Saving Education in West Virginia

A Cultural Shift

June 25 West Virginia School Board Association Board of Education Orientation Bill Rosenberger, Owner of WPR Consulting & Communications Director for Wayne County Schools

What we’re used to seeing…

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Improving Communications Strategies Can Change the Culture of Education in West Virginia

BIO

The Herald-Dispatch: Education Reporter, 2007-2013

Covering K12 and Higher Education: Public and Private Schools in the Tri-State, Marshall University, West Virginia Legislature Current Public Relations and Communications Work Includes: • • • • Wayne County Schools Heritage Farm Museum & Village West Virginia School Board Association Sean Hornbuckle, Candidate for the W.Va. House of Delegates

Share a city, but two very different counties

Wayne County

Huntington

Cabell County

Hitting the bottom: 2012 Bond Election Voters turned down a $33.1 million bond proposal that would have garnered an additional $20 million from the WV School Building Authority. 4,218 votes cast against the measure 1,713 votes cast in favor of the bond levy

Jamie Vollmer • Your county school boards must start the conversations, keeping in mind that only 25 percent of West Virginia taxpayers have children in schools.

• In 1967, 77 percent of jobs did not require a high school diploma. In 2014, that figure is 12 percent and is expected to decline to 6 percent in the next decade.

• Today’s school system is not calibrated to the needs of today’s society.

• Schools in West Virginia are doing better than ever before, but there is a gap between what children are learning and what they need to know.

• We need the public now more than ever and must re-engage them.

• Perception is more important than reality to those outside your school system.

• Increases in student achievement will decrease crime rates, increase property values, increase the tax base and decrease teen pregnancy.

• Understanding leads to trust; trust leads to permission; permission leads to support • Keep it simple and reach them where they are.

Dr. James Phares: Boards of Education have the power to raise standards for superintendents and impact the direction of their counties.

There ARE good stories to tell …

Wayne County Schools 2013-2014 Initiatives

1. Website assessments 1. What do people find when they visit your district and school sites?

2. Is it up to date?

3. Can visitors find the most basic information (address, phone number, principal’s name and email)?

4. Does the URL even work?

How much does do websites matter?

National School Public Relation Association 2011 Communications Survey

 Survey offered during February to April 2011.

 268,917 residents were invited to participate  43,410 responded  16% response rate  Parent responses were segregated into elementary or secondary responses.

 Participants were asked to respond concerning communication with their oldest child in school.

Launched January 2014

2011 NSPRA Survey, continued

How parents want to communicate with school

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2011 NSPRA Survey, continued

E-mail from the district/school District/School e-newsletters or news updates via email District/School websites Online parent portal (Online access to grades, attendance, assignments, etc.) Telephone messaging system/voice-messaging system/emergency parent notification system District/School print newsletters/publications Text messages Newspaper PTA/PTO meetings/newsletters Newspaper websites Community forums/town halls Television Television station websites Attendance at school board meetings/board minutes Radio Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, etc.) District/Education cable TV channel Other Parent 3.8

3.4

3.3

Non-Parent 3.5

3.0

3.4

3.4

2.7

3.3

2.7

2.6

2.1

2.2

2.0

2.0

1.9

1.9

1.8

1.7

1.8

1.6

1.3

2.7

2.7

2.1

2.7

2.1

2.5

2.3

2.6

2.3

2.1

2.2

1.8

2.1

1.6

1 2

1.

Assessing your sites

Ensure the site is active and goes to at least a site with the basic information.

2.

Decide if your sites needs to be completely redone. Some counties are currently choosing to do that, including Cabell County – which debuts July 1. Costly but gets it all done at one time and training is included.

3.

Develop an internal plan to update or redesign websites. Less costly but requires a strategic plan, development of core teams at each school and proper training.

Social Media

24 Hours: Unplugged University of Maryland, 2010 International Center for Media and Public Agenda

“

For most of the students reporting in the study, information of all kinds comes in an undifferentiated wave to them via social media. If a bit of information rises to a level of interest, the student will pursue it – but often by following the story via ‘unconventional’ outlets, including text messages, email, Facebook and Twitter.”

In Wayne County, we chose to invest our efforts with a Twitter feed.

Social Media

District Website: Becoming Your Own News Agency

It is still important to work with your local media outlets, but the most trusted source of news and information should come from within.

Utilizing You District Website

Domain: Update to become more conversational

Wayne County Schools can still be found at boe.wayn.k12.wv.us, but you can also find them at

wayneschoolswv.org

.

It’s a Pivotal Time in Education

Time for Action, right? Yes. But let’s take a different approach.

What do our students have to say? Our best and brightest, and there are many, may just hold the key to turning the tide.

Why were they successful and how can we develop policy that emulates their experience?

What Can You Do?

You just came off the campaign trail, so this might

THE MOST OPPORTUNE TIME

you ever have to shape your school district’s future.

Action Steps

•

Host board meetings at schools

Allows you to meet folks who may never go to the boardroom.

•

Regularly recognize students & staff at board meetings

Reinforces that you take time to celebrate your counties’ successes.

•

Launch social media or develop monthly newsletters

There must be a thorough plan on who will take on those responsibilities if you don’t have or can’t add a communications person.

•

Determine if you need professional assistance

It may be necessary to spend a little money on a professional from the outside who can provide a holistic and objective view of your district’s communications.

Final Words …

Be a singles hitter

Trying to hit a home run might work once in a while, but you’ll strike out a lot. Focus on hitting singles – It builds consistency. And consistency builds and maintains trust. That’s how you’ll score runs with in your communities.

Q & A

CONTACT INFO Email: [email protected] Phone: 304-908-9097