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Dad Field Manual · Field card 80 · Co-Parenting

Get on every school list

When school news only reaches one house, the kid ends up as the messenger. An hour of sign-ups puts you on the portal, the newsletter and the teacher's email list yourself. You'll walk away with every channel covered and the dates on your calendar.

Time
1 hour
Cost
$0
Ages
5 and up
Where
Phone, computer and the school office

What you need

  • Your phone or computer
  • Each kid's school, grade, teachers, coaches and club leaders
  • Your ID, and a birth certificate or court order in case the school asks
  • A shared calendar

Before you start

  • Follow your court order. If an order limits your access to school records or contact, follow it. Ask a family-law attorney if you're not sure what yours allows.
  • Keep your kid out of it. Don't ask your kid to carry papers or messages between houses. Get them yourself, and handle questions adult to adult.
  • School staff aren't referees. Keep requests to the school about your kid's learning and safety, not adult disagreements.

Steps

  1. Know where you stand. Know that FERPA generally gives both parents access to school records unless an order or law says otherwise.
  2. Update the front office. Ask the office to list your phone and email for emergencies, report cards and school messages.
  3. Get your own logins. Set up your own parent login for the grades portal and the school messaging app.
  4. Join every list. Join school, class, PTA, coach and club lists. Ask your co-parent for any sign-up link you can't find.
  5. Introduce yourself to each teacher. Email each teacher: you're Maya's dad, a two-home family, and you'd like to be copied on class news.
  6. Move the dates to one calendar. Each week, copy new school dates to your calendar, and go to conferences and events when you can.

If it stalls

  • If the office says only one parent can be listed, ask politely what their policy is and what paperwork they need. Don't argue at the desk. If you think you're being wrongly left out, talk to a family-law attorney.
  • If you miss something, don't blame your co-parent or your kid. Find out which list it came through, and join it.
School lists and logins you're on
Signed off: can do this.Signed by Date