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JEFFERSON COUNTYPUBLIC SCHOOLS

Best FootForwardA Marketing and Public RelationsPlan for Local Schools

Best FootForward

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A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools

ContentsIntroductionWhy We Need to Put OurBest Foot Forward .................................................... 2

Chapter 1Marketing Your School ............................................ 3Marketing vs. Public Relations

Chapter 2Developing the Marketing Plan .............................. 4Getting Your Marketing Plan StartedSet a GoalIdentify Your AudienceEstablish Time Lines and ResponsibilitiesDevelop Clear Themes and MessagesCommunicate the MessageEvaluate the Plan

Chapter 3Writing Customer-Friendly Copy .......................... 6

Chapter 4Working with the News Media ................................ 7News Media GuidelinesThe News ReleasePublic Service Announcements

Chapter 5The School Public Relations Audit ....................... 11

Chapter 6Customer Service .................................................... 12

Chapter 7Video Production and Photography Made Easy ......... 13

Chapter 8Getting the Word Out! ........................................... 16Tools of the TradePublications Guidelines

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Best Foot Forward

Why We Need toPut Our Best FootForwardEffective communication is vital to a school’s success in acompetitive marketplace. Let’s face it; with all of theinformation bombarding the community about publicschools every day, it’s up to us to make sure our parentsand the public have the facts.

That’s why this program is for you! Best Foot Forward,created by the Communications and Publications Depart-ment, teaches school administrators how to develop andimplement a marketing plan that will increase communitysupport for their schools. The Best Foot Forward Programfocuses school administrators on three primary objectives:• To identify target audiences and their perceptions about

your school• To identify the school’s unique selling point and craft

key messages, and• To assess and evaluate the effectiveness of current com-

munication efforts

We’ve also included tips on media relations, photography,and video production, along with a list of some of the bestpractices in school public relations from the NationalSchool Public Relations Association (NSPRA). Thisbooklet is your guide to effective communication. Use itliberally whenever you want to put your school’s best footforward!

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MarketingYour SchoolMarketing is the buzz word among educators; but it’s awhole lot more than advertising and promotion. Marketingis a mindset that will allow you to position your school as aleader in the marketplace. Where do you start?

Begin by understanding that there are no magic formulas,no wonder cures, no one-size-fits-all plans that are effective100 percent of the time for every school. Each plan iscustomized, tailor-made to fit a school’s unique personality.

The late Bob Grossman, author of “Making/Marketing YourSchool the School of Choice,” defined marketing as“creating or adapting a product to meet the customers’needs and demands.” For this reason, it is important forschool principals and staff members to understand four keyfacts about their customers. (For schools, the customers arethe parents and the students.)• They are demanding.• They are interested in outcomes (specifically their

child’s achievement).• They expect a customer-friendly school.• They have options if they don’t find what they are

looking for at your school.

As you develop programs and set goals for your school,keep these things in mind. Always consider the customer inyour planning of new programs and policies. Designing aninnovative, cutting-edge academic program may winawards, but unless it is something your parents want orvalue, it won’t be the selling point, or the competitiveadvantage you envisioned it to be.

An effective marketing plan will bring in and maintaincustomers for your school programs. A good marketingplan is not about razzle-dazzle with no substance. The planmust be based on parents’ and students’ identified needsand the school’s long-range improvement goals. Otherwise,you’re just trying to sell parents a product they have nointerest in buying.

You have to be able to recognize educational trends, as wellas long-range community and employment needs. After all,we are preparing youngsters to be productive citizens andemployees, in addition to being successful students.

Chapter 1

Marketing vs. Public Relations:Two Sides of the Same CoinWhen you market your school, your goals are quitedifferent from the goals of a public relations plan. Market-ing is objective. It deals with countable customer transac-tions. How many new students enrolled? How manyparents joined the PTA? On the other hand, a publicrelations plan is much more broad. It deals with percep-tions, feelings, and images. How do I feel about a school?Do I have confidence in a school?

The National School Public Relations Association(NSPRA) defines school educational public relations as aplanned, systematic management function, designed to helpimprove the programs and services of an educationalorganization. It relies on a comprehensive, two-waycommunication process involving both internal andexternal publics with the goal of stimulating better under-standing of the roles, objectives, accomplishments, andneeds of the organization. “...it assists in interpreting publicattitudes; identifying and helping shape policies andprocedures in the public interest; and carrying on involve-ment and information activities, which earn public under-standing and support.”

The key ideas here are a planned management function; atwo-way communication process; internal and externalpublics; and earning public understanding and support.Suffice it to say, a successful marketing effort must berooted in a solid foundation of public trust and support forthe school.

Telling parents how good you are isn’t enough. Parentsmust experience your school’s and students’ success forthemselves. They must trust and believe in your school’sability to deliver quality academic outcomes.

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Developing theMarketing PlanCreating a marketing plan isn’t difficult, but you muststart at the beginning—that means research!

Getting Your MarketingPlan StartedIf you want an effective public relations/marketing effort,you have to find out what your internal and externalpublics know and believe about your school. Ask parents,staff, and students to make a list of all of your school’sstrengths (i.e., exceptional teachers, popular programs,award-winning students or student teams, a new build-ing), and then make a list of weaknesses (i.e., highsuspension rate, low Commonwealth AccountabilityTesting System (CATS) scores, old building, schoollocation). It is important to know your school’s assets andliabilities. You can be sure that your competition willknow them.

Next, list all the opportunities that are available toenhance your school’s success (i.e., a new subdivision inyour attendance zone, receipt of a grant or new equip-ment, site of a Magnet Program). Do the same thing withevents or circumstances that could negatively impact andpose threats to your school’s growth and success (i.e.,opening of a new private school in the area, decliningenrollment, closing of a major employer). These listsshould give you a pretty accurate picture of your school.

Review these lists and compare responses of those insideyour school and out in the community. Identify any itemsthat are perceptions (not fact)—good and bad—aboutyour school.

Are you surprised by the number of strengths respondentsidentified? Keep focused on these because they willbecome the basis for your message. The weaknesses andthreats will show you where you need to concentrate yourimprovement efforts.

As you analyze the results, go back and take one last lookat that list of strengths. If there is anything on the list thatis unique to your school, circle it. You always want tolook for the characteristic that separates your school fromall the others. Finding your unique selling point is veryimportant. It provides a competitive advantage that isvery important as you begin to position your school in themarketplace and to develop your message.

Set a GoalDescribe the outcome you want. Decide how you want yourschool to be viewed. Identify what you hope to accomplish.Make your goals specific and measurable. Simply decidingthat you want to enhance your school’s image isn’t goodenough. It’s too vague. How are you going to accomplishit? How will you know if you have achieved your goal?Consider, instead, a measurable statement that seeks toincrease student or staff participation in some area ofschool life. By setting measurable, attainable goals, youhelp yourself to be more successful. Establishing a goal of“a 15 percent increase over three years,” for example,allows you to monitor your progress throughout thecampaign’s implementation.

Identify Your AudienceWho is your audience? If you think the answer is, “Every-body,” think again. Though you may want the world toknow how great your school is, targeting the wholecommunity is not the way to achieve short- or long-termsuccess.

Ask yourself, ‘Who is critical to my school’s success?’ Doyou know who the key communicators are in your schoolor community? Who are the individuals others alwayslisten to or who always seem to know what’s going on inthe school? If you don’t know who these folks are, find out.They are crucial to your communication efforts. Make a listof these individuals or groups; then ask yourself thisquestion: If I could communicate with only one individualor group, which one would it be? Prioritize the names onyour list and find ways to get those very important persons(VIPs) into your building.

Don’t forget the staff. They are an important—and oftenoverlooked—internal audience. Just because employees arein the building every day, don’t assume they know what’sgoing on or are aware of the role they play in marketingand promoting your school. Principals need to take the timeto make sure that employees get the message, just likeparents and other community members. Employees areintegral links in the communications chain; considered bythe public to be authorities—even when they are not—about everything that happens in the school building wherethey work, as well as in the District. Their words pack a lotof punch and an off-hand, negative remark can do irrepa-rable damage to a school’s image.

If you want to communicate with staff, learn their informalcommunications network. Your employees bring with themtheir own communications networks. Identifying thesenetworks is necessary when you are trying to promoteschool programs. You might be surprised to learn that yourcafeteria manager has just the right connection you need toreach a specific target audience.

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Establish Time Lines andResponsibilitiesPut teeth into that great action plan. Identify resourcesneeded to make things happen and a time frame forcompletion. Also, assign someone on the communicationsteam responsibility for the activity and hold that personaccountable.

Develop Clear Themes andMessagesDetermining the message is based on knowing what yourcustomers think and what they need. Because most of uslive with information overload, we pay little or no attentionto messages that do not directly affect us. So it’s imperativethat any message we send about our schools is presented interms and language our audience understands and values.This is not the time for educational jargon and buzz words.While the message focuses on your school’s unique sellingpoint or competitive advantage, it also must tell theaudience in no uncertain terms: What’s in it for me?

Communicate the MessageGetting your well-crafted message to your target audiencesrequires identifying the channels of communication thatwill work best with that audience. Do your parents listen toa particular radio station or read the weekly communitynewspaper instead of, or in addition to, the metropolitandaily? Will a memo or the school newsletter delivered bythe backpack express reach the intended parent audience?

Your decision on the way you communicate has much to dowith how you want people to use the information once theyreceive it. Is the purpose informational or do you want theaudience to do something? If you simply want to create anawareness or to provide information, the mass media is themost efficient strategy: fliers, newspaper stories, advertise-ments, and signs. If you want the audience to do something,if you want to change opinions or behavior, you’ll have togo beyond the mass media and create avenues for interper-sonal communication: telephone calls, personal letters,open houses, and face-to-face meetings.

Don’t depend upon only one method to communicate yourmessage. You need a mixture of several types of communi-cation to be effective. One news story or one event won’tdo the job. Plan a series of activities that build upon oneanother and reinforce the message over time. If you want togenerate long-lasting support, you may implement thecampaign over several months, which means the planningcould begin as early as a year before the time you expect tosee results.

Evaluate the PlanIf you set measurable goals, you will have completedresults that indicate whether your plan was successful. Ifyou accomplished your goal, develop a plan for mainte-nance and establish a new goal. If your plan fell short,analyze what went wrong, revise the plan, and start again.

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Best Foot Forward

Writing Customer-Friendly CopyAn effective brochure about your school has three keyelements: eye-grabbing photos, an inviting layout/design, andeasy-to-read copy. When you begin to put pen to paper (orfingers to keyboard), keep this in mind: Write to express, notto impress.

All too often, school brochures are filled with Districtacronyms, jargon, and “edubabble” that are casually bandiedabout the teachers’ lounge; but that’s the only place you’llhear this lingo. When you write for a non-educator audience,use words and terms that are easily understood by all.

Edward Moore, APR, of Rowan University, told participantsin a recent NSPRA seminar that “we need to understandreaders’ comfort levels in order to clearly communicate. Ifyou write to that comfort level—or better yet, a couple oflevels below,” he said, “you have a better chance of makingyour point.”

Have you ever had anyone complain that they were sentsomething that was too easy to understand? Probably not.Moore’s advice to those of us who want what we write to beunderstood is simple. Balance the long, medium, and shortsentences in our writing. To prove his point, he offers thefollowing data about sentence length and communicationeffectiveness.

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Average Sentence Length Readability Readers ReachedUp to 8 words Very Easy 90%

11 words Fairly easy 86%17 words Standard 75%21 words Fairly Difficult 40%25 words Difficult 24%

Over 25 words Very Difficult 4.5%

Here are some other tips for writing effective copy:• Know the audience for whom you’re writing.• Know your purpose for writing.• Use a catchy headline.• Use bullets when possible.• Break up copy with subheads.• Read your work out loud.• Write today, leave it, and revise tomorrow.

Finally, remember the words of Thomas Jefferson. “The mostvaluable of all talents is that of never using two words when onewill do.”

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Working with theNews MediaThe media have an enormous capacity to shape and moldpublic opinion on a wide range of issues. That is why it isso important that schools use the media to their bestadvantage. That really means “putting your best footforward.” When a reporter calls or a crisis occurs, you needto have a plan of action that shows you have the situationunder control.

Fact Number OneThe news media thinks of itself as the eyes and ears of thepublic. When they ask hard, pointed questions, they believethey are asking on behalf of citizens who have a right toknow. This does not mean that reporters are totally objec-tive in their approach to a story. More often than not, theyhave been instructed to get a “red” story. They’re workingon a particular angle. They get a lot of information fromvarious sources, but the final story almost always willreflect the “angle” they were originally assigned. Fewreporters will buck an assignment editor’s order for a “red”story by bringing back a “blue” one.

Fact Number TwoThe news media is a business. It exists to make money, notjust to serve the public good, no matter what reporters tellyou. News organizations look for stories that will attractmore readers and larger viewing audiences. What types ofstories are most appealing? Simple. Reporters are interestedin whatever their audiences are interested in or are talkingabout. Controversy and conflict are prerequisites for news.That doesn’t mean that good news doesn’t have a place inprint or broadcast journalism. It does mean that the goodnews story may take a back seat to a more sensational storythat will capture the attention of a larger audience.

Fact Number ThreeThe school administrator’s word is not law with the media.Reporters accept the principal’s statement as one point ofview, but not the only one. They always are looking foranother viewpoint, especially if it directly contradicts theschool’s response.

Fact Number FourThe news media want stories that are fresh—things that arehappening now, not yesterday. Television needs visualstories. Kids dressed like insects for the spring play titledBuggin are more likely to capture the attention of a TVAssignments editor than a story about a workshop on blockscheduling, no matter how cutting-edge that may be.Newspapers, however, may be more willing to write storiesabout educational trends and programmatic changesbecause they have the space to fully explain complexissues.

Think in terms of what is happening in other regions. Arethose things happening here? Is an activity novel or uniqueor a first-ever event? Has one of your students accom-plished something no other student has done? Are celebri-ties involved? Is the activity the biggest ever or the small-est? While these criteria don’t guarantee media interest,they are some of the criteria considered when news staffsdecide whether an event gets covered.

Almost any activity can help you promote your school andincrease public support for your efforts. Here are someexamples of activities that have received media coverage inthe past.

• Student-constructed model of the human digestivesystem

• School Bus Safety Assembly with a talking school bus• Heart adventure course set up in an elementary school

gymnasium• Field trip to the Crane House• Elementary students adopting the orchestra• Rehearsals for a school play• Visit by the Tuskegee Airmen to an elementary school• Teen dance at a middle school• Preparations of an academic team for competition• Clown class at a middle school

The Reporter CallsDecide who will speak for your school. District guidelinesdesignate the principal as the school’s spokesperson, butanother staff member should be designated as the alternatein the principal’s absence.

Know what you can and cannot say about students andstaff. The Family Rights and Privacy Act precludes schoolstaff from disclosing students’ names, grades, and otherpersonally identifiable information. In fact, the Districtlegally cannot confirm a student’s attendance at anyspecific school location. In terms of staff, the PublicInformation officer may only release the employee’s name,hire date, status, and location. Remember that in times ofcrisis or in personnel matters, all such inquiries should bedirected to the Public Information officer (485-3357), oryou should contact the Public Information officer beforeresponding.

Don’t feel pressured into doing an interview cold withoutfirst discussing the subject matter the reporter wants tocover and allowing yourself time to prepare.

Do return calls promptly. Reporters are always on adeadline! Often they don’t understand why interviews can’tbe granted instantly when they need to file a story in thenext hour. However, most are reasonable and will workwith you to get the story. Sometimes a reporter’s behavioris annoying, but it is seldom personal.

Most reporters will call the Press Relations Office forclearance and/or assistance to arrange a school visit orinterview. (The Press Relations Office will call to adviseyou that a reporter will be calling.) If a reporter contactsyou directly, you can ask the Public Information officer toreturn the call, or you can refer the reporter to the PublicInformation officer according to the guidelines for coveringschool news. If you feel comfortable handling the call

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Best Foot Forward

yourself, just remember that the Public Information officeris available to consult with you and to assist you in coordi-nating an appropriate response.

1. Anticipate questions that could arise about the subjectunder discussion, especially questions you don’t want toanswer, and develop an appropriate response.

2. Control the interview. Always respond honestly andforthrightly to the questions you are asked.

3. Do not allow yourself to be goaded into answeringloaded questions. (Have you suspended many studentslately?) If asked, never repeat the question. Rather, say,“I follow the District’s Code of Acceptable Behavior andDiscipline when disciplining students whobreak the rules.”

4. Use a transitional phrase that allows you to get back tothe point you wanted to make. “However, at this stage ofthe process,” or “It is important that the communityunderstand...”

5. If you are interrupted, go back to your original point byusing a transition such as, “I’d like to go back to yourprevious question,” or “Let me finish addressing yourfirst question.”

6. Say, “I don’t know,” when you don’t, and offer to havesomeone else call with that information.

7. Explain why you may not be able to answer aparticular question.

8. Don’t hedge the question, use jargon to intentionallymislead, or guess about data.

Think Before You SpeakBefore the reporter turns on the camera or the tape recorder,you need to think about what you want to say and preparean answer that gets your point across.

1. Think about the words you use. Choose simple wordsanyone can understand.

2. Write down your response to get your ideas straight inyour mind. Practice saying the response aloud. Howdoes it sound to you? Is your main point clear?

3. Time the response. If you are doing a television or radiointerview, keep your response to 20 seconds or less.Reporters and editors are less likely to edit yourresponse if it is short and to the point.

The Problem with ‘NoComment’And finally, remember: Never say, “No comment.” Thisphrase implies that you have something to hide, whetheryou do or not. We realize that not all questions can beanswered; however, there are some more gracious alterna-tives.

1. “I can’t discuss proposed or pending litigation.”

2. “Board policy limits the type of information that maybe released about District employees.”

3. “The Family Rights and Privacy Act does not allow therelease of individual student information.”

4. “I cannot respond to speculation or third-hand informa-tion.”

News Media GuidelinesThe Jefferson County Public School District welcomesmedia attention to its students, staff, and programs. Tofacilitate the media’s needs and to ensure that instructionalprograms are disrupted as little as possible, we ask thatyour news staffs continue to follow these guidelines:• Reporters should call ahead to the Public Information

Office at 485-3357 or the school to arrange a visit.• Reporters will be allowed access to students and school

activities only at the discretion of the principal, andthen only with appropriate parental consent.

• Reporters, as all visitors, are required to sign in at theschool office.

• Reporters are not allowed in classrooms involved intesting.

• Reporters may be allowed in classrooms at the discre-tion of the principal and the teacher.

• Prior parental consent is needed for interviews withstudents under 18 years of age.

• Large-group photographs of students are permitted; butno personally identifiable photographs are permittedwithout a Photo/Videotape Release Form signed by theparent/guardian.

Please RememberThe District and all staff are legally obligated to maintainconfidentiality regarding all student information. Thisincludes student identification and school assignment.Regulations also are enforced regarding confidentialpersonnel information.

In the event of an emergency or an incident at a school,school staff are required to report such activity immediatelyto the Public Information Office. We request that in yourefforts to gather information regarding fast-breaking events,you call the Public Information Office at 485-3357 for areport. In doing so, school staff may keep students and theirsafety as the first priority.

The chairman of the Board of Education speaks for theschool Board; the superintendent or his designee speaks forthe school District; and the school principal speaks onissues specifically relating to his/her school.

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The News ReleaseThe news release is the backbone of your media plan. Itgives you the opportunity to tell your story your way.

A good news release must capture the attention of a busynews editor who gets dozens of releases each day. To makeyours stand out and apart from the crowd, do the following:

• Start with a catchy headline or opening sentance (ifpossible), but don’t waste time trying to be clever.

• Use the inverted pyramid format when writing thebody of the release; the first paragraph is the lead and

contains the most important information: who, what,when, where, why, and how. If you can’t fit all five W’sin the first paragraph, be sure they are included in thesecond. For example, when writing about test scores, tellthe reader the big news first:

All XYZ School students reached the Proficient level onthe state’s CATS tests during the last round of testing.

Explanatory and background information follows. As arule, keep the release to one page.

NewsReleaseJefferson County

PublicSchools

Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities

www.jefferson.K12.ky.us

Keep thereleaseto one page.

Don’t send arelease untilyou are readyto talk about it.

When?

BackgroundInformation

Who?What?

Where?

Why?

Background/ExplanatoryInformation

Include detailsafter the mainideas.

Include acontact nameand telephonenumber.

Use the District’sstandard markfor “the end.”

Keep headlinessimple and short.

Use letterhead;it makesinformation morecredible.

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Best Foot Forward

Public ServiceAnnouncementsA Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a short piece (10to 30 seconds), written in script format, primarily for radiouse. The PSA should promote or announce a specific eventor action. PSAs are not an effective way to sell a compli-cated or complex idea. Some examples of effective topicsare open-house activities, stay-in-school, don’t-do-drugsmessages, or school activities.

PSAs air at the discretion of the radio station. You have nocontrol over how often or when a PSA will be used.

Always send PSA copy to stations at least three (3) weeksbefore the event to allow the station time to schedule yourmessage in its rotation.

Sample PSATHE JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOWCASE OF SCHOOLSWILL BE HELD FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 AND 19, 2002,AT THE KENTUCKY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER.REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DISTRICT’S MIDDLE AND HIGHSCHOOLS WILL BE PRESENT TO EXPLAIN THEIR PROGRAMS.SHOWCASE HOURS ARE FROM 3 UNTIL 7 P.M. ON FRIDAY ANDFROM 10 A.M. UNTIL 3 P.M. ON SATURDAY. COME OUT TO SEEWHAT JCPS HAS TO OFFER YOU. CALL 485-3323 FOR DETAILS.

Always include a telephone number for more information,if the PSA mentions a specific event or ticket sales.

Keep the PSA short. Two sentences are enough for a 10-second PSA; three to five sentences make a 30-secondPSA. (You can write more, but the station will rewrite andedit to fit its guidelines and requirements.)

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The SchoolPublic RelationsAuditEvery school principal knows the importance of spreadingthe word about outstanding school programs and students.No doubt, you have developed lots of printed materials. Buthow effective are these communication tools? Are theyeffectively delivering your messages to your targetedaudiences? Consider the strategies and tools you currentlyuse to communicate and ask the following questions.

Does the school have an overall marketing plan?If yes...

• Does the plan have clear, measurable goals andobjectives?

• Are target audiences identified?• Are the themes and messages clear and tailored to the

target audiences?• Are the time lines for activities reasonable with some-

one designated as responsible?• Is there evidence that the marketing plan pro-

motes two-way communication?• Is evaluation built into the plan to determine its

effectiveness?• Is the marketing plan incorporated into the

school’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan?• Do all school staff members know and understand their

role in the plan?

Does the school have a newsletter? If yes...• Does the design tell the reader at a glance who it’s

from and its purpose?• Are the District’s logo and Equal Employment Oppor-

tunity (EEO) statement used according to Districtstandards?

• Does the newsletter follow the 30-3-30 principle,offering something to the reader whether he/she has30 seconds, 3 minutes, or 30 minutes to read it?

• If there are photographs, are they large, clear, and well-cropped to show action?

• Do the graphics and art enhance the printed word?• Do headlines use action verbs, and are they in upper-

case and lowercase letters?• Are the articles easy to read; free of grammatical

errors, jargon, acronyms, and “edubabble?”• Are articles written to capture the reader’s interest with

the first paragraph?• Do the articles match the needs and interests of the

reader?

Does the school have a brochure or otherprinted materials? If yes...

• Does the design tell the reader at a glance who it’sfrom and its purpose?

• Is it easy to read?• If there are photographs, are they large, clear, and well-

cropped, to show action?• Do the graphics and art enhance the printed word?• Is the writing free of jargon, acronyms, and

“edubabble?”• Is the copy written to capture the reader’s attention?• Does the copy match the needs and interests of the

reader?

Does the school have a Web site? If yes...• Is the site easy to navigate?• Is the site easy and engaging to read?• Is the site well-written; free of grammatical errors and

jargon?• Do the graphics and art have a purpose, and do they

enhance the site?• Is school contact information (address and telephone

numbers) easily accessible?• Are teachers’/principal’s/staff members’ names and

e-mail addresses included?• Does the site market/promote the school’s unique pro-

grams and strengths?• Does the site include a calendar of events?• Is information up to date?• Is there a reason to return to the site after the first visit?• Does the site showcase outstanding students, staff, and/

or student work?• Is student work clearly identified?• Does the site include a section for parents (how to get

involved or parenting tips)?• Can visitors always get back to the JCPS Home Page

in one or two clicks?

Does the school actively promote itselfthroughout the community? If yes...

• Does the school use its bulletin boards, marquees,community spaces, etc., to promote good news aboutstudents and staff?

• Is the school principal a visible player in the commu-nity (member of Chamber of Commerce, Rotary,Jaycees, etc.)?

• Does the school participate in community events(festivals)?

• Is the school certified as a Neighborly, Inviting Centerof Education (N.I.C.E.)?

• Has the principal provided opportunities for com-munications training among the school staff?

• Does the principal encourage regular communicationwith parents, community, and school District staffabout student progress and the school’s strengths andaccomplishments?

• Does the principal communicate decisions about theschool in a timely manner to the school community?

• Are school employees among the first to know aboutdecisions that affect the school?

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Customer ServiceMost of us who work in schools tend to think that if we justgive people the facts and tell them what we want them toknow, they’ll immediately understand and support us.Right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way withadults. It flies in the face of all research about how peopleform attitudes. In fact, it can be downright offensive orcondescending because what this philosophy basically saysis: If you knew what I know, you’d see things my way.

The fact is, people make choices based on their personalexperiences. This is how we make most of our decisionsabout what to buy or who our dentist will be or how we feelabout our neighborhood school. After we make a decisionbased on feelings, we generally try to defend it with factsand we look for evidence that proves we’re right. That’swhy we must pay attention to how we treat our publics.Once a person has a negative experience with a school; ittakes 80 positive strokes just to get the person back toneutral. From the moment something goes wrong, he/shesee the negative in almost everything you do. On the flipside, if people have a good personal experience, they tendto keep finding the good in the things you do. So you cansee why schools must make a great first impression everytime a parent or a student or a community member calls orwalks through the schoolhouse door.

It’s a tall order, but good customer service usually is. Itmeans going above and beyond every time with everyone-and it means doing it with a smile. This is where we cantake a lesson from the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle,Washington. People come from all over Seattle, Washing-ton State, the west coast, and the world to visit the PikePlace Fish Market. The store is known for some livelyantics and some tasty, fresh fish. They’ve created a veryloud, positive buzz that draws people by the hundreds.

The store is successful because each employee has commit-ted to the company’s vision and each has become thepersonification of that vision. All of the employees believein this vision and it shows in their behavior and attitude onthe job. Each employee is the Pike Place Fish Market.

At Pike Place, it’s all about customer service. There, theemployees choose to be happy and have fun while they focuson each and every customer who comes by.

1. Play—regenerate fun into your work every day.

2. Make their day—do something special for customers;make them smile.

3. Be there—focus totally on the person with whom you’reinteracting.

4. Choose your attitude—choose your frame of mindeach day.

JCPS conducts the Neighborly, Inviting Center of Education(N.I.C.E.) Program through the Public Affairs Department. Ifyou haven’t participated, you should. If your school hasreceived the certification previously, do it again. But justgoing through the checklist of activities doesn’t really makeyour school nice. N.I.C.E. is the way you and every memberof your staff behave with students, one another, and thecommunity—every minute of every day—even when you’renot at school. For more information about the N.I.C.E.Program, call the Public Affairs Department at 485-3228.

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Video Productionand PhotographyMade EasyProducing a video may sound like a complicated task, but itisn’t. Making a video is relatively simple, as long as youdon’t try to recreate Monsters, Inc. or Men in Black. If yourealize that you can’t compete with Hollywood, you’rehalfway there!

That said, here is a simple checklist that will help you planyour video. Planning, after all, is the most important part ofthe production process. Don’t worry about the technicalaspects. The Publications Department’s video productionteam will do the actual production.*

Video Production ChecklistI. Who’s Your Audience?—Students, adults, faculty,

staff, parents

II. What’s Your Purpose?—Teach, inform, entertain

III. Write the Script—Pretend you’re giving a speech ortalking on the radio. You have no visuals to illustrateyour point.

A. Use clear and concise statements.B. Avoid the use of long lists or monologues.C. Keep it short (Five to seven minutes works well.

Why? Time the length between commercials onyour favorite primetime network televisionprogram. There is a reason segments are short:other than money, it’s the viewer’s attentionspan.)

IV. Select Your Visuals—Read the script, line by line, anddecide what best illustrates what you are trying to say.

A. Avoid using too many different scenes. (RapidMTV style video is fine on MTV, but it candistract from a serious topic.)

B. Determine where charts, graphs, and drawingsshould be used.

V. Get Final Approval of Your Script—if necessary. Nowis the time to lock everything in before you begin produc-tion.

VI. Select a Contact Person to Work with the VideoProduction Team—The contact person’s job is identify-ing students, staff, and parents who may be in thevideo, getting any necessary video releases, andcoordinating the shooting schedule at the school.

What Makes A Good Video?Good video, many times, is simply not making bad video.The bottom line is that a good video serves the purpose forwhich it was intended while engaging the viewer. You canhave a beautifully produced video, but, if no one watches it,it isn’t a good video.

Don’t Be a Wall Flower.Don’t expect to set a camera up in the corner, show the wholestage, and record the latest edition of the school play, awardsceremony, or guest speaker. Why? The sound will probablybe terrible. If you don’t have microphones you can put on ornear the actors or speakers, try to set up your camera next tothe public address speaker.

Another reason not to just set your camera in the corner isthat you can’t really see what’s going on. You can’t see facialexpressions or hand gestures or anything except a little speckon the TV.

Do Look for Action.TV means people and the camera can move. Video of a classlistening to reports is good for about 10 seconds, not 10minutes. Class performance demonstrations or other activitieswork for video. Don’t overdo camera moves. If you’re goingto move the camera or change a shot, have a reason that’s notjust because you could.

PhotographyJust like video, a good photograph needs to show the subjectdoing something. Capturing students engaged in an activity isworth a 1,000 words of copy to describe it. Think visually andknow how you plan to use the photos in the final project.Your purpose determines how the photographer approachesthe assignment and the type of equipment he brings.

The District has one photojournalist who is primarily respon-sible for photography requests related to publication needs.The photojournalist also accepts requests from schools anddepartments—as the schedule permits—on a first-come, first-served basis. In order to accommodate as many requests aspossible, please make your request at least two weeksbefore the event. The photojournalist will schedule a meetingwith you to visit your school and talk with you about yourobjectives for the photos.

* Please note: The department uses broadcast-quality Betaformat equipment. From time to time, brief excerpts (30 or 60seconds) of SVHS videotape can be edited into a project.However, the department cannot edit tape shot exclusively onSVHS.

Chapter 7

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Best Foot Forward

Now that you’ve developed a great marketing plan andcrafted a well-written, concise message that appeals to yourtarget audiences, it’s time to communicate! JCPS has severalcommunications tools that will help you get the word outabout your outstanding students, staff members, and pro-grams. District publications like Monday Memo, a weeklynewsletter for staff, and Parent Connection, a monthlypublication for parents, are effective ways to communicateyour school’s story with a large audience.

Monday Memo includes a column titled “Schools that Work”and highlights innovative instructional programs and class-room projects that are achieving success. Parent Connectionincludes a section—“Our Success is Public Knowledge”—that recognizes outstanding student and staff performance onthe state and national level. It’s a great way to tell more than65,000 parents and community members about your school’ssuccess.

Of course the local media are always an option. In fact, themass media are among the most popular forms of disseminat-ing information. (Tips on writing a news release are includedin Chapter 4.) The Courier-Journal has a new page devoted toeducation. A form to submit story ideas is located later in thischapter.) When you want to get your message out rememberto use a variety of media tools. One news release may not beeffective. However, when mixed with a flier or poster, anannouncement on your Web site, along with a mention in theschool newsletter, you stand a better chance of your targetaudience receiving your message.

Tools of the TradeConsider using some or all of these tools of the tradein your marketing plan.• Newsletters• Brochures• Banners• Advertising (usually too expensive)• School Web site• News Releases and Public Service Announcements• Special Events (ribbon cuttings, ground breakings,

dedications)• Videos• Open Houses• Large- and Small-Group Meetings• Telephone Calls• Face-to-Face Meetings• Personal Notes• Computer-generated, non-personal letters

Getting theWord Out

Chapter 8

Video Overview

Elementary Schools

15


Monday Memo• Submit Monday Memo announcements in

writing through the Pony, fax, or e-mail.• Information should be of interest to all

employees or to a specific group ofemployees. Items should be nonpolitical andshould not duplicate notices carried in otherDistrict publications.

• Professional-development announcementsshould be carried in the ProfessionalDevelopment Bulletin. Announcements ofcollege/university courses and travelopportunities should be referred to theJefferson County Public Schools GheensAcademy for possible inclusion in theProfessional Development Bulletin.Announcements of curriculum committeesand textbook committees should be carriedin Job List.

• The names of students will not be includedin Monday Memo.

• Announcements of fund-raising drives willbe limited to those provided for in the Boardpolicy.

• Individual school activity notices shouldbe featured only if the activities are ofinterest to adult employees and occur attimes when employees can attend.Examples of events not to be included inMonday Memo are PTA/PTSA meetings,field days, and athletic events.

• “Kudos” will be used for employees and/or schools receiving honors, recognitions,and/or awards.

• Space is at a premium in Monday Memo.Therefore, not all notices can be publishedeach week. Priority is given to announce-ments coming from within the District andthose that will impact on the greatest numberof employees. If two items are from within theDistrict and will affect the same number ofpersons, then the itemthat was received first isplaced in the publication.

• Notices for publication must be received by12 noon on Tuesday to be considered for publica-tion in the following week’s Monday Memo.

got monday memo?www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Pubs/MondayMemo/MondayMemo.shtml

Publications Guidelines

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Best Foot Forward

Parent ConnectionParent Connection is a monthly newsletter forparents. Its primary purpose is to help parentshelp their children be more successful in school.The publication is written from a parent’s per-spective and is full of tips that parents can use.The publication offers information about Districtprograms and initiatives that parents care about,as well as information on ways to make home lifemore productive. Each issue has a theme that isusually tied to that month. For example, theSeptember issue is full of back-to-school informa-tion. The November issue focuses on schoolchoice. April concentrates parent attention on theCATS assessment and test-taking skills.

The unique thing about Parent Connection is thatits cost is underwritten by corporate sponsorship.

How can you submit ideas? Do you have a parentproject that has proven successful? How aboutsome outstanding parent support that deservesrecognition? The publication is always looking toshowcase students and schools that are winningawards for excellence.

Information should be sent to:

Becky GreenleeCommunications and Publications DepartmentC. B. Young, Jr., Service Center, Building 4

Notices sent through the U.S. Mail carry theadditional address of:

P.O. Box 34020Louisville, KY 40209-1104

• Information also may be faxed to 485-3898or e-mailed to: [email protected]

• Still have a question? Call 485-3343.

17


The Courier-Journal publishes an education page each Monday on page B2. The education page features stories about studentachievers, a sampling of student writing form school newspapers and classes, and a column that answers questions abouteducation issues from many perspectives, including that of teachers, principals, and other school staff. You can help make thispage successful by submitting information on the form below.

18

Best Foot Forward

PLEASE PRINT

School: __________________________________________________________________

Submitted by: ________________________________ Telephone No.: ________________

What are the TOP FIVE things you wantparents to know about your school?

1. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

This informationwill be used toupdate Districtpublicationsprinted duringthe school year.

Please CIRCLE allthe items belowthat apply to yourschool:

• Accelerated School• Advance Program• Before-/After-School Child

Care• Child Development Project

School• Community School Site• Comprehensive School

Health Education• Dress Code• Early Childhood Jump

Start Programs:– Early Head Start– Head Start– Jump Start– Prekindergarten– Tuition-Based

• English as a SecondLanguage Program

• Extended School Services• Family Resource Center• Health Promotion Schools

of Excellence Program• Honors Program• Montessori Program• Optional/Magnet

Programs• Senior Citizen’s Center• School-Based Decision

Making (SBDM)• Uniforms• Year-Round School• Youth Services Center

Please fax this form to:

Communications and Publications Department

Fax: 3898

Jefferson County Public Schools


19


www.jefferson.k12.ky.usEqual Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities 50684 Publications Future File Form 7/02 lg

JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Tell us what’s going on in your school! The activity could make a great photo or news story. For best results,Pony mail or fax (485-3898) this information to the Publications Department at least two weeks in advance.

Fill in the appropriate items. Attach additional information if necessary.

School: __________________________ Contact Person: __________________ Telephone: ____________

Date (month and day) of Event: _________ Time of Event: __________ Date Submitted: _______________

Who is involved (parent, students, staff, grades, etc.)? _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is happening? Describe award, event, program, project, etc. ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Where will it take place? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What is the purpose of the event, project, etc.? _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What else should we know? ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please use Pony mail (C. B. Young, Bldg. 4) or fax (3898) this form to the Publications Department at least two weeks before the planned event.

Future FileActivities Fact Sheet

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Best Foot Forward

Jefferson County Public Schools

Photo/Videotape Release FormPlease print.

Student’s Name: ________________________________________________________________________

School: ___________________________________________________ Grade: ____________________

Parent/Guardian: ________________________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________ Zip: ______________________

Telephone Number: _________________________________________

I, ___________________________________________________________________, parent or guardian of

__________________________________________________ , do hereby give and grant unto the Jefferson

County Public Schools permission to use my child’s name, photograph, and/or videotaped image in publications,

video productions, and/or JCPS Internet Web site. I do further certify that I am of full legal capacity to execute

the foregoing authorization and release.

Signature of Parent/Guardian: _____________________________________________________________

Witness: __________________________________________________ Date: ____________________

Photographer’s Note:

Story Slug: ____________________________________________________________________________

Description of student, clothing, etc. ________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________


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Business

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