Beyond Image: LearningBased Communication Brian Woodland, Director of Communications

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Beyond Image Learning-Based CommunicationBrian
Woodland, Director of Communications Strategic
PartnershipsPeel District School Board2001

• Summary
• Kerry W. Helm
• March 9, 2007

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• The unfortunate reality is that school districts
  often devote their scarce resources to
  image-buildingIf that is what school public
  relations is about, cut it from your budget. Take
  the savings and give it to schools. Image does
  nothing to help achieve school or student
  success. emphasis added

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Accountability
• Spend our time explaining what our schools are
  about and less time trying to convince people
  that what we are doing is right.
• Be open and accountable for information the
  community demands.
• Delight in our customers share with parents
  ways to help children succeed.
• Focus on internal communications.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Research says that better communication,
  stronger involvement between home and school, is
  the most powerful way to improve student success.
  And that is our bottom line.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Student Mission
• Mission statement What have you done for
  students today? district PR needs to be about
  learning, NOT image.
• Ninety percent (90) of school image is based on
  quality service how we well we serve our
  customers (students and their parents/guardians).
• Seven percent (7) is listening, actively seeking
  out input from the community.
• Three percent (3) is about telling delivering
  essential messages to targeted audiences telling
  people what they want or need to know.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• If your schools are not successful, if kids
  arent achieving, no amount of public relations
  will help. If you want a great image of the
  district, the trustees board, the
  superintendent and the schools, develop
  successful students. And communicate the success
  and how you got there.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Three (3) Key Areas
• 1. Start at the top Superintendent/district
  leadership
• Advocate openness and transparency
• Champion systemic engagement and honest, two-way
  communication.
• Model behavior good service to customers.
• Go public with public information.
• Its the right thing to do.
• It negates any claims of secrecy.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• the short-term pain of being out there first
  with an unpopular issue is far better than the
  long-term pain of the issue seeping out without a
  discussion or plan. And every issue/crisis/problem
  makes itself public in a school system.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• 2. Value in Talking - Focus on getting
  information to people.
• Internal Communications is PRIORITY ONE.
• Research suggests that the news media is the
  LEAST influential information source about
  schools.
• School employees rank FIRST as sources and their
  impressions are the most powerful.
• Teacher attitudes rank highest in influence w/
  administrators second.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS.
• Goal help people do a better job.
• Provide people with information they need in a
  timely manner and in a user-friendly format.
• Enable people to tell the story of our
  organization.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• 3. Provide tools, resources, and training.
• Electronic sources emails, newsletters,
  forms/templates, etc.
• No surprises policy make sure people have
  information before the public does.
• Now serving instant communication make sure
  the information is timely.
• Ready-made communication.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Give them what they need ready-made. When we
  want to communicate a new curriculum idea or a
  budget proposal, schools receive a communication
  package with information on how to run a parent
  night, a sample agenda with speaking times, a
  template script, prepared overheads, a flier to
  use as an invitation, a parent tip sheet and an
  evaluation form. Schools, system leaders, and
  board members all use these packages

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Train staff and community members on effective
  communication, good newsletters, parent
  involvement, media relations, and more.
• Parent resources.
• Parents want/need to know how to help their
  children succeed.
• Resources should
• be readable
• focus on a stated need
• avoid selling the district, and
• well-written.

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• Ready-made, easy-to-copy parent fact sheets,
  email subscription, electronic forms, etc.
• Homework
• Learning tips
• Summer break
• Field trips
• Curriculum
• Testing
• Support services
• Special education
• Extracurricular activities
• Rules/regs
• Agency contacts

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Beyond Image Learning-Based Communication

• In everything we do the focus is first and
  foremost on our schools.
• What have we done for students today?