationships with families.Move beyond improving engagement to supporting studentsTier implementation, one team at a time, to create inclusive engagement opportunitiesEnsure all families can understand and consume communicationDetermine whether a tool will actually be used and make a difference for studentsLead with the why and remember the purpose for engagementLet’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Laine Buck | Communications Director for School Administrators of Iowa (SAI)Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPoints

As a K-12 leader, you face immense pressure to improve student outcomes. Getting students into the classroom is often the most critical first step.Watch this webinar to discover new TalkingPoints enhancements for the 2024-2025 school year that can help you:Supercharge attendance by removing language barriers and opening lines of communication.Unlock family engagement superpowers with innovative tech and embedded best practices for strong partnership building.Boost student outcomes by building staff capacity and engaging historically hard-to-reach families.Let’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kristie Werner | Sr. Manager of Product Marketing, TalkingPointsKate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsDimetri Duckrey | Partner Success Manager, TalkingPoints

When families are empowered to communicate with schools, real change happens. San Juan Unified School District listened to what families needed and reimagined what true engagement could look like.In this webinar, San Juan Unified and TalkingPoints share the story of how they transformed their strategy using a high-impact, scalable solution built on two-way communication.By the end of the webinar, you will learn:How to “go slow to go fast” by grounding your work in researchTechniques for collecting feedback from all stakeholdersWays to incorporate equity and outcomes into planningStrategies to ensure strong Tier 1 family engagement as a foundation for successLet’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Laine Buck | Communications Director for School Administrators of Iowa (SAI)Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPoints

For too long, school districts have been asked to do more with less. But what if the key to stronger student outcomes isn’t about working harder, it’s about thinking differently.By embracing three key mindset shifts around family engagement, districts can achieve measurable gains in attendance, academic achievement, and student well-being. Watch this webinar to learn actionable steps for adopting these three core mindsets:Family engagement is a high-impact strategy, not a standalone goal.Effective engagement blends both digital and in-person activities.The quality of digital engagement impacts trust and family participation.Let’s build something great together—⁠⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsRob Bayuk | Product Marketing Manager, TalkingPoints

This On-demand webinar brings together a panel of experts who will highlight breakthroughs from the field—what’s working right now—and actionable strategies district leaders can use immediately. Attendance Work’s Hedy Chang will share the latest data and a shifting, root-cause-based approach to attendance grounded in family partnerships. TalkingPoints’ Mallary Swartz, PhD will present research on the impact of family engagement on attendance, including findings from Tulsa Public Schools. Leaders from Tulsa Public Schools will share how they’re putting these ideas into action—and data that show how their efforts are making a difference!Let’s build something great together—⁠⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Moderator:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsPanelists:Mallary Swartz | Director of Research, TalkingPointsHedy Chang | Executive Director, Attendance WorksStephanie Gregory | Director of Family Attendance Supports, Tulsa Public SchoolsGrace Cáceres-Cuadros | Attendance Recovery Coordinator, Tulsa Public SchoolsShionka McGlory | Parent Involvement Facilitator, Unity Learning Academy, Tulsa Public Schools

By reframing family engagement as a high-impact strategy for student support, districts can lay the groundwork for meaningful change.Check out this webinar to learn five actionable steps to address key challenges to student success. You’ll discover how to:Strengthen teacher recruitment and retentionBoost student attendancePromote the well-being of students, staff, and familiesLet’s build something great together—⁠start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsHeather Dooley | Sr. Director of Brand Marketing and Communications

Today’s school systems are navigating a complex set of challenges—including behavior and mental health concerns, chronic absenteeism, AI disruption, staff burnout, and shrinking budgets. The pressure around the classroom is overwhelming the work inside it. The truth is, schools cannot solve these problems alone. And neither can families. Tackling today’s challenges will require schools and families to link arms to solve the most pressing systemic problems together.In this webinar for K–12 district leaders, we’ll explore how to apply family engagement strategies on two critical levels to address the urgent and systemic school district challenges and harness the power of partnership with families to support students in the classroom:Systemwide strategies for building a collaborative problem-solving muscle with families to address the systemic challenges that surround the classroomClassroom-based practices for families, teachers and school staff, working as co-experts, to provide powerful, wraparound support for student learningLeave with clear, practical guidance on what effective systems-level vs. classroom-level engagement looks like and how to synchronize both to optimize student success.Let’s build something great together—start your journey with TalkingPoints.Speakers:Kate Pechacek | CEO / Founder OpendoorsEd | K12 Strategic Consultant for TalkingPointsJennifer Frentress | Superintendent of San Carlos School District