It should be a good thing that parents can communicate with teachers so quickly and easily over email. But I'm not sure that the introduction of email has improved the relationship between those two parties.
Email is actually a terrible communication tool. All the subtle cues and tone that you can use when you speak with someone are almost impossible to convey over email. Sometimes you sound angry or critical even when you don't mean to be.
Imagine your student comes home with a "D" on her chemistry exam. She never told you she was struggling in chemistry and you're frustrated that she let it get to this point. So you decide to send the teacher this email to request a meeting:
"Jenna just informed us that she received a "D" on her last exam. We were shocked and very disappointed. Jenna is an excellent student and she has never received anything but top grades. We need to meet with you immediately to decide what can be done to rectify this situation."
You're not necessarily assigning blame or being critical; you're just being a concerned parent. But remove yourself from your parent role and imagine you're the teacher receiving that email.
If a parent sent that to me, I'd be on the defensive. It sounds like you're somehow blaming me for your kid's chemistry deficiencies. I understand that Jenna is an excellent student. But other kids did well on the exam–it's not like everybody got D's. So clearly, Jenna has to assume some of the blame here.
Since email has become a preferred communication tool with parents and teachers, it's important to use it wisely. Here are a few guidelines.
1. Use email as a tool to foster a relationship before you need something.
If your student likes a class, drop the teacher an email and mention that "Jason just can't stop talking about how much he's enjoying your AP history class." If a teacher stays after school to help your student, email the teacher and thank her. Everyone likes to be acknowledged when they do a good job. And as long as you're sincere, you'll have built some history together if you need to email for a less positive reason in the future.
2. Be human, and be nice.
Just stating the facts can actually come off as cold and impersonal. And negative emotions will be distorted and exaggerated in the mind of the reader. So be a real person, and be nice.
Imagine how a teacher would react differently in the above scenario if she received this email:
"Jenna just informed us of that she received a 'D' on her midterm. My husband and I are both chemists so we're probably not as compassionate with our child as we should be when it comes to her struggles with the periodic table. But we want to do the right thing and would appreciate any guidance you could give us on how we can help her. Would it be possible to meet with you at your convenience?"
That's a message written by a real–and nice–human being.
3. Don't forget to use email as a tool of thanks, too.
Here's where email can be a great communication tool. Sending a quick, sincere thank-you note is easy and effective. Look what you can accomplish in just four sentences:
"I just wanted to thank you for meeting with us last week. Jenna came out of the meeting encouraged about her opportunity to improve her grade, and we felt so fortunate that she has a teacher who's willing to meet with panicked parents like us. I can't tell you how much we appreciate it. Thank you again, and have a great weekend."
I've written two other posts that might be helpful, too–one on how to write a good email message, and one about how to approach someone when you need help with a problem.