Franklin Special District: Making School Communication Accessible for Every Family

Franklin Special District serves about 3,100 students across eight schools in Williamson County, Tennessee. The district educates students from pre-K through eighth grade and reflects the diversity of a growing community just south of Nashville. As of fall 2025, approximately 17% of the district’s students are English learners.

After English, Spanish is the most prominent language used across the district, though families speak more than 40 languages overall. Six of the district’s eight schools are Title I schools and about 38% of students qualify for free or reduced lunch. For district leaders, those numbers highlight a daily reality: schools must be prepared to communicate clearly with families and students even when they do not share a common language.

Building Another Layer of Support

Franklin Special District relies on parent liaisons to help bridge language gaps between families and schools. These staff members assist families navigating school systems and often help provide translation when needed, but district leaders recognized that even with dedicated staff, one person cannot be everywhere at once. “We really wanted to build another layer of support for parents and students who are not English speakers,” said Mary Decker, Associate Director of Schools for Teaching and Learning.

To address that need, the district purchased 10 Pocketalk devices and distributed them across the district, placing one in each school office and two at the central office. The goal was to make translation immediately available wherever families first interact with staff. If a parent liaison is unavailable, office staff can still assist families who arrive with questions or concerns.

Shelly Robinson, Instructional Technology Specialist, said the devices quickly proved useful beyond the front desk. Nurses, school counselors and other staff borrow them when they need to communicate with students or families during the school day. Having the devices available in shared spaces makes them accessible to staff members across the building.

Designed for Everyday School Interactions

Instructional technology specialists introduced the devices to staff across the district, focusing first on those most likely to interact with families: front office secretaries, nurses and other staff who regularly communicate with parents and students. Because the device is simple to operate, staff were able to begin using it immediately in daily interactions.

“The ease of use is perfect because it doesn’t require a lot of training,” said Amber Whitley, instructional technology specialist. “It’s pretty much push [a button] to talk and you’re good to go.” In some schools, staff reported using the device every day to help answer questions from families or support conversations with students.

One office secretary even used the device during a phone call by holding it to the receiver so a parent could hear translated responses in real time. The flexibility allows staff to communicate quickly in situations where scheduling a translator may not be practical.

A Device Built for a Single Purpose

District leaders also saw advantages in using a dedicated translation device rather than relying on apps on personal phones. One principal noted that having a single-purpose device allows staff to focus on the conversation rather than juggling multiple tasks on a single screen. Instead of switching between translation apps, student records and phone calls, staff can keep translation separate and respond more quickly.

That design also communicates something important to families. “I think it sends a message to families that we want to communicate,” Robinson said. “We want to break down that barrier and make sure communication is open. We don’t want language to be something that limits anyone.” The device signals that the district values clear communication with every family.

Community Support for Language Access

Franklin Special District shared its use of Pocketalk in a social media post highlighting how staff use the devices to communicate with families and students. District leaders said they were aware that conversations around language access can sometimes draw criticism depending on local attitudes and beliefs. Instead, the response from the community was largely supportive. 

Robinson said, “we had a lot of appreciation from our community for taking care of every child and every family in the highest way we can.” Community members and local organizations expressed support in the comments, reinforcing the district’s belief that strong communication benefits the entire community.

Looking Ahead

The district introduced the devices during the 2024–2025 school year and continues gathering feedback from schools about how they are being used. Leaders plan to survey staff as the school year winds down to better understand where additional devices may be helpful. Some schools have already asked whether more devices could be added, particularly in buildings where staff interact frequently with multilingual families.

For Decker and her team, the goal is straightforward. Schools should be able to communicate clearly with every family who walks through the door. “We’ve been really pleased,” Decker said. “The feedback so far has been great.”