share with PRINCIPALS to make life easier for EVERYONE

Hey, what’s up, parents and teachers?

This is actually a video for principals—but principals don’t usually follow my work. So this video is really for you, parents and teachers, to forward to your principals.

As soon as you hear what I’m talking about, I think you’ll understand why.

So go ahead and listen, and if this resonates with you, please consider sharing it with your school’s principal.

Hello, principals.

My name is Seth Perler. I’m an executive function coach based in Boulder, Colorado. I work with struggling students and help them navigate this thing called education.

The students I work with often struggle with attention, concentration, focus, organization, time management, and follow-through.

These are the students who frequently have late work, missing assignments, zeros, incompletes, and other academic challenges. They are often labeled as unmotivated, lazy, undisciplined, or as students who simply don’t care enough about school.

In reality, there is often a great deal of misunderstanding surrounding these kids.

One thing I’ve noticed is that very few principals seem engaged with the executive function conversation.

Recently, we hosted an executive function summit attended by roughly 10,000 people. Parents, teachers, therapists, and educational professionals participated.

Afterward, we looked at who attended.

Not a single principal.

That genuinely surprised me.

This isn’t meant as criticism or blame. It’s simply an observation.

Families need your leadership.

Teachers need your leadership.

Schools need your leadership.

And there’s one issue that keeps coming up over and over again that I believe principals can help solve.

Let me tell you a story.

I just finished meeting with a student in my office.

He’s a sophomore in high school who has struggled for as long as he can remember. He’s never really fit into the traditional school mold.

This quarter, he started a brand-new class.

The class has expectations, assignments, and homework.

But there was a problem.

The teacher hadn’t provided a syllabus.

There was no paperwork.

No handouts.

No clear explanation of expectations.

So we went online.

We found the teacher’s name on the school website.

It said:

“Click here for teacher website.”

We clicked.

404 Error.

No website.

Next, we checked Schoology.

Nothing.

Google Classroom.

Nothing.

Infinite Campus.

Nothing.

No information anywhere.

No syllabus.

No assignment expectations.

No class resources.

Nothing.

So here’s my question:

How am I supposed to support this student?

How are his parents supposed to support him?

And most importantly, how is a student who already struggles with executive function supposed to figure out what is expected of him?

Principals, this is where you can lead.

If I sound frustrated, it’s because I am.

I deal with situations like this constantly.

If I had a dime for every time I’ve encountered this issue, I’d be incredibly wealthy.

Here’s my recommendation:

Create consistency across your school.

For example, establish a school-wide expectation that grades are updated on a regular schedule.

Maybe every other Monday.

Maybe the first and third Monday of every month.

I don’t particularly care what the schedule is.

What matters is consistency.

Yes, it may require some effort from teachers initially.

But in the long run, it will save everyone time and frustration.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve worked with a student who appears to be doing fine, only to discover seven weeks into a grading period that a teacher finally entered a large batch of assignments and the student is suddenly failing.

The day before, the student appeared to have an A or B.

That’s a problem.

Consistency matters.

My second recommendation is simple:

Create a master page on your school’s website.

One page.

Every teacher.

Every link.

Everything in one place.

Students should be able to click on a teacher’s name and immediately find everything they need.

Not after searching through multiple portals.

Not after checking three different systems.

Not after emailing people and waiting for answers.

Immediately.

Every teacher page should clearly state:

• What classes the teacher teaches

• Which platforms are being used

• Where assignments are posted

• Where grades are posted

• How frequently information is updated

• How parents can contact the teacher

• General homework expectations

For example:

“Students should expect homework approximately two nights per week, taking about 45 minutes each time. If this isn’t happening, please contact me so we can discuss appropriate accommodations or support.”

Simple.

Clear.

Accessible.

What I see every day in my office is students spending enormous amounts of time simply trying to locate information.

Instead of learning.

Instead of completing assignments.

Instead of building skills.

They’re searching.

They’re clicking through portals.

They’re trying to figure out where things are.

And for students with executive function challenges, this is exponentially harder.

Parents don’t know where to look.

Students don’t know where to look.

Everyone becomes frustrated.

And I know what some people might be thinking.

“It’s the student’s responsibility.”

“It’s the parent’s responsibility.”

I understand that perspective.

But think about your own life.

Think about your health insurance company.

Think about your bank.

Think about any organization you deal with.

When communication is clear, life is easier.

When communication is confusing, frustrating, and difficult to access, everyone struggles.

Now imagine being a teenager with executive function challenges trying to navigate that confusion.

Put yourself in those families’ shoes.

They’re trying.

They’re doing their best.

Please make it easier.

We need your leadership.

We need systems that make sense.

We need consistency.

We need clarity.

I know you work hard.

I know you deal with regulations, bureaucracy, staffing challenges, parent concerns, and countless responsibilities every day.

I respect that.

But this is one area where your leadership could dramatically improve the experience of students, families, and teachers alike.

When information is easy to find, teachers spend less time answering the same questions repeatedly.

They spend less time reprinting materials.

They spend less time explaining assignment expectations over and over.

Everyone benefits.

So this is my plea.

Not for me.

For our kids.

They need support.

They need clarity.

They need systems that help them succeed.

Thank you for listening.

My name is Seth Perler. I’m an executive function coach based in Boulder, Colorado, and I help struggling students navigate this thing called education.

Now I’m going to get back to work.

Take care.