building bridges of trust

8/3/2019 Building Bridges of Trust

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A Mike King Publication

The Digital Sandbox, A Mike King Publication | [email protected] | http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/

December 2011

In this article, authorMike King will suggesthow to create new voicesthat will build a broadsupport for initiatives to

regain public trust

Building Bridges of TrustSCHOOL PUBLIC RELATIONS

Unfavorable public perception of publiceducation is not a new concern. Unfortunately,much of the good news about the progress ofeducation is not shared among communitymembers. In fact, the media have taken on anew style of provocative reporting abouteducational events.

Continued on Page 2

REENGAGING THE COMMUNITY The word community evokes an imageof a neighborhood, bound together by caring

and concern. Realistically, looking at what is

actually going on in our towns, cities, and rural

districts, this kind of community does not exist.Continued on Page 4

COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC A school is a communications networkmade up of teachers and students who each

day send messages, both positive and negative,

to various members of the public.Continued on Page 5

DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY RELATIONS PLAN

A formal school community relations plan

is a carefully planned strategy for how the

school will communicate with its public.

Continued on Page 6

AN ARTICLE BYMIKE KING

Issue Number Three The Digital Sandbox

THEDIGITALSANDBOX

LEADING IDEAS

InEducationalReform

Maecenas pulvinar sagittis enim.

Rhoncus tempor placerat. Rhoncus tempor placerat.
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Unfavorable public perception ofpublic education is not a new concern.

Unfortunately, much of the good news

about the progress of education is not

shared among community members. In

fact, the media have taken on a new style of

provocative reporting about educational

events. This provocative style seems to have

emerged over the past 20 years, as publiceducation has been under constant fire from

various mass movements that are generally

pol i t ical ly motivated. These mass

movements seem to have certain common

characteristics, mainly a tendency to target

the general purpose and effectiveness of

public education.

I believe that one of the causes of

many of the misconceptions and the real

problems of public education is that schools

have failed to stay in touch with their

communities. Schools must reconnect the

public to public schools. Thankfully, there

are now some grassroots efforts by public

schools to forge ahead with public relations

initiatives designed to reestablish public

trust. Educators must implement practices

and strategies that can meaningfully and

constructively engage the public in the

reform of education.

A PLACE CALLED SCHOOL Over a decade ago, John I. Goodladmade his first report about public education

in a landmark book entitled A Place Called

School. In it, he gave his predictions

concerning the future of education. In the

very first paragraph on the very first page,

he made this alarming statement:

American schools are in trouble. In fact,

the problems of schooling are of

such crippling proportions that

many schools may not survive. It

is possible that our entire public

education system is near collapse.

We will continue to have schools,

no doubt, but the basis of theirsupport and their relationship to

families, communities, and states

could be quite different from what

we have known.1

When one begins to analyze

and hypothesize as to the causes of

this public education dilemma, an array of

speculations emerges as to why we are in

trouble. These speculations have grown out

of the perception that schools are declining

at an alarming rate, a perception that has

been fostered in many cases by those who

h a v e e x p e r i e n c e d d i f fi c u l t i e s

communicating with school administrators

and teachers regarding their personal

concerns. Media hype and hearsay have

also contributed to this perception, so it is

small wonder that many Americans have

come to believe that education is in a

deplorable state.

In this article, I will discuss the causeand effect of the decline of public trust in

public education and will make concrete

suggestions how to create new voices that

will build a broad support for initiatives to

regain public trust and to formulate new

directions for school and community

American schoolsare in trouble. In

fact, the problems ofschooling are ofsuch crippling

proportions thatmany schools may

not survive.

Unfavorable Public Perception

of Public Education

JOHN GOODLAD
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involvement. Many of the topics

discussed here are drawn from

leadership principles based on the

following strategies of change:

informing the community, providing

community involvement programs, and

communicating effectively.

Each of these principles will play a

vital role in the public relations model

presented in this article. Building

Bridges of Trust is meant as a guide for

the educators who want to promote

and enlist both the schools internal

and external communities in the

revitalization of educational practices

and school reform. To facilitate this

effort, I have designed a model for

reengaging the community.

Each of the elements of the model

represented in Figure 11 will be

discussed separately in the course of

this article.

A Model for Reengaging the

Community

TwoWayComm

unications


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The answer to that question issimple: We start with the community.

The word community evokes an

image of a neighborhood, bound

together by caring and concern.

Realistically, looking at what is actually

going on in our towns, cities, and ruraldistricts, this kind of community does

not exist. The geographical community

of the neighborhood school, where

long-term residents know each other

and share common experiences and

beliefs, is, for the most part, gone.

The community of today usually

involves a group of people who share a

common interest concerning work,

church, social activities, or a special

issue or concern. These special interestcommunities are not heterogeneous in

nature but instead are defined by the

sameness of the members. Most

neighborhoods are now created and

defined by a certain lifestyle, ethnicity,

race, age, and/or profession. With our

communities becoming so fragmented,

people are finding it harder and harder

to bridge the gaps and get together to

solve problems.

Nevertheless, many educators see

community involvement as an answer

to many of the problems plaguing the

schools. Community involvement

implies that everybody works together

without conflict, and has the same

beliefs and goals. Fundamental to

community involvement is finding in

the public schools the means for the

school program to enrich the life of the

community, to serve the community,

and to enlist the community in service

to the school.

The major goal for the schools

involvement in community relations is

to develop support for efforts aimed at

the improvement and enhancement of

local educat ion. This goal i s

accomplished when parents and the

community take part in school life by

contributing time, talent, and materials

to the school. School staff members

can positively contribute to the publics

understanding of education when they

inter act with members of th ecommunity on matters concerning the

schools educational program.

What we must never forget is that

time and again in this country the

active participation of local citizens has

solved problems and brought about

needed change. We, as educators, have

to build the necessary bridges of trust

in our own communities so that we can

come together in an effort to make the

schools better for everyone. Thesebridges of trust will bring us a sense of

ownership in our schools, and from

that will come a renewed sense of

community.

Reengaging the Community:Where do We Start?
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COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC A school is a communicationsnetwork made up of teachers and students

who each day send messages, both positive

and negative, to various members of the

public. Using communication strategies,school leaders must effectively manage

these highways of communication. To

help school leaders establish a positive and

mutually supportive relationship with thepublic, the author have outlined some

important practices that principals can use

to market a positive image of their

schools. These practices include a method

for designing a public relations plan,

guidelines for working with the media, and

methods for managing ex terna l

communications, such as a school

newsletter, website and Social Networks

likeTwitter.

DEVELOPING AN INFORMAL COMMUNITY

RELATIONS PLAN One way to develop a communityrelations plan is to outline all the informal

ways in which the school communicates

with the public. An important assessment

criterion to be used in evaluating each

communication technique is this: Is it a

planned interaction or does it occur

haphazardly? If the answer is usually the

latter, the school and its community could

benefit from a community relations plan.

School leaders can begin by holding a

communications workshop for the school

staff and involving them in developing apublic relations plan for the entire school

year. School leaders and staff start by

brainstorming ideas for improving

communication with the schools external

community. The plan should also address

methods the school wil l use to

communicate with its internal community.

In Exhibit 11, some guidelines for

developing an effective informal public

relations plan have been provided. At

briefing , should make their staff aware of

these guidelines to ensure that all the

points are included in the public relations

plan.

Continued on Page 6

A school is acommunicationsnetwork made upof teachers and

students who eachday send messages,both positive and

negative, to variousmembers of the

public.

Communicati

ng

withthePublic


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A formal school community

relations plan is a carefully planned

strategy for how the school will

communicate with its public. It involves

identifying and analyzing the issues

that concern the public, identifying

specific audiences, and specifying a

t i m e l i n e a n d a m e t h o d f o rcommunicating with those audiences.

The plan is outlined in terms of

long-range goals and applies various

communication techniques. One of the

most significant techniques is two-way

c o m m u n i c a t i o n s . T w o - w a y

communications is the beginning of

public engagement. (see Figure 12

page 8, Public Engagement Through

Two-Way Communications).

There are three important

elements to a formal public relations

plan. The first element is identifying

the issues and setting goals to address

them. Program goals should be

formulated in terms of expected

results, such as what the school wants

the public to know or do. Examples of

goal statements generated from a

community that was concerned about

school safety are provided in Appendix.

Developing A Formal Community

Relations Plan


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There are three importantelements to a formal public relations

plan. The first element is identifying

the issues and setting goals to address

them. Program goals should be

formulated in terms of expected

results, such as what the school wants

the public to know or do.

The second element of the plan is

analyzing the causes and effects of

those issues. Since any kind of strategic

planning requires a knowledge of the

people who make up the community,

the best way to ascertain the

communitys concerns about the school

is to survey the public. Therefore, the

school should conduct some type ofcommunity inventory in order to

gather essential information. The value

of this type of inventory is the

development of an awareness of the

structure of the community, its

agencies, and its traditions. Although a

majority of this information cannot be

measured in terms of analytical data,

the information gained from the overall

structure of the community can be

valuable for future planning.

Identifying the key components of

the community will help to set the

boundaries for implementation of the

community engagement plan by

current community structures. This

type of information will identify special

populations, trends, and target

audiences that the school can link to

when it begins the engagement process.

(See Appendix for Exhibit 11A

Community Inventory Sample).

Once the analysis of the data

gathered from the community

inventory is complete, the data can be

used to enhance or revise the goal

statements of the plan. The school

should also provide examples of

information obtained from school

discipline reports, public opinion

surveys, and the Parent Advisory

Council.

The third element of the plan is a

list of the specific target audiences,

a l o n g w i t h t h e s t r a t e g y o r

communication mediumthat will be

used to reach each one. All three

elements of the public relations plan

should be outlined on a grid or chart

that also includes a timeline for their

completion

School Newsletters

By far the most effective methodfor communicating information is the

school newsletter. In addition to

providing needed information to the

school community, it is also a good

public relations tool, as it builds trust

and confidence in the schools ability to

make itself accessible. Research shows

that of all the printed material the

school sends home, the school

newsletter is most often read by

parents. In most cases, it is the only

regular source of contact that parents

have with the school; therefore, they

consider it to be an important resource.

The newsletter also communicates to

the parents that the principal and staff

value their interest and believe they are

entitled to know what is happening at

school.

Three Important Elements to a Formal

Public Relations PlanSETTING GOALS, KNOWLEDGE OF COMMUNITY, COMMUNICATION MEDIUMS
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IDENTIFYING NEWS ARTICLES Schools are busy places, and findingenough material to fill a newsletter is not a

difficult task. Stories can include school and

classroom activities, parent involvement

opportunities and projects, faculty and staff

information, special recognition and awards,

reminders of upcoming events or deadlines,

changes in policies or curriculum, and

available student services.

School leaders should establish a formthat teachers and staff members can use to

submit announcements and articles to the

person responsible for developing the

newsletter. These forms can be distributed to

the school staff, parent-teacher-student

association members, and any other persons

who might write for the newsletter.

Deadlines should be set up in advance,

and writers should be cautioned to

communicate in simple, clear language,

avoiding the educational jargon and academic

language that can be intimidating to parents.

For a sample school news form, see Exhibit 1

3C in the Appendix.

NEWSLETTER FORMAT The school newsletter needs anestablished format for communication, one

that will be used consistently. Regular

features, such as a school calendar of events

and the principals letter to the parents,

should appear in the same general area each

time.

Continued Page 9

Deadlines should beset up in advance,and writers should

be cautioned tocommunicate in

simple, clearlanguage, avoiding

the educational

jargon.

Figure 1-2

The School Newsletter


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The featured topics for each issue

of the newsletter should correlate with

current school activities and events.

Choosing the topics to communicate to

parents and community members can

be difficult, but over time a workable

format will evolve. Most school leaders

who have experience with a school

newsletter keep a file of each years

newsletters that provides monthly

topics.

A major consideration when

planning a school newsletter is the

frequency of publication. This decision

will depend on how frequently

information needs to be disseminated,

how long the newsletter will be, and

what financial resources are available tocover the cost of printing and

materials.

Parents should know when to

expect the newsletter. We suggest that

the distribution date be around the first

of the month, in order to provide

timely information about the entire

months activities. Sending the

newsletter home with students is an

effective method of distribution in the

elementary school but not at the

middle or high school levels. At the

secondary level, it is much more

effective to mail the newsletter to the

students homes. Newsletters qualify for

bulk mailing, which is cost-effective.

The funding and distribution of a

school newsletter frequently are

undertaken by the parent/teacher

association. Volunteers can handle

copying, stapling, folding, and labeling.

Working with the Media

The local press, a primary source

of information, can play an importantrole in getting out the good news about

schools. However, it is important that

principals understand the relationship

between the school and the press and

not underestimate its power. Working

with the media is a constant learning

experience. Since most school

principals are not trained for the job of

public relations, they may be suspicious

of the medias motives, fearing that the

press is looking for a way to portray the

school negatively. When the news is

bad with regard to public schools,

school officials may accuse reporters of

one-sided, negative reporting. They

may refuse to provide information to

the media, which the media will view

as obstructing the publics right to

know.

School officials should remember

that the reporters job is not to be a

public relations agent for the school;

the reporters job is to report the news,

whether or not it is favorable to the

sch oo l . Th e med ia have the

responsibility of providing the public

with the good, the bad, and the ugly

concerning any institution supported

by public funds. Therefore, principals

need to establish guidelines for working

with the media. In Exhibit 1-2, the I

have provided the reader with 10

guidelines for school leaders to consider

when working with the press.

Working with the Media

PLANNING AND DISTRIBUTION OF A NEWSLETTER

School officials shouldremember that the

reporters job is not to be apublic relations agent forthe school; the reportersjob is to report the news,

whether or not it isfavorable to the school.
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Ten Guidelines for Working with the Press

Maecenas pulvinar sagittis enim. Rhoncus tempor placerat.

Exhibit 1-2


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PREPARING NEWS RELEASES The news release is a communicationdevice that provides school districts with

an easy way to reach the media and,

consequently, parents. It is the kind of

public service item that most media gladly

accept as a service to the community. (See

Appendix 1-2A) In composing a news

release, remember the five Ws: WHO,

WHAT, WHEN, WHERE, and WHY. If

you have answered these five questions,

you have usually provided all the

necessary facts and details.

COMMUNICATING IN A CRISIS In a crisis, the school needs to takethe offensive position and strive not to be

put in the defensive position. This will

require school officials to either contact

the media or make themse lve s

immediately available to the media. The

key to communicating in a crisis is not to

clam up but to provide prompt andaccurate information. This may be

contrary to the traditional viewpoint in

most districts: to wait and see. The wait-

and-see response often actually causes bad

press, because it forces reporters to seek

out different sources of information,

sources that may not be directly

connected to the incident. The three

simple rules to remember when

communicating in a crisis are (1) be

prepared, (2) be available, and (3) be

credible. In Exhibit 14, the I have

included a checklist for school leaders to

review when involved in this crucial kind

of communication.Continued Page 12

Deadlines should beset up in advance,and writers should

be cautioned tocommunicate in

simple, clearlanguage, avoiding

the educationaljargon.

Preparing News Releases

Exhibit 1-3


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A Checklist for Communicating in a Crisis

Exhibit 1-3 The three simple rulesto remember whencommunicating in acrisis are(1) be prepared,(2) be available, and(3) be credible

ReferencesFigure 1-2 Public Engagement through Two-Way Communications. Source: Public domain-Reasons for Hope, Voices for

Change: A Report of the Annenberg institute on Public Engagement for Public Education, p. 8, 1993.
http://www.centerforcsri.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1http://www.centerforcsri.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1http://www.centerforcsri.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1http://www.centerforcsri.org/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Exhibit 11A Community Inventory Sample

The following community structures should be identified because they are all very useful in strategic planning: customs and

traditions, population characteristics, communication channels, community groups, leadership, economic conditions, political

structure, social tensions, and previous community efforts. Once the analysis of the data gathered from the community

inventory is complete, the data can be used to enhance or revise the goal statements of the plan.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS: The common ideas, attitudes, and habits of the people.

(This type of information is important to the school in guiding its relations with students, parents, and others. Nothing

produces a quicker reaction from parents and citizens than the adoption of school policies and practices that run contrary to

the community's attitudes, beliefs, and habits.)

1. Has there been any recent or established occurrence that impacts the community's political, religious, or social

structures?

2. Are there any differences in lifestyles that can be identified?

POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS: The education attainment, age, sex, occupation, creed, and nationality of the

citizens of the community. (These types of cultural data can give an overall understanding of the community and the possible

sources of social tension and conflict.)1. What is the demographic make-up of the community?

2. What are the present shifts and trends in the ethnic populations?

3. Is the number of single parent families increasing?

4. What percentage of the high school graduates go on to some level of higher education?

5. What percentage of the community does not have a high school education?

COMMUNICATION CHANNELS: The methods by which ideas and information are exchanged and which methods are

used most extensively. (These channels can range from mass media such as television, radio, and newspapers to other

communication vehicles such as church pulpits, labor union headquarters, and area newsletters and bulletins.)

1. What source of information do the community members rely on the most?

COMMUNITY GROUPS: The groups and organizations that exist because of some common belief or cause. (These

groups, such as Rotary, Kiwanis, and Lions, show concern for public education and cooperate with school officials. However,

other special interest groups can bring pressure upon the school to alter educational programs.)

1. What community groups presently exist within the community?

LEADERSHIP: The influential people who are the leaders of various community groups.

(Involving the community's leaders in school activities is necessary since these leaders act as communication channels through

which the school is interpreted by the community.)

1. Who are the leaders of the community's government, of the community's largest businesses and corporations, of the

community's professional organizations, and of the community's religious organizations? (Who are the key

communicators?)

ECONOMIC CONDITIONS: The generalized information regarding the agricultural, commercial, industrial, and

transportation activities along with the employment and wage conditions of the community.

(The economic conditions of the community determine the level of financial support available for public education.)

1. In what areas of the economy are most members of the community actively employed?

2. What is the composition of the work force?

3. What is the average annual salary?

4. Are there any obvious inequities among the salary ranges?

5. Is there any future potential in the community for economic growth?


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POLITICAL STRUCTURE: Information regarding the political process within the community.

(It includes who makes political decisions, how they are carried out, and what political organizations are available.)

1. What are some of the special interest groups who might promote or oppose a particular action of the schools?

SOCIAL TENSIONS: Those tensions arid conflicts that are disruptive to the life of the community.(The school must know the causes of tension within the community so as to be careful not to increase them.)

1. Have there been any recent incidents of violence due to discrimination?

2. Has any type of conflict occurred due to the differences of beliefs of various community members?

PREVIOUS COMMUNITY EFFORTS: Any community efforts undertaken over the last ten years.

(It is important to know what kinds of projects were undertaken, who sponsored them, the degree to which they

succeeded or failed, and the probable reasons for the outcome. It is important to discover those projects that worked well

and avoid those that did not.)

1. Are there any projects which are presently identified as successful by the community?

2. Are there any projects which are presently identified as failures by the community?

CITY OF VISION MIDDLE SCHOOL2000 School Avenue Town to Be, KS 12345

http://digitalsandbox.weebly.com/Telephone - (222) 334- 5678

Fax - (111) 123 - 4567e-mail [email protected]

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: FIRST N. LAST

Cell: 123-456-7899

"A New Kind of Backpack"

This school year, City Vision Middle School students will experience a new kind of Backpack, a DigitalBackpack.

Exhibit 12A Sample News Release

Exhibit 11A Community Inventory Sam le


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Educators at City Vision Middle school, is starting the new school year with a few digital incentives to getparents and students informed about school events. This year, educators at the school have added to theschool website, three new communication tools that they hope will help parents become more involved inschool and school activities. The school will continue to do the things they have in the past: Mass e-mails

throughout the district with information on school events in the form of an online newsletter and post up todate information in the parent access portal. But this year educators at the school want to do even more withtechnology and communicating with the community. The first addition to the website comes in the form of a"Digital Backpack."

When members of the community access the school's website the Digital Backpack is not hard to miss. Animage of a student's backpack provides a direct link to the site. School officials state, that their plans for thedigital backpack, "is to make it easy for parents to access and download important forms, notes, and up todate news."

The Digital Backpack already contains important back to school and athletic forms in both English andSpanish for parents to download. Anyone who has access to a home/work computer and printer can easilyaccess these forms without having to drive to the school or call the school office. Parents simply print out theform they need, sign, and the student delivers it to the school office. Also located on the website's DigitalBackpack page is "Pod Central." This is where parents, students and community members can have access todigital recordings of upcoming school events or monthly news.

"A podcast is like a radio newscast which can easily be uploaded to a mobile device like a cell phone, iPod/iPad, or just simply played from the Digital Backpack website. It's like an mp3 that students download fromtheir favorite music site. The only differences is that instead of playing music, it plays an audio cast of variousschool events that demonstrate school pride and general information," states one educator at school.

What educators hope will happen is that the students will take an interest in becoming podcasters themselves

creating a whole new station of student related news. Pod Central, is audio cast recorded in both English andSpanish with the hopes of outreaching to the Hispanic community.

One of the biggest hurdles he will face is getting the information out to the public and making the publicaware of new posting or audio cast . To make the public aware of what is new on the digital backpack andpod central he has taken one more additional step, he has opened up a school twitter account.

What is Twitter? According to Wikipedia, the free on-line encyclopedia: "Twitter is a free social networkingand micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read messages known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters displayed on the author's profile page and delivered to the author'ssubscribers who are known as followers. Senders can restrict delivery to those in their circle of friends or, bydefault, allow open access. Users can send and receive tweets via the Twitter Web site, Short Message Service

(SMS) or external applications. While the service costs nothing to use, accessing it through SMS may incurphone service provider fees."

Officials at the school hope they can provide more outreach to parents and the community with the Twittersite. Educators at the school also plans to "Tweet" (send instant messages) to all subscribers of the VisionSchool twitter account each time new updates occur to the digital backpack site.

Exhibit 12A Sam le News Release


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The instant messaging site is now available for parents or community members who are interested inparticipating in the instant messaging "Twitter" service. Mike King concluded that, "The best part about all

of this new open source software technology is that it is free, there is no additional cost to the community."

City Vision Middle school is a very specialized school that understands the physical, intellectual, ethical, psychological and

emotional development of the young adolescent and addresses those needs through a carefully planned school structure.

###

Author: Michael King, Public Relations Office at City Vision School District

Exhibit 12A Sam le News Release

building bridges of trust

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