tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.comments2018-12-21T23:32:18.581+04:00Bridge in the Middle - Thoughts of a Middle School PrincipalMark Hardemanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05840152877941772938noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-56373216901410997882018-12-21T23:32:18.581+04:002018-12-21T23:32:18.581+04:00Parent questionnaire We invite volunteers who are ...<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://www.inschools.in" rel="nofollow">Parent questionnaire</a> We invite volunteers who are passionate about education, child psychology, modern-day teaching methods and more, to join the INschools team. Your contribution will help in empowering students, teachers, parents and building a better tomorrow.<br /><br />In urban India, everywhere you look, there's a new school opening up. With so many options, how do we choose? Every child is different. A school that's great for one child may not be a good fit for another. We want you to make the right choice, so your child will be happy, healthy, and motivate at school Click here to find the right school! Use the INschools school search to help you identifi schools according to various criteria. We work hard to make sure the information provided is accurate and trustworthy. Together, let's make the right choice <a href="https://www.inschools.in" rel="nofollow">Schools in India</a> <br />ijaazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15391271563058237794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-37376391806409782112014-09-08T08:06:54.499+04:002014-09-08T08:06:54.499+04:00I also believe that image is very important to a s...I also believe that image is very important to a school and must be considered when developing a school and community plan. Unfortunately schools are always battling this largely due to the mainstream media. But with a little hard work and good communication it is possible to create a positive school image.Stephanie Hensleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-39033671713279547412014-09-08T08:01:10.815+04:002014-09-08T08:01:10.815+04:00Parent Academies would be a great resource for man...Parent Academies would be a great resource for many families. A few years ago I heard so many parents talking about the Singapore math (not sure if they are still using these methods) and how they could not help their child with their homework. Stephnaie Hensleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-9541241223717270562014-09-08T07:55:04.840+04:002014-09-08T07:55:04.840+04:00As principal of the school I would:
1) Work to cre...As principal of the school I would:<br />1) Work to create a good school climate. I feel it is important the when anyone enters the building, they feel welcomed. Information like a school calendar, dates and times of PTA/PTO meetings and SBDM meetings would be gives out. <br />2) I would create two pay communications between parents and teachers. Teachers would develop weekly newsletters informing parents of upcoming events, lessons, and homework. I would have teachers make contact with parents through mail, email, telephone, etc… and inform them of times the teacher would be available in the future if the parents feel the need to contact them.<br />3) I would create strong relationship with local newspaper and media, where I would inform upcoming school events and showcase student success stories<br />4) I would work with local business and industry to encourage them to come into the school for mentoring opportunities for the students.<br />5) I would work to connect families with community resources.<br />Stephanie Hensleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-77655235533997840782014-09-08T07:34:19.736+04:002014-09-08T07:34:19.736+04:00As educators our number one goal is student succes...As educators our number one goal is student success. Parents are a key factor in student academic success. As an administrator our job is remove barriers that get in the way of student success. One way to do this is implementing a school and community relations plan. Without a plan, communication between school/classroom and home would be inconsistent if present at all. The only communication that would take place would be one way. Parents would potentially miss important information about their child's successes, meetings with teachers, parent organization events, overall standing of school achievement. Some parents find it difficult to help their children with homework and with no support from the community they would not be able to assist them. The achievement gap will be status quo or widen if schools work to create a school and community plan.<br />Without community support some students would not get the health and social services they need, therefore they will not be able to perform at their best. Without support from newspapers and media the school image would continue to decline due to national, state and local references to poor test scores and other negative school stories. <br />It's been said many times that it takes a village to raise a child; it takes the school and the community to educate a child. Everyone must work together and communicate if we truly want to close the achievement gap and get out students prepared for their post-secondary endeavors. <br />Stephanie Hensleynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-65128488615103015452014-09-08T06:06:44.892+04:002014-09-08T06:06:44.892+04:00A school without a good “School and Community Rela...A school without a good “School and Community Relations Plan” would function poorly. I would like to use the metaphor of ordering fast food at the drive thru. The customer is the community. The loud speaker is the community and relations plan. The restaurant employee is the school staff. The restaurant manager is the principal or superintendent. And the restaurant is the school district. This simple transaction of ordering and receiving food is a representation of communication between schools and communities. <br />The customer pulls up to the speaker patiently waiting for the restaurant employer to ask what they would like to eat. This exchange of words should be polite and welcoming. If not, then the customer immediately develops a bad perception of the restaurant, and might not return. As a school, first impression could mean everything. School should be open and polite to community members. We should make them feel welcome and willing to opening offer ideas and input on ways to make the school district better. <br />Once the customer knows what they want to order; they communicate to the employer what they would like to eat. As community members, it’s essential that quality and productive communication develop with the goal of meeting the needs of the community and students. Furthermore communication between the school and community must be clear and able to comprehend by both parties. Like a speaker breaking up while making an order can screw up the whole communication process. <br />Now, the restaurant delivers. You receive what you ordered. If the order is not correct, you as the customer become frustrate and possibly develop a bad perception of the restaurant. Community wants results from the school. They community wants higher test score, and help to develop a plan for meeting this goal, and don’t reach the goal. Then community becomes disappointed and will likely blame the school for the failure. <br />After reading the post, I feel that “Image” is the most important role of developing a community and relations plan. I feel that people base most of their feelings towards organization and groups on first impressions. Without gaining that trust and willingness to “buy in” to the schools goals, community members will not support the school district. Therefore they will perceive an image that the school does not care about them or their child, and that image will become a reality for the community. <br />Dustin Adamsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-32535045480881057002014-09-07T06:46:55.019+04:002014-09-07T06:46:55.019+04:00These are great ideas! The thought of using regist...These are great ideas! The thought of using registration time to help build a foundation is key and easily looked over and not done. This can be successful by the structure of making the school inviting and allowing the parents for the school to feel like a safe place for both themselves and their child.Dudley Napiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-2668214759453832302014-09-07T06:43:48.060+04:002014-09-07T06:43:48.060+04:00Lindsay, I see we have very similar expectations f...Lindsay, I see we have very similar expectations for school and community relations if we were principal. It is imperative that a school have a communication plan. This ultimately allow that school to be successful. Without the support of parents and the community the overall function of a school becomes low. Dudley Napiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-27206977188378477062014-09-07T06:40:40.907+04:002014-09-07T06:40:40.907+04:001.) A school without and school and community rela...1.) A school without and school and community relations plan would embark toward many dysfunctional paths. A series of miscommunications ultimately leads to a school of low expectations and the ability to not perform to the best standards. Also, without a relations plan in place in time of great need or an emergency situation there is not a protocol to follow to communicate to students, parents, teachers and the community. This can lead to panic and ultimately self-destruction of the school.<br />2.) As a principal I would have a specific school and community relations plan in place in order to communicate to all groups involved in time of need and on a daily basis. This allows everyone involved to not only be on the same page but also promotes a healthy school environment. <br />Actions that I would take to communicate and get parents and the community involved are as follows:<br />1.) I would have a school website that is updated weekly. This would include school events, information about the school, and helpful tips and resources for parents to help their child at home.<br />2.) I would also develop a weekly newsletter to send home with students that includes information regarding the school and important happenings. This would also encourage parents to get involved in the school. <br />3.) I would provide trainings and workshops for parents. These would involve “tips on helping your child at home”, “Reading Workshops”, “Homework Help” and other events promoting parents to get involved in their child’s education.<br />4.) I would create social media contacts such as Facebook and Twitter as another source of updating parents about the school. <br />5.) I would devise other basis of communication. Expectations that teachers have their own weekly newsletter and updated teacher webpages. Also, one-calls would also be created for updates and reminders. <br />Dudley Napiernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-75189746626854489162014-09-06T17:40:10.744+04:002014-09-06T17:40:10.744+04:00I agree with you that relationships are essential!...I agree with you that relationships are essential! You are so right that strong relationships are necessary to be effective when doing anything dealing with people. What are some things you would do or say to help someone who is struggling to form and maintain positive relationships with others? I think you have a good idea with communication skills being a component of relationships. How can you help someone develop good communication skills? Do you think it is important to be "liked" by others? Can you have strong positive relationships without liking each other? This is an area where I know I need to grow in order to help others, because I am just not sure how to help people who struggle with having positive relationships with others. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this topic. Lindsay Tufononoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-5203735875949752262014-09-06T17:35:17.237+04:002014-09-06T17:35:17.237+04:00I think your ideas are great! It is always importa...I think your ideas are great! It is always important to establish an open door policy, and it seems that your ideas will all work together to do just that. What sort of plan do you have for those parents who are not supportive? This seems like it would be a difficult problem for me to face, so I was wondering what your thoughts are on the subject. I like your idea about contacting with good news regularly. What sort of specific ways would you share good news? Is there one way you've found to be more effective than others? Thank you for sharing your ideas on this subject. I enjoyed reading them, and they've given me a lot to think about. Lindsay Tufononoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-12258816730212849212014-09-06T17:16:49.890+04:002014-09-06T17:16:49.890+04:00A school without a school and community relations ...A school without a school and community relations plan would function in a way that it would be disconnected from the community. The schools may even be viewed as secluded or closed off from the community. Communication with stakeholders would be through students, parents, and staff who talk at public places and post on social media. Without a formal plan in place for community relations, the school administrators would have no control over what is said about the school and have no way to form the public opinion of the school. Communication would be haphazard at best.<br />If I were a principal, I would want to encourage parents to get involved in their child’s education. Five specific actions I would take would be as follows.<br />1.) Parent academies. This idea comes from one of the schools in my current district. This school plans and communicates the schedule for Parent Academies throughout the year. Topics may include – “How to help your child with homework,” “Helping your child become a better reader,” “Being Active as a Family” and more. These academies would occur a few times throughout the year at different days/times including at least one on a weekend, and wouldn’t last longer than about an hour.<br />2.) Utilize social media. Our school would have a Facebook page and Twitter account where we would post news, upcoming events, and daily celebrations. We would have to make sure anyone with administrator rights would diligently check to make sure students whose pictures were posted had their publication consent signed before posting. Daily small celebrations of learning would be posted. For example, we may post a picture of kids in a math class doing a cool lesson with math manipulatives or a science class as they listen to their guest speaker. <br />3.) Volunteer coordinator. We would have someone in the building who serves as our volunteer coordinator. This could be an extra duty for an employee, and this employee would recruit, train, and retain volunteers in the community. Communication would be a primary concern for this coordinator because that is the greatest way to either retain volunteers or ensure they will never return if the communication was not effective. <br />4.) Positive Contacts. I would have a formal plan in place for making positive contacts, so I would make sure that these didn’t get neglected. Each week, the various teams of teachers would submit two names from each team along with a little blurb about the student’s positive actions/attributes to me, and I would make those contacts home to brag on those students. I would make positive contacts at other times also, but with this formal plan in place I would make sure that there were always these contacts taking place in a week, even when things get busy. <br />5.) Regular two-way communication between parents and teachers. Teachers would make phone calls, communication with parents via the agenda books and communications log/folder. Notes and emails could also be exchanged.<br />Lindsay Tufononoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-74350503845597296332014-08-31T06:30:13.259+04:002014-08-31T06:30:13.259+04:00I firmly believe relationships are an essential co...I firmly believe relationships are an essential component to everything in this world. In order to be effective in anything we do we must have strong relationships with others. <br /><br />A component to this is to have effective communication skills within our work setting, our personal lives, and our community. As an educator it is essential to have good communication skills with others. Often we are placed in situations that migh be very difficult to address, however it is important to understand we must always value the views of others even if we do not agree. <br /><br />Effective and good communcation skills does not mean we must always agree, however we must always value and respect the views of others even if they differ from ours. It promotes growth from within. Lori O'Keefenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-6861869798197599512014-02-03T01:45:59.401+04:002014-02-03T01:45:59.401+04:00A school without a good plan, to put it simply, wo...A school without a good plan, to put it simply, would lack transparency on every level. The community would feel completely disconnected. The district wouldn’t share successes or obstacles, they wouldn’t reach out to the community to best take advantage of their resources, and they would do nothing to invest in the community or its other stakeholders. They wouldn’t invest in their students’ lives beyond the school day. This would mean no parent teacher conferences, no open houses, no communication with students or parents beyond the classroom. <br /><br />1. Use Registration Time to Build a Foundation <br />Principals can build the strongest relationships with families outside the normal confines of the school day. Meeting during the registration process is like shaking hands before the game starts. There is no baggage, no past issues, no misunderstanding. The best way to build a positive relationship is to do it from the beginning, before conflict arises. This is before the stress and craziness of the school year begins so it is a great time to begin relaxed discussions and gain important insight into students’ families and home lives. <br />2. Make Open House a Special Event<br />Open house is one of the only events that can give parent’s a detailed insight into how their children spend most of their waking hours from August to May. This should be a well organized, welcoming event, that goes beyond teachers reading a syllabus to bored parents. It should be a night in which students and parents alike can share in the experience and culture of your school. This should include interaction with teachers, support staff, and administrators. <br />3. Contact Them With Good News Regularly<br />Parents never tire of hearing good news; and there is always good news to tell. Students and parents build pride and confidence in their school, and by extension their community, through the successes that you share. Parents, especially in secondary education, struggle to get information from their children. And much of what they hear is not good. There is never a shortage of dramatic, pessimistic teenagers! We should do everything in our power to bombard them with good news. This should include athletics, the arts, and academia. It should encompass every walk of life in your school. Everyone knows what the varsity football score was, but they also need to know that there is wonderful play, an important academic team match, and that map scores are on the rise. It should be a holistic approach to your school. <br />4. Utilize Technology Whenever Possible <br />Communication has never been easier. Email, FaceBook, texting, twitter, websites, etc. These are all avenues in which you can gain community pride and ownership in your school. As an administrator, your job is to lead and get everyone to buy in. These tools can help your trumpet success and communicate information. It should increase transparency into your policies and actions and allow the community to know exactly what is happening in your school. The more transparent you are in your policies and actions, the more understanding people are when something fails or goes wrong. It also gives them a sense of ownership in the school because they know exactly what is happening, exactly how much you are doing for their child, and exactly how much work it takes to make their child successful. <br />5. Establish an Open Door Policy<br />I firmly believe that administrators are there to do one thing: serve the student. They are not there to serve a school board, an SBDM, a parent organization, or any school department. They are not there to serve teachers or raise test scores. They are there to serve students. In order for that to happen, students and parents must have access to administrators. Yes there are unreasonable parents and families. But you must take on the bad to help the good. If an administrator is truly student-centered, they will naturally serve teachers, communicate with parents, and raise test scores!<br />Nick Littlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-51448012905780407502014-01-31T23:25:51.201+04:002014-01-31T23:25:51.201+04:00Ruthann Sharrock
EDIL 679
When I think about crea...Ruthann Sharrock<br />EDIL 679<br /><br />When I think about creating optimal communication and the best use/implementation of it, several questions come to my mind:<br /><br />How would I want to hear about items/news/events? <br />How do I feel about not being informed or receiving delayed information?<br />How would I want communication handled in a situation (e.g. lockdown or emergency)? <br />What type of information does each stakeholder need (student vs. parent vs. community vs. school staff…)?<br />How would I like to respond (give feedback or suggestions)? <br />What would make me respond?<br />How would I feel about receiving selective information? <br />What would make me attend a school event? <br />Why do I have apathy toward certain events?<br />What gets someone involved?<br />What means of communication, both one-way and two-way, are available? <br />Which would be the best mode given different circumstances?<br />What means of communication appeals to the different stakeholders sub groups?<br />**How would my stakeholders answer these questions?**<br /><br />Today’s communication is instant, short and disposable. Paper use is minimized. Text, read, and delete. Scan and scroll. With these information-process-changes comes the need for schools to change how they keep the lines of communication open. Sometimes even the clearest, best form of communication is a failure and I have to wonder what else I could have done to get the message out and clear. I have to ask myself, how can I get their attention and response? Most would say we have the best means to stay informed today and no one has an excuse to not be in the know; however, it’s almost a curse in that too much information leads to not consciously being informed. <br /><br />I agree, community relations is a top priority for school systems. <br />Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05685008218396156931noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-35688527659107865972014-01-31T23:18:23.076+04:002014-01-31T23:18:23.076+04:00These 5 points speak to the heart of public relati...These 5 points speak to the heart of public relations in schools. It is important that every member buy into the importance of having effective communication with stakeholders from the administration to the teachers to the support staff to the students. Administrators need to communicate effectively with stakeholders and involve them in their work and processes. Teachers need to communicate effectively with students, parents, colleagues and administrators. Working in a large school has demonstrated the challenges of implimenting these techniques in everyday practices. We are keenly aware that image is everything and perception is reality and we are engaging with the community to portray our image as a successful school meeting the needs of all students in order to ensure that every student is college and/or career ready. We are developing relationships with community organizations in order to promote our successes and gather resources to meet our challenges. We are using social media to communicate with parents, students, staff and the community.Mrs Davieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15498692369153723950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-82928223397486026972014-01-26T19:39:56.904+04:002014-01-26T19:39:56.904+04:00James Cornett
EDIL 679
One of the largest flaws w...James Cornett<br />EDIL 679<br /><br />One of the largest flaws with school systems is the line of communication. We often spend more time worrying about curriculum, assessments, and attendance and forget to let stake holders know about our goals and plans. It is important that community members take ownership in the goals and plans of your school. It doesnt matter how much you know curriculum, if you dont get buy in from the school and the community it will be impossible to reach these goals. Therefore it is important to have community members and parents have a voice in the decision making in your school. Invite them to meetings and to see your school. Try different more personable contact methods, instead of the chain letter, call them. This shows that you value their imput. Without community support your plans and goals may die in the water.James Cornettnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-55805118316868032902013-09-09T23:49:53.738+04:002013-09-09T23:49:53.738+04:00Karen Boggs
EDIL 679
“The single biggest problem ...Karen Boggs<br />EDIL 679<br /><br />“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.” <br />~George Bernard Shaw<br />That statement so completely stood out to me because I believe that often times school believe that because they have sent letters home or put something on the school channel that they have communicated with parents, community members, the public, etc. However, this is false, communication is a two-way process. Continually, schools should maintain open communication with all members of their community. The attitudes/emotions of individuals and the choices they make are largely dependent on the perception of the school, and positive school perception can be a reality when effective communication is sought after by school personnel.<br />Karen Boggsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-6700117061724986842013-09-09T17:41:28.428+04:002013-09-09T17:41:28.428+04:00Martina Skidmore
Communication is a key factor in ...Martina Skidmore<br />Communication is a key factor in successful schools, however is the one area that is often overlooked due to the overwhelming amount of daily work. So often, it is this area that causes the biggest problems which ironically cause our amount of daily work to increase. There are so many times that a better plan of communication would prove beneficial. <br />If a district has a good communication plan, they have created an environment in which the proper realationships can be fostered. There are so many times that individuals without proper information struggle to make sense of the situation and with this often become defensive and disgruntled. <br />As an administrator it would be my primary responsibility to implement a plan that would allow my parents and students to have the necessary information to break this barrier. <br />1. I would provide up-to-date information on the school website, newspaper, and one-call system. This system allows me to make one call to my district parents/guardians where I can communicate any changes in the calendar or schedule. I would also require my classroom teachers to provdie bi-monthly newsletters where parents are informed about classroom information as well as put a publicaton in the school newspaper. <br />2. Another way I would create a better communicaiton environment would be to host a community breakfast where parents and community members were invited and my teachers would highlight their programs so that community members are aware of the activities going on in the schools. So often individuals are unaware of the activities or even the pressure placed on our schools due to state testing and accountability. <br />3. I would encourage involvment in PTO by providing an incentive. Each member who signs up and pays dues will receive a $5 Kroger card-the card tied to our school and we receive 4% of all sales from.<br />4. Each teacher would be required to make one positive contact with each student, parents,and or guaridans each month. <br />5. I would create a school Facebook and twitter account to use for informing parents and others about school events. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-74005226637756820492013-09-09T17:23:02.615+04:002013-09-09T17:23:02.615+04:00We have found that many students do not follow our...We have found that many students do not follow our school facebook or twitter for fear that we will see their posts. Parents, however will and this can prove beneficial for communication. We also have a webpage designed specifically for parents to view to keep abreast of the current events. <br />Martina SkidmoreAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-67620971594586151622013-09-09T17:18:20.873+04:002013-09-09T17:18:20.873+04:00I agree fully. It is quite frustrating how the pap...I agree fully. It is quite frustrating how the paper wants to publish negativity, however, when we send in positive information, it is a small, one sentence, almost hidden report. <br /><br />Martina SkidmoreAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-19779360599084946612013-09-07T21:00:04.337+04:002013-09-07T21:00:04.337+04:00Sarah,
I agree with your statement, "As soon...Sarah,<br /><br />I agree with your statement, "As soon as they are removed from being informed, problems will arise and grow quickly." This goes to the importance of having a communication plan. I think a lot of schools survive because they have ideas about how to communicate and they implement those. However, I think they could be much more effective if they had a detailed plan. This would only improve the communication process and the information leaving the district.Mr. Litteralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02031633913617088748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-86550576263170209172013-09-07T20:46:42.050+04:002013-09-07T20:46:42.050+04:00I think many schools are doing well with one-way c...I think many schools are doing well with one-way communication. They send notes home or post notices on a website. I think two-way communication is still lacking, but as you pointed out, this needs to be occurring. For many schools, if teachers are not calling parents and having a conversation, then those two-way conversations aren't occurring. Administrators need to lead by example to lead the charge for two-way communication.Mr. Litteralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02031633913617088748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-41751500603734505402013-09-07T20:23:26.604+04:002013-09-07T20:23:26.604+04:00Timothy Litteral
EDIL 679, Fall 2013
A. I think i...Timothy Litteral<br />EDIL 679, Fall 2013<br /><br />A. I think in many schools, communication is one area that can easily be overlooked. Administrators are busy implementing curriculum, responding to discipline issues, evaluating faculty, monitoring athletic and other extra-curricular activities, etc. It might not be on purpose, but communication is forgotten. In thinking about school communication, many times those coaches in the athletic department are some of you most effective communicators. They want to portray a positive image of their program. Because of regular contact, they often have the relationships with outside organizations and members of the news media. Whether they want to hear it or not, there is a lot of two-way communication in athletics. If it's not a parent making a direct comment, it might be a sports piece in the local paper. It also seems many athletic departments have beat school districts as a whole to using social media.<br /><br />B. School districts without a good school and community relations plan are leaving their image to chance. What people see and assume could very well become the image if the school isn't making an effort to portray themselves in a positive light. If leadership isn't focused on communicating with staff members, there a good possibility relationships aren't being fostered. Without those relationships, morale in a school district can quickly go south. Not making "friends" in the media and other organizations can limit exposure of a school and potential resources. <br />Folks tend to become aggravated and disgruntled when communication is lacking. This is true of all stakeholders including parents, staff members, students, board members, and common citizens. When these people lose confidence in the school district, it will lose the support. Without the support of these various groups, it would be difficult for the school district to operate and function effectively. <br /><br />C.<br />1. I would require each faculty member to submit at least one article each 9-week period to the local newspaper. This could be about a club/group they sponsor, an athletic team they coach, an event they are responsible for, or the positive happenings in a teacher's classroom.<br />2. Regular use of social media. Our school has a Facebook and Twitter page, but those are used sporadically. I would make that a daily/weekly responsibility of the Assistant Principal.<br />3. Monthly checks of teacher websites - Each teacher has a website in our district, but many are not utilized regularly or are often out-of-date. I would ensure that websites are reviewed at least once a month and that teachers not keeping this source of information up-to-date receive instruction to do so.<br />4. Volunteer program - I would work with the PTSA, Community Education, and the FRYSC office to set-up a volunteer program in the school. This could allow parents/grandparents/community members to feel as though they are apart of the school. It might include reading with younger students, working one-on-one with students, assisting in the library/office/cafeteria, etc. I think you use the strengths of your volunteers to determine where they are most comfortable in helping.<br />5. Two-way/individual communication requirement: This would require teachers to make contact via phone with at least two parents a week. They would also send postcards to at least three additional students/parents each week. Teachers would keep a log of these interactions.Mr. Litteralhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02031633913617088748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4106569006315174594.post-5170319338444304782013-09-07T16:45:31.217+04:002013-09-07T16:45:31.217+04:00Diana,
I think you have some really good ideas her...Diana,<br />I think you have some really good ideas here. Our Principal currently makes use of Remind 101. A question I would have is, "does this have a response option?" I have never attempted to communicate back to the principal via this method. Not knowing much about it, I think I will look into this further. As for the rest of your list I believe my own list is very comparable. I view parent conferences, open houses, newsletters, and social media as very effective tools for communication. The thing I worry about most is, how can we get the parents and community to communicate back? If communication is two way, how do we get the second party involved? Just something that crossed my mind. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com