Putting Your District In The Spotlight

Putting Your DistrictIn The Spotlight

BRAD DOMITROVICHPR Zealot, Speaker, Educator

Texas School Public Relations Association

The Challenge• School districts face many challenges.• The job of an effective school board is even more difficult when faced with issues that divide your community.

• Bonds, boundary changes, school closings, standardized dress codes, curriculum, school finance, football, cheerleaders, etc.

Importanceof Communications

•Gets your message out to parents, community, and employees.

•Allows you to clarify your goals and objectives.

•Provides a vehicle to dispel rumors.

Public RelationsPublic Relations plays an important role in creating a positive buzz about your school district with every one of your stakeholders.

Who are your stakeholders?

• Students

• Parents

• Taxpayers

• Employees

What makes the news?•Something controversial.•Something that is timely.•Something that involves a lot of people.•Something that’s important for the public to know.

•Something that is a first.

Believe it or not ...Members of the media•Are very competitive.•Not always out to get you.

•Can get the “truth” from somebody else.

•Are human beings.

What does the media do?

•Influence concern about key issues.• Increase public awareness.• Increase public knowledge.•Help the community form an opinion. •Make school districts accountable for their actions or decisions.

What do schools want?

• Keep community confidence level high.

• Avoid negative publicity.

• Deliver a positive message.

• Make their district stand out from the rest.

What does the media want?

• An exclusive story.

• An interview with key individuals - not always the schlep.

• Something controversial because it sells!

• To be helpful.

Is it possible to build arelationship with the media?

•The best time to build a relationship is when their is no major story brewing.

•Stay current with names and contacts.•Be proactive - don’t wait for bad news to begin developing relationships with the media.

Important things to do ...

• Don’t treat the media as if they were the enemy.

• Be cooperative.

• Respond in a timely manner.

• It’s OK to tell them if they misquoted you in the past or misrepresented you.

School district news ...• Great test results

• A school board working together

• Excellent financial management

• Great facilities

• Teacher doing something right

• Poor test results

• A divided school board

• Poor financial management

• Lousy facilities

• Teacher doing something wrong

Interviewing Tip #1

If you are not the spokesperson for the district, politely tell the reporter you will have someone return their call.

Preparing for an interview ...

• Know the facts.• Anticipate questions.• Set the ground rules.• Rehearse your message.• Anticipate contrary points of view.

• Avoid personal opinions.

Responding to the media

•Communicate first with your heart.•Your first words create an image.•How are you perceived?•Listen with your face.• It’s all about the kids.•Keep your message simple.

Guidelines to remember• Keep the energy up.• Remember your audience.

• Remember your message.• Create a sound bite.• Always restate your message.

• Never say “no comment”.

One last interviewing tip ...

There is no such thing as off the record.

Interpersonal Communications

•Chamber of Commerce•Ministerial Alliances•Convention/Visitors Bureau•Campus PTO Meetings•Advisory Meetings•Exhibits/Shows

Media and News Releases

•Simple, factual, and innovative.•Timeliness and connection to major issues/controversies.

•Get your side out first.•Factual, simple when it comes to Board Meeting recaps.

Website Marketing

•Primary marketing tool.•Evolving website - nothing worse than a static site.

•Train your audience to go there.•Promote your website always.

Electronic Communications

•Fast, timely, cost effective.•Build your database through parent sign-ups, on-line forms, etc.

•Some examples:★Electronic Newsletters, Updates, Board

Briefings, Emergency News, etc.

Social Media

Social Media is empoweringparents, students and schools.

Schools and Social Media

•Social media is more than social networking sites.

•Some examples:★Blogs, Online forums, Podcasts, Really

Simple Syndication (RSS), Network Services, Wikis, Twitter, and more.

Schools and Social Media

•Communities are using social media to:★ See what other parents are saying about their

school and its staff.★ Get support and insight into educational and

parenting issues.★ Build awareness about an issue or cause.

Importance of Communications(one more time)

•Gets your message out to parents, community, and employees.

•Allows you to clarify your goals and objectives.

•Provides a vehicle to dispel rumors.

Public Relations (one more time)

Public Relations plays an important role in creating a positive buzz about your school district with every one of your stakeholders.

Questions?

[email protected]