Something that we take for granted far too often is the power of "the school community." Whether we always recognize it or not, schools play a vital role in our society, and as such their involvement and significance to our communities can't be easily dismissed.
Many times throughout the school year our facilities are used to host a plethora of activities from all different sectors of the community. Schools have and will continue to provide safe and centralized facilities that many communities have become accustom to when it comes to scheduling and planning local events. Though it may be faint, there is a hidden opportunity here when it comes to changing and ultimately improving the image our society has of schools.
The sad and unfortunate reality of the times is that as Educators working in education we are in desperate need of a new and improved "image." I am not saying education is broken or that we need to change everything we are doing, but I am saying we need to do a better job of sharing the great things our schools are doing. Additionally, we need to take control and be proactive when it comes our own public relations. The time for sitting back and reacting to the negative news is over; it's time to embrace the opportunities and attack with our own positive PR campaigns... here's a good place to start:
- invite parents to MORE than just orientation and open house nights; provide food if it means you will get a larger turnout (establish a clear and achievable focus for the event as well)...
- encourage teachers to communicate with parents about the direction of the class, as well as some of the awesome activities/projects that might be coming up...
- take pictures and make videos to compile an archive of resources to share with community members (be sure to include kids in this process as well)...
- start a Facebook page to share relevant information and celebrate great things going on in your school (Twitter & Google+ are also options)...
- encourage your parents to visit your school as often and as frequently as possible (make visitations for your parents easy and simple, not difficult and burdensome)...
- greet & acknowledge parents when you see them in the community; it means a lot to them...
- when disseminating information and resources make sure you are updating frequently and consistently...
- ask your parents and community how they want to receive information; their opinions matter!
- think about how you are involving your parents in their child's education; do they really have a voice and are there opportunities for them to provide input...?
- consider the role your school plays as a vital part of the community; how could your school help to improve the community...?
- lastly, consider that if schools aren't working with and assisting the community, how could we ever really say we are truly serving the needs of our students who live within that community...
Please share how your school is tapping into the power of the community while also sharing some of the awesome things your school is doing...
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The sad and unfortunate reality of the times is that as Educators working in education we are in desperate need of a new and improved "image." I am not saying education is broken or that we need to change everything we are doing, but I am saying we need to do a better job of sharing the great things our schools are doing. Additionally, we need to take control and be proactive when it comes our own public relations. The time for sitting back and reacting to the negative news is over; it's time to embrace the opportunities and attack with our own positive PR campaigns... here's a good place to start:
- invite parents to MORE than just orientation and open house nights; provide food if it means you will get a larger turnout (establish a clear and achievable focus for the event as well)...
- encourage teachers to communicate with parents about the direction of the class, as well as some of the awesome activities/projects that might be coming up...
- take pictures and make videos to compile an archive of resources to share with community members (be sure to include kids in this process as well)...
- start a Facebook page to share relevant information and celebrate great things going on in your school (Twitter & Google+ are also options)...
- encourage your parents to visit your school as often and as frequently as possible (make visitations for your parents easy and simple, not difficult and burdensome)...
- greet & acknowledge parents when you see them in the community; it means a lot to them...
- when disseminating information and resources make sure you are updating frequently and consistently...
- ask your parents and community how they want to receive information; their opinions matter!
- think about how you are involving your parents in their child's education; do they really have a voice and are there opportunities for them to provide input...?
- consider the role your school plays as a vital part of the community; how could your school help to improve the community...?
- lastly, consider that if schools aren't working with and assisting the community, how could we ever really say we are truly serving the needs of our students who live within that community...
Please share how your school is tapping into the power of the community while also sharing some of the awesome things your school is doing...