Welcome to the second quarter of 2023, known to many as springtime! While April showers might be bringing May flowers closer to where you live, the idea of spring can still resonate by shining light into your brand and taking a closer look at how you’re interacting with educators, administrators, and decision-makers during this time of year. In this post, we provide you with all of the K-12 education holidays, events, and conferences that you should be aware of during April - June, along with providing content ideas and how administrators, educators, and parents are feeling during each month.
Shameless Plug: Our free EdTech Marketer’s Planner has all of these events and more. It can also help you through your planning process by providing a helpful framework to make sense of it all.
K-12 Education Holidays, Events, and Conferences
We’ve listed some of the most important dates EdTech marketers should consider throughout the first quarter and also brainstormed timely content ideas that speak to some themes that educators are focused on during these months. Remember, only use the themes and dates that directly relate to your brand and your audience — don’t force it. And although it may be tempting, don’t bandwagon on social media trends that just don’t make sense for your brand; you’d be spending time and money talking to and attracting the wrong audience for your brand.
April
Springtime is amongst us and the sunshine never felt so good! Sunlight fills the days a little longer each day. The promise of a break is nearby for educators and administrators alike. The end is near yet there is still some hard work to be done.
Administrators: The first busiest time for an administrator is the beginning of the school year and the second would be the end of the school year. This is normally when the hiring phase begins and will last until June. Any hires that occur after June are considered “last minute” in the education world. This is also testing season and typically an administrator is the testing coordinator so time is very precious. Allow administrators grace to reschedule a meeting or not be timely in an emailed response.
Teachers:Teachers are beginning plans to ensure they have covered all of their state standards. This is also the month standardized state testing begins in most U.S. schools. Tensions will be high, as administering these types of tests is not only a disruption to the typical schedule, but it can also be stress-inducing due to the testing scripts being extremely formal. One small mistake could result in a student's loss of information or invalidation of their test. In many school districts, teacher pay is directly correlated with the results of these tests or school doors may close if a school doesn’t perform. This would be the perfect time to offer up some brain break activities or fun activities for students to engage in during those in between testing times.
Parents: Families are getting prepared for the summer. They are either looking for childcare options, summer camps, or planning for time off if they are able to do so. This can also be a time where conversations of academic struggles will be noted and plans will be put into place to help support their children. Parents are looking for something that is researched based and effective to help with these gaps-if your brand can provide this for parents this is a perfect time to market to them!
May
May marks the last month of a school calendar in most U.S. districts. There are some schools that go into June, but better weather and an overall sense of relaxation has hit the schools. May is also Teacher Appreciation Month and teacher appreciation is celebrated the most during Teacher Appreciation Week (May 8-14) and Teacher Appreciation Day (May 9). Educators deserve so much appreciation from everyone, including your brand! Learn about three things brands should never do for teacher appreciation week.
Administrators: This month is typically used in wrapping up loose ends. Planning meetings for the next school year begin. Filling in positions for the next school year is also top priority. With the teacher shortage being felt nationwide, this can be a daunting task. This can be a good time to offer up deals and discounts as conversations for purchasing that is starting.
Teachers: The beginning of May kicks into gear with teacher appreciation week! May is such a wonderful month for teachers, as it’s a time to reflect with students. Testing is mostly over, and teachers can get back into the fun of teaching. Students’ behaviors might also be a challenge in some classrooms. Some students’ lives are better in school than at home. When students’ security is threatened, serious behaviors might begin to show up. This time is also known as being difficult to keep students’ attention as the excitement of summer draws closer each day. If you’ve got a fun and engaging activity to help students keep moving and learning, this is the time to share!
Parents: Parents love to appreciate their child’s teachers during teacher appreciation week! Help them out by sharing some of the ways they can celebrate the season. It’s a reflective time for the parent as well to celebrate the ending of another school year and plan for the year ahead. Some families may have stress about securing childcare or keeping students home as they plan for a work/life balance. Start sharing ways that your brand can help keep their students learning throughout the summer.
June
For many educators, June marks summer and relaxation. There are still some more schools finishing up the year, but one thing is for sure – educators have made it to the end of the school year!
Administrators: Contrary to many educators, administrators are still busy working. They tend to reserve this time for items that they didn’t have time for during the school year, such as scheduling, planning for professional development (PD) sessions, and collaborating with other administrators across the district. If your brand offers any training on your product, now is the best time to share this with administrators! The stress of staffing an entire school during a teacher shortage still looms. This is also the time where last-minute staff resignations can occur. Plans for next school year are in full swing and the creative energy is highest in the summer.
Teachers: Teachers are celebrating their accomplishments of the school year and are in pure relaxation mode. Typically, teachers will spend the first few weeks unplugging and decompressing from the school year. There’s also a terrible myth that teachers don’t work in the summer when in fact they do! This is not the time to add to their already full plate but share ways that your brand can help support them for when school starts back with innovative and creative way. It is a great time to stay on-brand and share what your product can do to help save teachers time, the most valuable tool known to teachers! Many teachers are looking for ways to revamp that stale lesson or learn about a new project. If you’ve built a community with your teachers, send them supporting and uplifting tips to help them recharge so they come back refreshed and ready for the school year ahead.
Parents: Depending on the type of careers that families hold, parents are busy either keeping their kids occupied throughout the day or they are providing transportation to and from childcare each day. The stress on parents is high since their normal school routine has been disrupted. It’s also, because two things can be true at the same time, relaxing because there’s no homework, no keeping up on grades, no after school activities, and their child is overall relaxed as well.
Conferences
Conference season can be a perfect time to connect your brand to educators! Whether you have a booth or not, networking and handing out any swag will bode well. If you have a community of educators that you’re plugged in with, send out an email asking if anyone is presenting so you can amplify their voices on social. If it’s in the budget, offer to pay them as well for presenting on your brand’s behalf. The biggest ed tech conference is of course ISTE. Plan to show up early and stay later for any networking opportunities that may arise for your brand.
Birthdays
If this quarter is marked with dark days, the emergent of light AND standardized testing prep, birthdays can inject the much-needed fun and engagement. Plus, if you’re in need of timely content, you can use birthdays of historical figures or famous people that your audience cares about most.
Quick reminder: Our free EdTech Marketer’s Planner contains a more comprehensive list of education events, birthdays, conferences, and even content ideas. Also, once you’ve decided on the events you’d like to focus on, make sure you have a campaign-planning process in place. This four-step campaign-planning process can get you started. Enjoy!
