Reading Newsletter to the Principal: A Monthly Update Template
The monthly reading update to the principal is one of the highest-ROI emails a literacy coach or reading teacher sends all year. It buys air cover before complaints land. It builds the evidence base before budget season. Done in 20 minutes a month, it does the work of five meetings. Here is the template and the discipline behind it.
Three data points, no more
Pick the three numbers a board member would ask about. The most recent universal screener result expressed as a percentage of students at or above benchmark. The number of students moved out of tier 3 this month. Average growth on a common assessment. Each one a single sentence. "On the November DIBELS, 71 percent of K through second grade students hit or exceeded benchmark, up from 64 percent in September."
One student success story
Initials only. One paragraph. Name the specific shift and credit the team. "M.R., a second grader, moved from below benchmark to on grade level on the November screener. Her classroom teacher's small group time and the intervention block both contributed. We are watching whether the gain holds through January." That paragraph is the one the principal will repeat to a board member or a visiting district leader.
One ask
Make it concrete and small. "Could you join the K through second grade team's PLC on the 14th for 15 minutes? Their decoding intervention is showing strong results and your attendance would tell the team it matters." Bigger asks belong in a meeting, not a newsletter.
One heads-up
Something the principal will want to know about before someone else tells them. A parent concern brewing, a staffing question, an upcoming district visit. "Heads up: a fourth grade parent has emailed twice about her child's intervention placement. I am meeting with her Thursday. I will let you know if it needs to escalate."
A working excerpt
"Hi Dr. Vargas. November reading update.
Data: On the November DIBELS, 71 percent of K through second grade students hit or exceeded benchmark, up from 64 percent in September. Four students moved out of tier 3 this month. Average growth on the monthly common assessment was 1.4 grade-level units across third through fifth.
Story: M.R., a second grader, moved from below benchmark to on grade level on the November screener. Her teacher and our intervention block both contributed. We are watching January.
Ask: Could you sit in on the K through second grade PLC on the 14th for 15 minutes? Their decoding work is paying off and your presence would matter.
Heads up: a fourth grade parent has emailed twice about her child's intervention placement. I am meeting with her Thursday and will flag if it escalates."
What to cut
A long narrative summary. Every assessment number you have. Every teacher's name and every PLC topic. A list of professional learning you attended. Principals do not need the full picture, they need the picture that matters this month. Save the rest for the formal end-of-quarter report.
How Daystage helps with the monthly principal update
Daystage saves the five-section structure so the monthly send is always the same shape. You fill in the three numbers, the one story, the one ask, and the one heads-up. The email goes to your principal formatted clean in one click. The whole update takes 20 minutes and lands the first Tuesday of every month, the same day, every time.
Get one newsletter idea every week.
Free. For teachers. No spam.
Frequently asked questions
Why send a monthly reading update to the principal at all?
Two reasons. First, when a parent escalates a reading concern, the principal already has context and does not have to call you for a five-minute brief. Second, when budget conversations happen in the spring, the principal has eleven months of evidence on hand instead of a vague memory. A monthly update is the cheapest insurance policy a reading teacher or coach can run.
How long should the update be?
Under 300 words. Principals read on their phone between meetings. Three data points, one success story, one ask, one heads-up. Anything longer signals you do not know what matters and forces them to triage. A tight update gets read in 60 seconds and acted on.
Three data points, not thirty. How do I pick?
Pick the data the principal will care about if a board member asks. Percentage of students at or above benchmark on the last universal screener. Number of students moved out of tier 3 intervention this month. Average growth on a common reading assessment. Three numbers, each one a sentence. Save the full data binder for the meeting where it is asked for.
How do I write the success story without sounding self-congratulatory?
Name a student by initials only, name the specific shift, and credit the team. 'M.R. moved from below benchmark to on-grade-level on the November DIBELS. Her classroom teacher and the intervention block both contributed.' That tone reads as evidence, not bragging. It also gives the principal something concrete to mention in their own communications.
What is the easiest way to send this every month?
A saved template with five fixed sections. Daystage holds the structure and sends a clean, formatted email straight to your principal in one click. No shared drive, no PDF. The whole update should take 20 minutes once a month, on the same day, every month. Consistency is what turns it from a chore into a habit your principal counts on.
Adi Ackerman
Author
Adi Ackerman is a former classroom teacher and curriculum writer with 8 years in K-8 schools. She writes about school communication, parent engagement, and what actually works in real classrooms.
More for Reading Newsletter
Ready to send your first newsletter?
3 newsletters free. No credit card. First one ready in under 5 minutes.
Get started free