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SCHOOL‑COMMUNITY RELATIONS Just a decade ago, most Kentucky school boards made decisions that staff found out about days later in a superintendent’s memo. In most Kentucky communities, the general public may have learned of the action in the next edition of the weekly newspaper. In today’s age of instant information – from cell phone text messaging to Internet blogs – board votes may be known by dozens of people before the meeting is even over. A school board that doesn’t reach out to the community it serves – including the internal community of district employees – allows other forces to take control of the image of the board and of the public school system that it is striving to lead. Kentucky boards and districts that are successful in community relations use a wide variety of tools, ranging from the relatively inexpensive and time-consuming to more sophisticated efforts that, in truth, also have a greater probability of reaching the intended audiences – and being heard. This chapter will examine several of those tools, but board members who would like additional ideas are encouraged to contact the KSBA Member Support Services staff at any time for further discussions.
BOARD MEETINGS The board meeting is the board’s public forum and the district’s showplace for student achievement. In many communities, board meetings are covered by the local news media. Staff who attend the meetings also report back to their co-workers about decisions and discussions. So the board of education meeting is a focal point of school-community relations, whether by design or default. To use the board meeting forum to show the board’s attention to students, each meeting can feature a demonstration of student learning. While it’s fine to set aside time for student and staff recognitions, it sends a totally different message when the board is willing to devote a portion of its time to watching and listening to students demonstrate what they are learning in class. Just a few examples seen at Kentucky board meetings are:
COMMUNITY FORUMS While the board meeting is the district’s primary public forum on decisions, goals, progress and challenges, the crush of business to be conducted realistically limits the ability for board members, administrators, staff and guests to fully discuss many topics at these meetings. Therefore, some issues may demand more lengthy and thoughtful deliberation at single-purpose public forums. While such forums should be carefully planned, board members and the superintendent may tailor the format to the topic. One format KSBA has successfully used in helping dozens of boards is the Community Discussion, where the board, superintendent and a broad cross-section of the community gather to focus on a single issue. The board team acts as an observer. The Community Discussion, or any other type of public forum format chosen by district leaders, demonstrates that those leaders not only want to listen to the community but also that they are willing to use their time and other resources to reach out for that input. However, board members should also realize that the act of seeking public insight creates an expectation that they will listen to, consider and act upon the input in the final decision making process.
DISTRICT COMMUNICATIONS PROGRAMS Public forums, whether board meetings or other formats, reach a portion of the community with the news about their schools and the accomplishments of their students. Yet, data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that nearly three-quarters of the adults in a typical U.S. community have neither a school-age child nor a school employee in their households. To keep this segment of the community in the know, school boards should support other initiatives that, individually and collectively, can enable a district to get its message out to more taxpayers. The following avenues are currently being used in Kentucky school districts. Internet Web sites No communications tool in existence today is growing as steadily as use of the Internet. District and school Web sites will become even more influential as more parents – and non-parents – turn to the Web for information. The only thing that limits the usefulness of a school system Web site is the creativity of those who decide what to post there. Currently, Kentucky school districts use their Web sites to inform users of:
Web sites should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis in order to maintain their value as a current information resource for users. District publications While computers and the Internet represent a fast way to reach many board constituents, the plain truth is that the printed word remains the best way to reach other citizens. Kentucky law requires districts to produce and distribute a state-designed report card filled with data on student achievement, volunteerism, parental involvement and other measurements of school progress. But these one-time publications shouldn’t represent a school system’s only attempt to put its messages into print. Some Kentucky districts publish newsletters on a monthly, quarterly or twice-a-year basis. These publications frequently carry news of board decisions, district accomplishments, past and future events, features about student and staff honors, messages from the superintendent and other administrators, and photos of students. Some newsletters are distributed via “backpack express,” others by mail and still others are stuffed inside editions of the local newspaper under an agreement with that publication. Electronic newsletters Some districts unable to afford printing and distributing a hard-copy newsletter, or that want a faster way to reach the public without having to depend on visits to a Web site, have opted to create an electronic publication. These are usually sent via e-mail to a distribution list of recipients, both within the school system as well as throughout the larger community. Examples of topics in electronic newsletters created by Kentucky school systems include reports on the most recent school board actions; a schedule of upcoming events; notations of honors won by students and staff; informational documents that are attached for later review; links to specific school Web sites for announcements of activities at that school; and general information about school programs and services. Electronic newsletters are an excellent way for boards and superintendents to inform small groups of people known as “key communicators.” These people represent a cross-section of community leaders, business executives, influential clergy, parents, elected officials and people who are seen as opinion makers in the community. Public Access CATV programs For some school board members, the idea of board meetings broadcast live or on a tape delay is a harrowing thought. Yet, a cable-television broadcast of a board meeting over the CATV system’s public access channel also allows people to see and hear exactly what takes place, not what someone else tells them occurred. As more middle and high school student technology leadership programs (STLP) include video production in their class options, a growing number of Kentucky districts are utilizing the CATV public access channels for student-and-staff-produced videos and PowerPoint presentations about school activities, tips for parents and children and demonstrations of academic exercises in the classroom. Some have also scheduled their own “talk shows,” featuring an interview between a district staff person and teacher or student involved in an interesting activity. Communications staff It ill serves a school board or district administration to pull together a public information tool only when there is a crisis, a need to refute a rumor or to gain strong community support for an initiative. Perhaps that is why a growing number of Kentucky school boards and superintendents have designated staff positions with public information responsibilities. In a pinch, those leaders have access to someone who has the practiced experience and knowledge of the communications tools that work and the most effective approaches to reach the public. In Kentucky, district communications staff may be full time in that endeavor or may have multiple responsibilities. Organizations such as the Kentucky School Public Relations Association (which has multiple joint projects with KSBA) ensure that district communications staff have a wealth of resources to call upon for the routine initiative and the emergency situation.
NEWS MEDIA RELATIONS As elected officials, school board members can expect to be called on from time to time by reporters with local newspaper, radio and television outlets. When a reporter is assigned to cover a board meeting, he or she will find something to write about. Boards that make an effort to work with their local media will find it much easier to get the positive coverage that they desire to balance the unfavorable stories that are as much a part of public service as are differences of opinion, complaints and human errors. The news media have a responsibility to cover the news, and they will do so regardless of the amount of cooperation they receive from the school system. There is a natural tendency for organizations to release only information about themselves that is favorable. To attempt to withhold information from the media is self‑defeating. If the board attempts to cover up some unfavorable information, the news media are likely to find out about it and report the information from their perspective. Without the cooperation of the board and staff, the information may not tell the whole story accurately; therefore, the board should attempt to make sure this information is as accurate and complete as possible. Board members and the superintendent should discuss and establish a practice for responding to inquiries from reporters. The policy should include such items as who serves as spokesman for the board (usually the chairman) and for the district (usually the superintendent or the district communications director) and how crisis situations are handled. The policy should not prevent anyone from being honest and open with the media. Board members are members of the collective board but also individually elected representatives of their constituents. Each board member has the right to choose whether to respond to reporters’ inquiries. However, board members should be ready and willing to refer an inquiry to the district administration when that is the appropriate source for a response.
PERSONAL CONTACTS Keeping the public informed must be an ongoing activity. Although discussion at open board meetings and an organized public relations program can help provide information to the public, many people gain their information about the schools from personal contacts. Members of the board and of the school staff should remember that what they say in conversations with their friends and relatives will heavily influence the perceptions those people have about the schools. Board members in particular must be aware that their position lends weight to their words. Everything said about the schools will affect the views that some people have.
COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS In recent years, some school districts have transformed their buildings into “community schools.” The term is part of a national movement to create stronger bonds between schools and communities by deliberately opening school buildings to the community at large to offer programs for both adults and children. This concept requires districts to reach out to community groups that can be partners in these programs, which can be educational, recreational or whatever the board and those partners determine will meet community needs. Community Education is a close relative to this concept because it also helps local boards forge stronger relationships with the community. Some state funding is available for this program, which encompasses five components: · Expanded use of school facilities: Buildings are transformed into centers of learning for the community. · Lifelong learning opportunities: Public schools respond to formal and informal educational needs of all ages. · Volunteer programs: Student performance tends to improve when parents and other community members are involved in educating students. · Learn and serve: In service learning, the community becomes the classroom for this curriculum-based education that gives students real-life experiences. · Collaboration: Internally, Community Education links with other school-based initiatives that help children; externally, it links with business industry, civic groups and other community agencies and organizations. # # # |
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Phone: (800) 372-2962
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