Communicating Effectively: The Message and the Messenger

1
Communicating Effectively The Message and the
Messenger

• Using the Right Tools
• Aiming at the Right Target
• Ken Blackstone, APR
• Coordinator of Public Information
• Dept. of Community Relations Services
• Richland School District Two

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Credibility of Public School Education News
Sources
American Association of School Administrators/Ipso
s Reid, 2003
3
Credibility of Public School Education News
Sources
American Association of School Administrators/Ipso
s Reid, 2003
4
First Reason for Opportunity

• Our capacity to communicate is at an all-time
  high and our trust of information sources is
  at an all-time low

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Second Reason for Opportunity

• The channel with the greatest influence in
  America is not traditional media, or advertising,
  or the Internet, but the human channel of
  individual, person-to-person, word-of-mouth
  communication.
• --Ed Keller and Jon Berry,
• The Influentials

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Now Whats the Message?
Weve Identified the Messenger
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Voters Define a Good School By --Teachers Who
Are - Dedicated - Well-Trained --Parents
Who Instill Discipline --Students Who - Know
Right From Wrong - Are Prepared For The Real
World --Mutual Respect
The Mellman Group, Inc. June 2005
8
EAA and NCLB Defines a Good School By - High
Test Scores - High Academic Expectations for
Every Student
The Mellman Group, Inc. June 2005
9
Voters Report That More Information Would
Significantly Increase Their Confidence In Public
Schools
If you were to receive regular progress reports
about the local public schools, do you think it
would increase your confidence in the schools and
their ability to do quality work?
The Mellman Group, Inc. June 2005
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In Fact There Is A Clear Relationship Between
Getting Sufficient Information And Seeing The
Benefit Of Additional Funding
If additional money is spent on education, do you
think it is more likely to result in better
education in your state, or is the additional
money more likely to be wasted?
Total
Receive Enough Information
Not Enough Information
-6
9
-22
The Mellman Group, Inc. June 2005
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Increased Information Flow Is Key to Building
Public Confidence
The Mellman Group, Inc. June 2005
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Ideas

• Meet with staff to set priorities on
  communication
• Create basic communication plan
• Create/meet with group of Influentials, discuss
  your communication plan with them
• Utilize multiple methods of communication
  Letters, e-mail, Connect-ED, web site, R2TV,
  parent meetings, etc.
• Be VISIBLE and ACCESSIBLE to parents and staff
• Get to know community organizations
• Visit student homes personal calls or notes
• Return phone calls, e-mails promptly

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Are you using these tools?

• Connect-ED
• Emphasizing attendance notification this year
• Training 3 p.m. Wednesday, July 26, Round Top
  Elementary School Computer Lab

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Are you using these tools?

• Your school web site
• The new first impression Is it up-to-date?
• A Rubric for School Web Development Management.
  Available at www.eschoolnews.com/schoolspanweb
  siterubric.pdf

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Are you using these tools?

• R2TV
• Keep those announcements coming
• Utilize your video cameras to send us short video
  stories for us to air
• Meet Eric Alkire, our new Multimedia Production
  Specialist
• Shelley Kriegshaber also works with us part-time

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Are you using these tools?

• E-mail
• Emphasis this year An e-mail ListServ product
  for all schools to use.
• Be sure to collect e-mail addresses as part of
  your emergency notification forms (and enter them
  in SASI)

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Are you using these tools?

• (An active) School News Coordinator
• Connect-ED Champion
• Please e-mail me the names of these individuals

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FAQs

• Media Protocol Call me!
• FERPA Directory Information Opt-out info printed
  on back of Back 2 School student handbook.
  Unless a parent opts-out in writing, permission
  forms are not needed for photos/media coverage,
  etc.
• Be sure to send me the names of anyone who
  opts-out!

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Resources/Acknowledgements

• Public Relations 101 How-to Tips for School
  Administrators ltwww.educationworld.com/a_admin/adm
  in/admin123.shtmlgt
• Starting a School PR Program ltwww.nspra.org/frame
  _schoolpr.htmgt
• A Rubric for School Web Development Management.
  ltwww.eschoolnews.com/schoolspanwebsiterubric.pdfgt
• NSPRA White Paper Research Shows Link Between
  Strong School Communication and Student Success.
  ltwww.nspra.org/WhitePaperRelease.htmgt
• Some information in this presentation is used
  with permission from Barbara Hunter, APR,
  Director of Communications, NSBA.