2015-16 School Year: Communications Plan O V E R V I E W
Transforming into a 21st Century School District • Challenging Curriculum • Engaging Instruction • Expanding Technology • Improving Facilities
Expanding our view of communications
Traditional school district communications departments relay event- and activity-oriented information to stakeholders and react to news media inquiries. Though essential, such is a limited application of the communications discipline. Strategic communications help an organization focus its efforts on proactive communication about what is essential to organizational growth and development. It seeks to understand the district and its stakeholders on a deeper level with the purpose of first understanding why certain perspectives exist, and then taking steps to change perspectives to be in line with district goals. Interaction with the media is both reactionary and proactive – sharing information stakeholders need to hear. In addition, strategic communications evaluate the most cost-effective way to relay information to stakeholders using a variety of persuasive tools like advertising, electronic newsletters, email, public relations, and events. Importantly, strategic communications must fulfill the obligations of traditional communications, too. One doesn’t replace the other.
The benefits of strategic communications Brings the people we serve into organizational focus Creates powerful, focused, and targeted appeals for mission support Closes the gap between the perception we want for our district and the one we have Cultivates support, unity, and pride among stakeholders Organizes activities to work together in support of the big picture
Goals for this document • Increase the understanding of the role of communications • Share key communications themes, tag lines, talking points, & audience information • Review the key elements of the 2015-16 communications plan • Tell where we’re going, what we need to say along the way, and what channels we need to positively interact with to influence our audiences Contacts Dan Dougherty Director of Communications 970 254-5112 dan.dougherty@d51schools.org Catherine Foster Communications Coordinator 970 254-5114 catherine.foster@d51schools.org Jolene Esquibel-Archuleta District Receptionist 970 254-5100 jolene.esquibel-archuleta@d51schools.org
Emily Shockley Communications Specialist, Media emily.shockley@d51schools.org
Jenn Hensel Special Events jennifer.hensel@d51schools.org
Jeannie Smith Communications Specialist, Internal jeannie.smith@d51schools.org
Dave Moore Communications Specialist, Video david.moore@d51schools.org
Message Platform
Transforming into a 21st Century District
Elevator Speech
School District 51 is transforming into a 21st Century District by modernizing Curriculum, Instruction, Technology, and Facilities to graduate students ready for jobs in the Information Age.
Tag line Achieving Monumental Success Implication and alternative: “helping students achieve monumental success” Achieving Monumental Success replaces “every student, every day, learning for life!” Audience Three key audiences: students, parents, and staff
A shared communications plan adds clarity to district focus, direction, and culture, enabling leaders to take next steps toward interdependence. Tone Friendly and conversational without use of jargon and acronyms Graphics Clean, modern design; photos of happy, engaged students and staff; transformative images; consistent use of typography and color palette; limited use of clipart Reasons to Believe Installing a more challenging, internationally benchmarked curriculum using the Colorado Academic Standards Pioneering performance-based learning as a new instructional model
Integrating technology into the learning process
Updating facilities for media-rich learning environments
Changing to strategic compensation model with professional development
STUDENTS
Our singular purpose is helping children learn about their world so they can pursue their dreams with confidence and optimism. Sharing the world’s knowledge with developing minds shaped by an infinite combination of cultural and socio-emotional circumstances is nothing short of miracle work. Consequently, we must relate our efforts and activities back to how they improve the student learning experience. When we ignite curiosity, warm a heart, bolster confidence, and make students feel safe and excited to learn, then their academic and social-emotional growth will surge. As will parent and community confidence.
There is no joy greater than being a parent. Nor, is there greater love. Think about that for a moment. It means that parents TRUST teachers and support staff with their greatest love and joy. We must continually earn this trust by treating their children with respect, love, and support. Helping a child learn is a noble pursuit that rewards us with our own sense of joy.
PARENTS
STAFF
It’s no surprise that parents forge their relationship with the school district one teacher and staff member at a time. For the district to be successful, we need teachers and public-serving staff members to know as much as possible about our vision and direction so they can relay that knowledge directly to parents in conversation.
We communicate with parents and staff directly, but also expect our messaging and direction to cascade through the organization from the BOE and district leaders to building and department leaders to teachers and support staff to parents.
CURRICULUM Our focus in recent years has been on the implementation of a more challenging curriculum based on the Colorado Academic Standards. Colorado Academic Standards are based on international benchmarks of content knowledge plus the new 21st Century skills students need for success in the Information Age. It’s common for parents to think of curriculum as a collection of subject-specific books from which teachers teach. Therefore, we have to expand their understanding to include the totality of student learning experience. Curriculum is a planned sequence of instruction that engages students with content, resources, materials and assessments. This allows us to consistently present material and then evaluate successful attainment of acquired knowledge. We are continuously improving our curriculum.
INSTRUCTION Methods of instruction are critically important to the transfer of knowledge between teacher and student. School District 51 is transitioning to new teacher and staff evaluation systems to align staff professional development with areas of need. This accelerates improvement and provides the opportunity to share instructional best practices with our teachers and staff. In addition, we’re pioneering Performancebased Learning. Performance-based Learning is a new instructional model that replaces grade-level advancement with demonstrated mastery of a content area. Students proceed through content at their unique pace, neither held back nor left behind due to the pacing of other students. Performance-based Learning is a major paradigm shift with a record of maximizing student engagement through pride of ownership in their learning.
TECHNOLOGY
FACILITIES
Few areas of education are more challenging than the expensive and rapidly changing world of technology. In the not-so-distant past, technology was seen as a tool and skill that could be taught as a subject in computer labs.
Perhaps most troubling for the community and the district is the state of some of our older schools. We do have a mix of new, and newer, schools, but four have been identified as needing to be replaced: R-5, Orchard Mesa Middle, The Opportunity Center, and the Emerson Administration building.
Today, technology permeates everything we do. Consequently, the challenge all districts face is how to integrate technology more fully into the learning process.
Facilitiy issues are many, but in a nutshell: 1. Rennovation costs, which requires that buildings are brought up to modern code, becomes cost prohibitive.
Integration is a multi-step process. First, we have to train our educators on teaching with the new technology in mind. We have to identify curricular resources and the technology on which they best operate. We have to expand our wireless networks to support a nearly 4:1 device ratio. And, of course, we have to support students with devices.
2. Their structures and layouts date back to before we landed a man on the moon when laptops, tablets, and smartphones weren’t even imagined yet. These buildings are not structurally designed to have tablets on every desk, learning clusters, and collaborative workspace.
Our goal is a 1:1 student to device ratio.
It requires millions of dollars to address each building, and impacts learning environments.
Transforming into a 21st Century District
THEMES: FOUR PILLARS OF TRANSFORMATION When we speak of transforming into a 21st Century School District, we are focused on four key areas where the transformation is most evident. Curriculum Instruction Technology Facilities Our focus does not mean that transformation isn’t happening elsewhere – it is. These are just our areas of attention. They also are foundational to many of the other areas undergoing dynamic change in our district. Ask yourself: How can I speak about my position and department in ways that reveal how they contribute to the overall student learning experience in a transformative manner?
15-16 COMMUNICATIONS FOCUS Roadmap to the 21st Century A campaign that narratively and graphically charts the course of our transformation through the four key pillars of change: Curriculum, Instruction, Facilities, and Technology. The roadmap tells where we’re going and what we need to get there. It establishes the direction of the district and asserts our needs as a community. Materials developed include a presentation, brochure, and newspaper insert. These items allow cabinet to present to service clubs, directors to present to staff and delivers to the community via the newspaper. Understanding our Finances Simplifies funding so the community understands how we’re funded, where the funding comes from, and where the funding goes. The materials developed address shortages and shows how they stall our progress. They include a presentation, brochure, and a newspaper insert. These items allow cabinet to present to service clubs, directors to present to staff, and delivers to the community via the newspaper. Public Deliberation Introduces a new form of public engagement that transitions from the “sit and get” a presentation to “engage and participate” in a conversation. Results in less hostility, more inclusion and transparency, greater community support and unity around the district. Changing Graduation Guidelines The Colorado Department of Education has developed a new set of high school graduation guidelines that move beyond the current regulations, which are credit-hour based. The new guidelines don’t go into effect for a few years, but now is the time to discuss the changes with parents. The driving force behind the change is a rapidly evolving job market as society settles into the Information Age. We need to ask ourselves what type of skills do 21st Century graduates need to have? Is our current system really good at developing these skills? How might we transform our practices to align better with changing market conditions? Performance-based Learning A comprehensive campaign to execute an inside-out campaign that first informs principals, who in turn inform staff, who in turn can speak with parents. Then, we inform parents and the community. The campaign explains our multi-year trailblazing effort to implement this new instructional model carefully, beginning with professional development and ending with expected student benefits. Communications Basics Complete basic communications needs: district brochure, video, school brochures, and parent eNewsletters. These help both internal and external audiences understand and appreciate the district.
School District 51 is transforming into a 21st Century District by modernizing Curriculum, Instruction, Technology, and Facilities to graduate students ready for jobs in the Information Age.
AUDIENCE, MEDIA, STRATEGY In its simplest form, communications seek to identify the most cost-effective and impactful ways to reach a specific, targeted audience with sufficient frequency to result in message awareness and memory. Success requires a mix of communications tools and channels. Target Audience: mothers and fathers aged 24-54 and staff members Target audiences are not the only audiences reached, but rather the most essential audiences to reach. Targeting is out of financial necessity – no brand has the fiscal ability to reach all of their important audience segments and must prioritize audiences and focus on consistently reaching those most essential to the organization. Considerable overlap exists between mothers and fathers and those in the business community, influential volunteers in non-profits, and participants in service clubs. Media and Audience Reach Analysis The Daily Sentinel has a subscriber base of 16,000 and their demographic skews to older males, on the exiting cusp of our age range and beyond. On a cost-per-thousand reached basis, the paper is one of the most expensive media outlets in the market. Network & cable TV continues to reach our audience in a consistent, costeffective manner. TV can reach 85% of our target audience three times a week at a reasonable cost. We can contact our target audiences (parents and staff) directly through email, telephone, texting, and materials sent home. The power of social media is that it builds our own unique network of interested audience members, and the channels used to reach them directly. Beyond that is the “viral distribution” potential of social media. Each of our followers can share our messaging with each of their followers. In a community, this efficiently distributes information in an exponential fashion. Think word-of-mouth on steroids. Our general outreach strategy includes using direct contact, TV, newspaper, social media, and press coverage to share key messages. Typical Campaign Outreach
• Email all staff an update on the topic • Inform the Board on our plans to communicate a topic update to the public • Place an article in the media on the tudget • Update our TV commercial schedules for a twoweek flight on the topic
• Place an ad in the Daily Sentinel • Email a letter to parents on the topic • Send a press release to media for coverage • Post a story on Facebook and Twitter
CHANNELS AND TOOLS School Communications A significant amount of communications happens at the school level between the school and parents, the school and staff, and teachers and parents.
Marketing Media Audit: Analyze local media to determine the most cost-effective way to reach our primary target audience, parents aged 25-54 with children.
Such communications can cover a variety of topics, including the school’s expressed mission and vision, events, activities, parent-teacher conferences, permission slips, and homework assignments.
Media Plan: Developed standing media plan to reach 85% of our primary target audience on a consistent, monthly basis using a combination of TV and Newspaper advertising.
The goal of the Communications Department is to support school communications. We ask that communications follow our guidelines and protocols when appropriate and feasible, but we also want to give you the greatest freedom possible to communicate with your staff and parents. Tools commonly used by schools include:
Leadership Meetings: Attend and contribute to leadership meetings, including Cabinet, Agenda Setting, ILT on invite, DLT, and BOE Meetings. Message Platform: Collaborate with district leadership to develop the overarching message platform and support pillars to organize and direct communications.
School-specific website and social media eMail to parents and staff Meetings and Events Backpack flyers and student-delivered correspondence In-school posters and banners eNewsletters to parents Classroom newsletters to parents Telecommunications
Communications Audit: Ongoing review of existing materials to determine needs and areas for improvement. The district is lacking basic communications tools, including district positioning brochure, standardized presentation templates, school- and department-specific brochures, staff and parent eNewsletters, brand guidelines beyond logo use, and an adequate tag line.
Our primary level of support for schools is with media relations and crisis communications.
American Marketing Association: Membership provides best practices in the field of marketing.
Athletics Communications Athletics commonly handle their athlete- and competition-oriented communications while keeping the communications department informed. Recurring Topics Due to the calendar and routine nature of the school year, many topics repeat themselves each year, only updated with current information. We don’t cover those topics specifically in this plan, but they are still supported. Examples: Immunization Updates Teacher Training Academy Back to School Holidays Assessments Results of Assessments Intersession Courses BOE Meetings CDE Awards Graduations Events of the Months Athletics
Advertising Annual Report: Provides the community with uniform data collected and reported to the CDE that shares comprehensive information about the performance of the district. Reports on student performance, staff quality, finances, demographics, and plans for improvement. Back to School Insert: Informs parents about back-to-school activities, timelines, and events, and foreshadows what parents can expect in the upcoming school year Relocating to the Grand Valley: Informs potential and new residents to the valley about the quality and variety of schools, including essential dates and contact information. TV Commercials: Consistent presence on TV with a standard message like, “Transformation,” prepreempted with topic-specific commercials, like “Budget Update.” School-specific TV Commercials: Create and produce TV spots for Grand River Academy to match tone and quality of district messaging. Defends against state-level in-market recruitment. Newspaper Ads: Small space top-of-mind awareness campaign runs consistently, then is punctuated with top specific ads like “Kindergarten Roundup,” and “Budget Update.” Mom’s Everyday: 2-minute monthly interview of district activity targeted to moms, aired on TV and echoed on a mom-targeted microsite. American Advertising Federation: Membership provides best practices in the field of advertising.
D51F School District Foundation
D51F is an independent 501 (c) non-profit founded by education advocates in the community and guided by a 10-member Board of community members. The Foundation was created in 2010 to support our local public schools by providing private support for key education initiatives. For the 2015-16 school year, their focus will be on supporting staff development of skills related to performance-based learning. Staff can designate the Foundation for automatic payroll deduction to contribute to a non-profit committed to education in the Grand Valley.
Public Relations Media Relations: Maintain positive relationships with area media, providing quick and quality support for their story needs, while also pitching them our story ideas. News media pitching: Places select information into the local news media to showcase the district in a positive manner. News media response: Organizes responses to media inquiries to ensure the district is presented in the best possible light. Calendar Events: Supports holiday and calendaroriented events by arranging media coverage of school-oriented activities. Newspaper Articles: Bi-weekly articles create an open dialog on issues facing education & the district. Crisis Communications: As needed assistance on critical and controversial issues that arise. CORA Requests: As needed support and collaboration with legal counsel to fulfill open records requests. Parent/Student Handbook: Shares essential information about district services, policies, requirements, and regulations with parents and students. Emergency Alerts: Rapidly informs parents about emergencies. Colorado School Public Relations Association Leadership: Serve as Communications Awards Chair and President-elect, positioning the district as a state-level leader in communications. In addition, we see two states worth of communications solutions to common problems – Colorado and a state whose work we judge. Public Relations Society of America: Membership provides daily best practices in the field of public relations. Grand Junction Joint Information Center (JIC) Meetings: Attend monthly meeting with countywide Public Information Officers to discuss and prepare for joint crisis response. Mesa County Association of Communications Meetings: Attend monthly meeting with countywide Public Information Officers and members of the press to develop and share information across the local network.
Electronic/New Media Social media: Provides instant updates about timely activities and events, plus echoes media coverage. Website: Provides historical information, policies, and calendars for all departments in the district. Serves as a parent site to school district websites, staff information, parent information, and community info. SharePoint/audience portals: Organizes information by audience type for more efficient access to relevant information. Board Brief: Promptly informs staff on the happenings of a Board meeting, usually the day of, or following, the meeting. District Level App: Provides 24/7 access to frequently accessed information for parents, students, and staff. Staff eNewsletter: Informs staff with regular updates about progress on district initiatives and happenings. Parent eNewsletter: Informs parents with regular updates about progress on district initiatives and happenings. School eNewsletter: Consistent, enterprise-level templates for schools to send school level news to parents and staff. News Blog: D51news.org serves as a central repository for releases, articles, and news coverage. Automated Flyer Distribution: Nonprofit flyers are electronically distributed straight to parents. Video: Films and posts BOE meetings, plus other events and activities across the district for distribution through our D51 News YouTube Channel. Also supports the production and distribution of TV Commercials and training videos for departments.
Events/Experiential Marketing Explore D51: Experiential learning opportunity for a select group of influential community members. Provides a backstage pass to School District operations in a conversational manner that fosters trust and support. Salute to Staff: Recognizes staff for service milestones and retirements in an event that honors and unites schools and departments Youth Summer Options Fair: A one-stopsummer-planning event for parents held in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, non-profits, and businesses that provide services or work for youths during the summer. Stuff the Bus: Unites the community around supporting needy students by donating school supplies. Superintendent’s Scholars: Recognizes and honors area seniors who have maintained a 4.0+ GPA throughout their high school career by hosting them and their parents at an honorary luncheon. Student of the Month Luncheons: Recognizes and honors two middle and high school students per school each month at an honorary luncheon in partnership with CMU and Alpine Bank. New Staff Celebration: Organize and support new staff welcome event to relay a sense of appreciation, foster unity, help make new connections, and improve retention rates among incoming teaching staff.
IN BRIEF
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Through understanding comes support.
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Back-to-school Checklist We’re transforming into a 21st Century district by improving curriculum, instruction, technology, and facilities in order to graduate students ready for success in the Information Age. Back-to-school Insert in Daily Sentinel Student and Parent Handbook Update Immunizations Update Free and Reduced Lunch Updates DLT/Principal’s Academy Relocating to the Grand Valley Articles and Ad CMAS Results Announced New Staff Induction Teacher Training District Level App
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TABOR Pennywise and Pound Foolish: TABOR saves us a few shekels today, but costs us our future tomorrow. It over-corrected for excessive taxation and has the state underfunded to prepare for our future. Perfomance-based Learning: Social Media Campaign; Business Testimonial Nsp ad; Update eMail to Parents CDE Awards Announced Rotary Dictionaries Given to Schools Craft Fairs and Bazaars Career Center Holiday Sales Board Briefs TV Commercials: Temper TABOR Parent and Staff Newsletters Write Your Legislators Activation Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need Write your legislator: pre-written letters to send via email, fax, mail, and calls to legislative representatives, education committee members, and the Governor’s office.
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Welcome Back Our focus for the year: Transformation We’re transforming into a 21st Century district by improving curriculum, instruction, technology, and facilities in order to graduate students ready for success in the Information Age. Graduation Guidelines (6-12 grades) Principal Webinar: Teacher Presentations; Parent Survey; In-school Posters Roadmap to the 21st Century: Insert Staff Newsletter & Parent Newsletter School Newsletter Templates ExploreD51 Board Briefs Articles TV Commercials: Graduation Guidelines; Roadmap to the 21st Century PARCC & ACT Released
Communications plans are fluid and dynamic in order to change in concert with the marketplace. Think of this as a guideline with an understanding that details and directions are subject to change. Plans also focus on key issues and are not to be considered allinclusive – there are many daily efforts happening that are not listed.
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Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Safety • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
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Key Legislative Outcome What the community expects of its legislators: 1. Abolish the Negative Factor 2. Fund education on the National Average 3. Amend TABOR to protect our future
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End the Negative Factor Legislative Parlor Trick to shirk responsibilities set by the state constitution: Specific language of Amendment 23 rendered null and void by Negative Factor.
Why: it provides the funding we need to meeting our obligation to current and future generation of students in our state and community. Expectations Newspaper Ad Perfomance-based Learning: Final Parent Survey Budget Planning Communications MLK Day Chamber Campaign Academic Options Fair Unified Financial Aid Night Board Briefs Articles TV Commercials: Expectations Parent and Staff Newsletters Write Your Legislators: Activation ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
It’s negative effect on education: sets our investment level back in time to before 1989; ranks the state 40th in the nation; stalls economic recovery; causes our “urgent needs.” Application Window for DIA & New Emerson Testing Kindergarten Round-up Higher Ed Releases Remediation Rates Band Solo Ensemble Festival Orchestra and Vocal Ensemble Festival Newspaper Campaign: End Negative Factor Board Briefs, Articles, Chamber Campaign TV Commercials: End Negative Factor Parent and Staff Newsletters Write Your Legislators Activation Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
Establish a community advocacy committee to help organiz
Board of Education Member Campaign and Election
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Understanding our Budget Sources, Spending, Shortages: Where our funding comes from, how we spend it, and where we come up short (areas of need). Budget Insert: Amendment 23: Intended to adjust Colorado spending to national averages, adjust for inflation, and protect against recessions; Negative Factor: recession-era workaround Graduation Guidelines: Community Forum, ExploreD51 Presentation, Newspaper ad, Chamber Support Program; Back-Pack Board Briefs & Articles TV Commercials: Budget; Negative Factor Parent and Staff Newsletters United Way Campaign: Choose D51F Bank of Colorado Calendar Contest CO West Marching Band Festival Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch Intersessions in October ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
Reality Check: 1989 Facing reality: We’re spending less on education than we did in 1989, yet the world has become more complex and education has been saddled with costly mandates. Realty Check Insert: Averages and Rankings Graduation Guidelines: Social Media Campaign; Business Support Nsp Testimonial ad; Follow-up survey to Parents Bullying Awareness Month Energy Awareness Month Performance-based Learning: Principal Webinar: Teacher Presentations; Parent Survey Board Briefs & Articles TV Commercials: Averages; Rankings; Reality Check Parent and Staff Newsletters Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch School Bus Safety Week Red Ribbon Week Parent/Teacher Conferences ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
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Meet the National Average for Funding Reasonable benchmarks for funding and student success: Voters don’t have “sky high” ideas about funding, but we do expect to be competitive or above average when compared against other states and 40th is unacceptable.
Adjust TABOR Over-correction: Broad scope and austere limitations of TABOR over corrected from excessive taxation to insufficient taxation. We need responsible taxation that safeguards our collective future.
Nothing Average about Colorado: District 51 isn’t full of students who want to be average -they want to be awesome! To help them be so, we need at least average funding.
Failed promise: the idea is always less money claimed by taxation will result in more money spent in the marketplace meeting needs. But, this hasn’t stimulated recovery nor funded public needs of roads, education, and first responders.
Intersession Youth Art Month Music in our Schools Month Read Across America Newspaper Campaign: National Average Board Briefs, Articles, Chamber Campaign TV Commercials: National Average Parent and Staff Newsletters Write Your Legislators Activation Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
Month of the Young Child, School Library Month Salute to Staff Testing, Summer Options Proms, Career Center Plant Sale, Earth Day Newspaper Campaign: Temper Tabor Board Briefs, Articles, Chamber Campaign TV Commercials: Temper Tabor Parent and Staff Newsletters Thank You Campaign: for writing legislators Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
Legislative Session ze the letter writing campaigns, rebuke negative statements in the community, help educate on the above topics.
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Neutralizing the Negative Factor A solution without tax impact: How the Negative Factor robs us of the funding we need to deliver on community expectations and creates our “urgent needs.” Performance Frameworks Released Negative Factor Ad: recession-era workaround Performance-based Learning: Community Forum; Explore51 Presentation; Chamber Info Program; Back-Pack Board Briefs Articles TV Commercials: Amendment 23; Negative Factor; Performance-based Learning Parent and Staff Newsletters Veteran’s Day American Education Week Alpine Bank Student of the Month Lunch ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
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Legislative Results Update from the State: Sharing results of the legislative session, and its impact on our needs. Likely Outcome: The citizens of Grand Junction and Mesa County will have to determine how to fund our “urgent needs” though local means. TCAP Scores Released JUCO World Series PE Jamboree Special Olympics Parent/Teacher Conferences Graduations Newspaper Campaign: Update from the State Board Briefs Articles Chamber Campaign TV Commercials: Update from the State Parent and Staff Newsletters Invitation to Summer Community Meeting ExploreD51 Assert needs: Replace Orchard Mesa Middle School • Increase Technology & Security • Adjust Operational Funding to Need
THE COMMUNICATIONS DISCIPLINE IS ALSO TRANSFORMING
Few administrative disciplines have changed more than communications in the last ten years. The meteoric rise in social media and market saturation of smartphones have radically changed communications. In the past, organizations “spoke to” target audiences. Today, organizations “speak with” their audiences. In other words, we’ve shifted from a monolog to a dialog. Consumers now expect to interact with brands. They have wide networks through which they can share their opinions and understandings. To understand the impact, recall the Haitian earthquake in 2010. It was first reported from a Twitter post made by someone experiencing the earthquake. The international news picked up the tweet and relayed the information globally in a matter of seconds. Applied to District 51, news heard, and even misunderstood, in a meeting can be posted on Facebook by someone in the audience as soon as a sentence is spoken. The rise of social media has ushered in a new level of transparency expectations by the community. In the past, districts operated in a “decide and defend” mode. We were the subject matter experts, so we made complex decisions and then defended the decision against criticism. Today, we are transforming into an “engage and inform” mode of communication. We want to invite our stakeholders into our challenges early and seek input that leads to a more collaborative decision. Such openness is a major shift. We’re organizing our department to have a communications specialist that focuses on internal communications. This professional will work with schools and departments to provide more support for their communications needs while also sharing key information internally to improve awareness and recall. We’re changing how we partner with the news media. We want more active engagement and inclusion of district personnel. The public needs to see the great professionals we have at every position. The more the public sees inside our buildings and operations, the more confident they become in their district. Avoiding engagement leads to doubt and suspicion. Embracing it leads to pride and confidence.
In memory of Cecil the lion, 2002 – July 1, 2015. RIP.
The role of the communications department is to help the district imagine its way into the future it seeks. Where teachers are concerned with achievement gaps, we’re concerned with “perception gaps.” This is the gap between how we want to be perceived and how we are perceived. Understanding this difference allows us to make the real changes in operations to close the gap. Internally, we want staff to be engaged, appreciated, and informed about our direction. We want you to be able to speak topically about where we’re headed. Externally, we want parents to be engaged, informed, and supportive of our direction. Our direction comes from community expectations. It’s imperative that they see how we’re delivering on those expectations and where we need help overcoming barriers beyond our control. Unified in vision and expectations, we can achieve monumental success as a district serving the students of the Grand Valley.
2115 Grand Avenue | Grand Junction, CO 81501 | 970 254-5100 | d51schools.org