Learn how one district has successfully integrated sound educational leadership, reporting and accountability practices from the corporate sector, and strong communication practices to promote student achievement and community involvement. Do all members of your community understand your plan for school improvement? Do they know and embrace your values, mission, vision and goals? Session participants will discover a model that makes this information accessible and understandable by all, and can rally an entire community around achieving results for students.
Session participants will learn how more than 200 school districts in New Jersey are using the parent portal of their Student Information System. Parents can manage student’s schedules, grades, attendance, assignments, discipline, contacts and fees. Districts post letters and messages specific to the student from teachers and administrators, as well as place districtwide notices online for parents to see and acknowledge. Many districts are now going paperless and realizing significant savings in postage costs, while parents benefit from instant notification from their child’s school.
The New Jersey Department of Education’s fiscal accountability regulations had an impact on every facet of school districts' operations including public relations. The regs led to misinformation and questions among boards and administrators concerning the legality of school public relations that remain today. The New Jersey School Public Relations Association (NJSPRA) has the answers: Yes, the regs absolutely permit school districts to have a public relations function. NJSPRA's current president and immediate past-president will provide a crash course on the topic, reviewing the regs, discussing the value of and cost-effective approaches to school public relations and how NJSPRA can help districts make the most of their public relations budgets.
During this roundtable, presenters from the East Hanover Township school district will share fundraising efforts that they have initiated over the last five years. These events have increased the involvement of parents and community members in schools and have built goodwill and positive public perception of the schools while raising needed funds for district technology. Experiences discussed will include Serving Up School Spirit – Inter-Schools Parent Volleyball Game; iWalk-a-thon; Community Night of Respect; Parent Principal Breakfasts; and School-Based Planning Teams.
This session will highlight the importance of building relationships not only with your local media, but also with your education stakeholders. Participants will learn how to identify community stakeholders (commuters, senior citizens, parents, local government officials, etc.), and how to become Community Liaisons. Examine specific strategies of how a district currently executes a community relations plan throughout the year, not just when support is needed for a vote. Learn to creatively engage the community with the school system to continuously showcase tax dollars hard at work.
In this day and age of soundbytes, school communications consist of a myriad of touch points. Should one of those points be blogging? Participants will understand what a blog is, how to get started, the advantages and disadvantages of blogging, and will have the tools to determine if this is a method of communication appropriate for their district.
