Bridging the School Central Office Divide

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Bridging the School - Central Office Divide
How to strengthen relationships between
principals and the Communications Office
Council of the Great City Schools PRE Meeting
July 14, 2007
Christopher Horan Chief Communications Officer
Jonathan Palumbo Media Specialist
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Background Boston Public Schools

• District
• Nearly 57,000 students
• 144 schools, pre-K through 12
• Budget 734.5 million

• Communications Office
• Reinvented, beginning September 2005, with
• launch of Strategic Communications
  initiative
• Expanded from 2 FTEs to 5.5 FTEs
• Budget 633,400 (77 district, 23 external)

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Context Strategic Communications

• Components
• New Communications Policy
• Expanded media outreach
• Marketing, advertising, events
• BPS-TV television channel
• Technology web, podcasts, blog
• Publications
• Market research
• and more

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Key to success internal buy-in
The Strategic Communications initiative cannot
succeed without support from and collaboration
with key staff particularly department heads
and principals.

• School Principals
• Key link to staff, students, and families
• Respected community leaders
• News sources for reporters
• Sources of positive news story ideas

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Theory of action
In order for principals to believe in and
contribute to the communications work, the
Communications Office must develop strong,
ongoing personal relationships with each of them.

• Therefore, we must make principals feel
• Essential
• Heard
• Supported
• Honored, celebrated, rewarded

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Effective Practice 1Communications Presentation

• Ideally
• Introduced by the Superintendent

• Connected to teaching and learning

• Much more than media training

• Tactical, action-oriented

• Engaging, inspiring, and FUN

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Effective Practice 2Media Calendar

• Periodic hooks for news story ideas

• Some educational, others not

• Monthly e-mail invitations

• Acknowledgement and follow-up

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Effective Practice 3School Visits
Boston approach

• All Communications Staff visit 2 schools per
  month in pairs (2006-07 50 schools)

• Visit classrooms, talk to administrators,
  teachers, students

• Follow up with acknowledgement letter

Benefits / outcomes

• Discover positive news story ideas

• Build Communications staff knowledge and morale

• Strengthen relationships with principals and
  school staff

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Effective Practice 4Birthday Cards

• Pre-printed message

Thank you for all that you do for the students
and families of the Boston Public Schools. Happy
Birthday from the Communications Office!

• Personal note/signature from all Communications
  staff

• Sent to the home address of every principal and
  senior staff (process 2-3 batches / month)

• Total cost 463.

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Effective Practice 5Central Office Open House
for Principals
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Effective Practice 5Central Office Open House
for Principals
Boston approach

• Every central office participates

• Message We are here to support principals as
  VIPs

• Emphasize business and pleasure celebration
  combined with information and resources to
  support schools

• Each department encouraged to develop its own
  activities e.g., theme, gifts/raffles,
  food/drink, music

• Create buzz among principals to kick off school
  year

• Opportunity to make headquarters more welcoming
  to all

• Position Communications as key lever of cultural
  change

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Questions and Comments