Transcript Document

Effective
Communication
Skills
for CPF Members
Effective Communication
Purpose:
To improve the effectiveness of parent
communications with educators, school
trustees and school board staff.
Why are you here?
“The brain starts working the moment you are born….
and never stops until you stand up and speak in public.”
-Anonymous
“Easy reading is damned hard writing.”
-Anonymous
Do We Have Issues?
• Think about the issues we commonly
face with FSL learning
• We’ll build the issues list today
One Leg At A Time!
• Complex issues need to
be approached in a logical
fashion.
• You must know how the
issue inter-relates to the
‘whole’
• Taking on the octopus is
done - one leg at a time
School Board 101
School Board 101
• School boards in Ontario are governed by the
Education Act
• Staff and trustee roles are also defined in
legislation
• You need to determine the sphere of
influence
• You also need to influence both the political
and the administrative sides of the table
School Board Structure
Superintendant
of Program
Director of Education/
Secretary to the Board
of Education
School
Board
Chair
Associate
Director
School
Trustees
Superintendant of
Schools
School
Principals
Vice
Principals/
Heads of
Department
Co-ordinators and
Curriculum
Consultants
Teachers
Superintendant of
Operations
Managers of
Plant & Finance
School Trustees
• Elected every four years
• Member of the School Board
• Looks to Board staff for advice
• Represents the public interest
• Accountable to the Ministry of Education
under the Ontario Public School Boards
Act and the Education Act
Director of Education
•The connection between the
administration and political levels
•Secretary to the School Board (does
not vote) and also a member of staff
•Ensures that School Board follows
Ministry procedures
Superintendents
•Board employee
•Executive staff member
•Represent a group of schools and/or
a number of Board program areas
•Program, Operational or School
Superintendents
Principals
•Managerial level
•Immediate supervisor of teaching
staff at their school
•Responsible for budget, hiring, health
& safety, implementing policy,
behaviour and liability
•All certified teachers
•Report directly to their superintendent
of schools
Curriculum Consultants
•Board employee
•Responsible for delivery of
curriculum
•Teachers/union members
•Provide training and direct support
to teachers
•Have a budget for their program
School Councils
• Parent representatives of individual
schools
• Can make motions to School Boards
which must be responded to
• Vary in effectiveness, cohesion
French Immersion
Advisory Committees
• Important means of exchanging ideas
• Board staff, principals, teachers, students,
parents & special interest groups
• Meet regularly and pass concerns onto
other Board departments and trustees
• Influence policy and make
recommendations to the Board
The Sphere of Influence
Classroom Teacher
Group of Teachers
Lead Teacher
Program Parents
School Principal/VP
Related Schools
Superintendent Schools
Local Trustee(s)
Superintendent Program
FLAC
Board of Education
Ministry of Education
The Sphere of Influence
Many people in this
sphere can be very
helpful.
Understanding how to
get the support you
need from the right
person or group is a
key to success.
General Advocacy Tips
Advocacy Exercise
• Identify key facts you need to find
• Identify key questions you need to answer.
• Brainstorm ideas to obtain these answers.
• Who to contact
• Where to look
• How to generate additional data
Setting the Groundwork
• Consensus among Chapters
• Networking: get to know your trustees and
school staff at meetings and other
opportunities
• “Do Time”: attend board meetings and
workshops to build relationships
• Collect info: read newspapers, read web sites
Research
• Plan out things you believe you will need
such as numbers, trends or policies
• Divide up expertise so that each person
becomes the source of information for each
topic
• Resources: CPF web sites, Ministry of
Education, local library, city hall, board web
site, even other provincial web sites
Interviews & Surveys
• Talk to people and document what you
find
• Interview: trustee, superintendent,
parents, board staff, students
• Survey: students, parents
• Surveys need to be fairly large (200+)
and carefully prepared
Visuals
• Can be very useful
• Create simple, large, high impact
visuals if they can make your point more
clear
• Graphs, charts, etc need to be easy to
read
Petitions
• Can be a dangerous tool
• Sets a tone of negativity, which may not
be necessary
• Use with caution
Writing Techniques
Written Submissions
• Acknowledge past support positively
• Outline the problem and use real
examples of consequences
• Always present a solution
Tips
• Be concise and factual
• Don’t be emotional
• Make sure written communication is
perfect – have someone else proof it
Presentation Techniques
School Board Meetings
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Getting on the agenda
What happens at a meeting
Rules of procedure
Role of a delegation
Presentations
• It’s all in the preparation!
• Pick one or two key points and make
sure they are clearly expressed
• Think of questions and concerns in
advance and try to address them upfront
Strength in Numbers
• Communicate through websites,
(CPF/school), email, newsletters
• Stronger turn-outs at Board meetings
get better results
• Use visual tactics (colours, stickers,
etc.) to identify your supporters
Avoiding Sweaty Palms
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Practice
Dress the part
Body language, eye contact
Voice modulation, speed
Fielding questions
Successful Presentations
• Outline the problem
• Request a specific action from the
Board (report from staff etc.)
• Be brief
• Submit a written handout for the Board
to refer to
• Be prepared for questions