Thank you, Teachers!

May 4, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Nearly 20 years ago, I married a teacher. My husband and I began dating when he was in his first teaching assignment as a high school biology teacher, with an emergency credential, while he completed the last couple months of his credential program.  After we got married, we moved to a city with a lower cost of living so that we could afford to buy a home and plant our roots.  He’s in his 20th year as  a biology teacher at his current school, where he is also the science department chair, and coaches girls and boys golf.  And, as shown in the picture, he also takes his students on weekend field trips to learn about water management (Photo credit: Bureau of Land Management).  He has relentless energy and is so incredibly dedicated.

Seeing his sense of purpose and passion for what he does is one of the reasons why I wanted to work in school PR.  I know there are so many other teachers like him, inspiring students’ minds and enjoyment of learning each day, and those stories needed to be told 16 years ago when I first started working in school PR, and  we need to keep sharing those stories, especially in light of the increasingly negative and political environment about teachers and public education.

My husband has worn several hats over the years, in addition to coach and teacher–he’s also served as the interim athletic director and interim vice principal.  He earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and Administrative Credential because he thought about going into administration.  The reason he didn’t?  He would miss his positive touchpoints with students, and teaching in the classroom.

When we share stories about what’s happening at schools, we also need to share the stories of people who continue to make the choice to be teachers.  In this age of the “Great Resignation” there are still people who choose this profession because they feel a sense of purpose and truly love what they do. I am thankful for each of those people for teaching my three children in elementary and high school.

And, I’m grateful to my husband who chose a career that positively impacts students’ lives, year after year.

Thank you, teachers.

Communicate, You Will

March 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment

Picture of Yoda with Communicate You WillI was paid one of the highest compliments at last week’s California School Public Relations Association (CalSPRA) conference: “You’re like the Yoda of school PR.”

Wow. As a Star Wars fan, I felt like I’ve reached a career pinnacle when hearing that.

But, like Yoda, I really needed to go within to process this. Because, what does being a Yoda of school PR mean? Here are some of Yoda’s greatest qualities: intelligence, wisdom, and skills. He also has the ability to absorb and deflect Force lightning, devoted to the light side of the force.

I realized that I was surrounded by about 300 Yodas of school PR at this conference. Working with a school PR pro means that you’re working with someone who has the intelligence, wisdom and skills directly related to school PR. Need someone to communicate the LCAP in understandable ways to your community? A school PR pro can do that. Need someone who understands the intricate and delicate relationships between labor and admin, and how to communicate without stepping on a landmine? A school PR pro can do that. Need someone who can write a statement or press release in less than 10 minutes, ID people to interview, and navigate relationships with the media? A PR pro can do that (and even deliver a whole story package to the media).

From bringing order to chaos, to calmly communicating about just about any topic, school PR pros have the intelligence, wisdom and skills to ensure that schools, school districts and county offices of education keep the relationships with their publics at the forefront of everything they do. And let’s just say that the past two years have been a constant state of absorbing and deflecting lightning and being a force of good. School PR pros aren’t just great story tellers–they identify which story to tell, how to tell it, who needs to hear or see it, and when.

There are approximately 600 Yodas of school PR who are members of CalSPRA–and many others across the country. And if your district or COE hasn’t already hired one–either as an employee or a contractor, your communications isn’t operating as well as it should (and you probably already know that). We can help you use the force of communication for good.

2022 California School Public Relations Association Conference-Connect. Elevate.Inspire.

March 15, 2022 by Leave a Comment
Picture collage from the California School Public Relations Association 2022 ConferenceWhat a wonderful two days to connect with our hard-working and dedicated group of school PR professionals at last week’s CalSPRA’s Annual Seminar.  I definitely feel like I connected, elevated my PR skills and experiences, and felt incredibly inspired by the over 200 professions who attended.
When I first moved into self employment as a consultant, I always felt this weird push and pull as a former district PIO turned businessperson at this conference.
But it’s never been about business for me—it’s about serving through sharing best practices, experiences and mentoring. I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to give advice to new professionals, share issues management and social media strategies and just listen, learn, and discuss ideas with other pros. I had the pleasure of presenting with Monica Gutierrez of Murrieta Valley Unified School District on the delicate topic of strategically communicating with care and protecting employees who are transitioning their gender; I accepted two awards for the strategic and creative social media work that I’ve done with the Oroville Union High School District, which has increased their engagement and following; I had to the opportunity to connect with friends and colleagues that I haven’t seen in person for two years.
Experiencing the growth of CalSPRA’s membership over the past 16 years, and the incredible changes to come, made me realize a few things that have never changed about this group: its mutual support, abundant helpfulness, and incredible friendships.
Thank you to incoming President Jessica Hull, Executive Director Trinette Marquis, MA, APR, the board and interns for their wonderful work on this conference!
Want to learn more about CalSPRA and how to join this amazing group of people?  Visit www.calspra.org!

Pictures:
Top left: With Matthew Jennings, President of the California School Public Relations Association.  I am holding two Awards of Excellence for my client, Oroville Union High School District.
Top right: With Monica Gutierrez, Director of Communications for the Murrieta Valley Unified School District. We co-presented on how to strategically communicate with care and compassion when an employee is transitioning their gender.
Bottom left: With Rebecca Leroux of B43Productions.
I partner with Rebecca on quite a few client video projects, and she is simply the best videographer for school districts, schools and COEs.
Bottom right: With Marci McFadden, Chief of Staff / Chief of Communications and Community Engagement, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.  I absolutely love connecting with Marci at these conferences and in life.  She is a thoughtful, kind and strategic communicator.

5 Steps to Making Engaging Infographics

May 10, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Person sketching out graphs for an infographicPresent Complex Information in a Snapshot Format

As your district or COE plans for the 2021-22 school year, it’s highly likely that you’re elbows-deep into complex planning processes.  But, your internal and external audiences want–and need–to know this critical information. 

Here are tips for creating infographics to share important information about your plans. Whether you need to share LCAP survey results, budget information, in-person learning plans, or more, infographics are a great and modern way to share complicated or detailed information in a way that is scannable, organized, in an all-in-one visual overview.

Here are 5 Steps to Creating Engaging Infographics:

  • Don’t overwhelm the reader: It is important to remember that less is more. Start with a simple layout of information that needs to be included. Figure out different categories of data and information. Consider what needs the most spaces and how much. Determine if the information is better organized in halves, thirds, or fourths. It is important to not overwhelm the reader. The best way to help avoid this is with an intentionally clean layout.
  • Tell a story (but it does not have to include every detail): Consider the overarching story the infographic needs to tell.
    The nature of the infographic allows for important information to be shared without every single detail being shared. Consider the layout of your infographic like a story:

    • What is the journey you want the viewer to take?
    • What will they see first, what are they prompted to do next?
    • When thinking of the layout of the infographic, consider the flow of the graphic as well as the reader’s experience as part of the storytelling process.
  • Use layers/play with fonts to have top-level information and smaller fonts to include details: A unique feature of infographics is the ability to share details. However, it is important to not overwhelm the viewer. How can a lot of information be shared in a small space?
    • Implement layers so that top-level information is in large fonts and graphics. This is the most important surface-level information the viewer needs to immediately get an understanding of what the graphic is about at just a glance.
    • Next, implement more layers of detail using colors, images, and smaller fonts that may not be seen at first glance but become noticeable as the reader looks longer at the infographic.
  • Color: Color is a central part of an information graphic where it is to grab attention, organize information, or help with brand and logo association.
    • Organization: First, consider how color can be used to organize the information in your infographic. Perhaps there are three main categories in your infographic you want to include. Choose a specific color to be associated with that category. This will help the reader to quickly identify the different sections of the infographic at a glance. If they are looking for specific information they can quickly identify the color of the topic they need and search the graphic for that color.
    • Emotion: Colors have meaning and are able to communicate different emotions. Consider not only what colors are eye-catching and appealing but use them to help communicate the feeling you want to be communicated with the information being shared. For example, blue is associated with trust. Orange can be associated with energy and yellow with happiness as just a few examples.
      The shades of color used can also help express emotion. To learn more about the best colors to use in your infographic you can explore 99 Designs blog post about Color Meanings and the Art of Using Color symbolism
    • Brand: Lastly when implementing color, the most simple but effective is to implement your district’s brand colors. This helps to quickly associate the information with the school district. You can implement different shades of your brand’s colors to bring in variety while still staying true to your district’s existing brand.
  • Use Consistent Terms: Lastly, providing clarity to the reader is the goal of the infographic.
    It is important to use consistent terms and clear organization to help the reader follow the infographic. When necessary define terms and use them throughout the infographic. This will help build understanding and increase the potential for connection.

Free–And Time-Saving–Resources

Infographics are a great way to summarize and combine complex and detailed information into a format that is easily understood and shared. To get started on implementing infographics into your district’s communications you do not need to be a graphic designer. There are a variety of Free Resources to get you started on beginning the design for your infographic:

Canva

Beautiful Ai

Google charts

Google slides

Powerpoint

 

Need more help?

If you are looking to improve your district’s communications moving forward, Sounding Board can help you reach your goals. If you are wanting to revamp your communications goals for the upcoming school year, Sounding Board offers strategic planning services to meet the needs of your district. Get started on planning for the next school year today by sharing information that matters in an easy-to-understand format for each of your audiences.

 

How to Share the Good in the Midst of the Storm 

April 26, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Keeping the focus on the human side of your organization

This past school year has meant many challenges and changes. Knowing what communication is appropriate to share with your district during times of struggle or hardship can be a challenge to navigate. What messages are appropriate and timely? What are the best platforms and methods to share them? However, having the right message at the right time can make an enormous impact in the lives of individuals. How can your district work to share the good in the midst of the storm? 

There are specific kinds of content that can be a focus to create positive messages. Ultimately it is essential to keep a focus on the human side of your organization. What are the stories and individuals that make up your district? These stories are worth telling as a source of encouragement and inspiration. When the focus is put on the human side of your district to balance out the news and information stories, connection can take place in a meaningful way. 

Here are 6 tips for sharing good in the midst of the storm:

  • Focus on empathy, not information. How can your stories highlight those who are showing and expressing their empathy for others? Look internally within your organization and externally in your district to discover the positives to showcase. Through using a lens of empathy, you can find stories that show how your people are helping others in their struggles. An excellent example of this is from one of our clients, the Evergreen School District. They have a custodian who missed seeing students on campus because of distance learning.  He created and painted wooden cut outs of students playing, and placed the cut outs around the campus. These brought him cheer, and the many people who would walk over to the campus each day.  We helped them share this story on their social media and their local media, and here’s one example of the coverage they received on their local television news station.   Find messages to share that go beyond factual information. Look for stories of individuals that can create connections.
  • Try to see the larger picture while addressing the concerns of the present. It is essential to not lose sight of today’s concerns. However, your content seeks to give a larger perspective outside of the present. Address the challenges of today but do not stay stuck there. Find ways to showcase the qualities and takeaways that will be here to stay. How have teachers, students, employees overcome this current situation? How will they apply those same skills moving forward?  An excellent example of this can be found with another one of our clients, the Oroville Union High School District.  Once a week, they showcase a staff member or teacher who is providing excellent services or instruction on their social media and website, and also include these stories in their bimonthly newsletter.  This allows your audience to see that despite the challenges of the present circumstances, the people in your organization are still striving to provide an excellent education and educational experience for your students.
  • Looking outward to find ways to serve rather than feeling stuck looking inward. Encourage safe, but impactful community service and support in your district as a way to help share helpful ideas and prompt positive actions. Are there safe community service opportunities students can participate in, or opportunities that they’re harnessing to serve the community? Consider fun challenges, activities, or virtual events that individuals in your district can try that will not only serve others around them but help to prompt positive and productive experience.
  • Celebrate the little things. Look for national days, fun events, and memorable traditions to showcase on your district’s social media. There are many holidays and events that can be found online that can help bring joy and prompt light-hearted reflections throughout the month. This is a great way to create content if you are feeling stuck on the best positive stories to showcase. Finding holidays that celebrate students, employees, athletes, and others can be a positive way to celebrate individuals in your district.
  • Find ways to showcase students and alumni. Find stories from both the past and present of cute, fun, or encouraging stories of your district’s alumni. Does your district have a Hall of Fame? Use this as a starting point to share the lives and stories of those individuals on social media. This can be a positive way to showcase your district’s history while encouraging individuals in your district.
  • Utilize multiple kinds of media. Video, pictures, gifs, are all different kinds of media. This is a good way to create engaging content in multiple ways. Choosing the format and method to share a message is so important in creating messages that provide connection. Do you have images of notable alumni put together a video slide show? Do you want to have pictures of current student-athletes? Find stickers or interesting graphics to make your posts interesting and eye-catching.

Creating ways to share fun but meaningful messages that leave a positive impact is one approach to share the good in the midst of a storm. Finding ways to engage, entertain, inform, and inspire your district during times of struggle makes a large impact in your district.

Do you want help in finding positive messages to share in the midst of the storm? A Sounding board can help! Discover content planning and social media promotions that fit your district’s needs through Sounding Board’s services.

How to Respond When Your School Board Members Act Like District Spokespeople

April 19, 2021 by Leave a Comment

Do your school board members keep grabbing the district's microphone? We have solutions for that.

Over the past year, there has been a need for quick and accurate information. In a season of uncertainty, many have turned to leaders such as school board members and other important figures in districts to get answers. However, how do you respond when your board members overstep their boundaries and break the unity of one clear voice. Have they posted on social media before the district has had the chance to communicate its message? Are board members answering questions in a way that does not reflect the views of the district? All of these situations can contribute to confusion and disunity in districts. However, these issues often do not arise without a cause. Pinpointing and issues and finding solutions are essential to moving forward.

Brown Act and Social Media

Effective January 1, 2021, in California, new changes were implemented to the Brown Act in regards to board members using and engaging on social media. The changes do authorize individual Board/Council Members to engage in conversations with the public on an “internet-based social media platform to answer questions, provide information to the public, or to solicit information from the public regarding a matter that is within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.”  Board/Council Members, however, are not authorized to use social media to discuss among themselves business within the subject matter jurisdiction of the legislative body.  Additionally, Board/Council Members are prohibited from responding directly to any post and/or comment that is made, posted, or shared by any other Board/Council Member of the same legislative body.” Additional legal information regarding these Brown Act changes are explained in this post by the legal firm Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo.

Between the changes to the Brown Act and the need for one voice among board members, uniform and intentional communication is essential. 

Governing Guidelines

Governing guidelines and policies help to define board member collaboration and communication. 

Ensure that your Board and Administrative policies on community relations are updated regularly–including reflecting the recent Brown Act changes regarding social media communications–and that your board members are familiar with board policies about community relations.  In most California school districts, this policy usually begins with a clear statement such as this one:

“The Governing Board recognizes the district’s responsibility to keep the public informed regarding the goals, programs, achievements, and needs of the schools and district and to be responsive to the concerns and interests of the community. The Superintendent or designee shall establish strategies for effective two-way communications between the district and the public and shall consult with the Board regarding the role of Board members as advocates for the district’s students, programs, and policies.”


The California School Boards Association provides policy services to member California school districts, including sample community relations policies.  Other state school board associations may also provide these types of policy services.  Sounding Board can also provide assistance in creating comprehensive community relations policies.

The California School Boards Association also summarizes the role of the school board is “…to ensure that school districts are responsive to the values, beliefs, and priorities of their communities.” Ultimately, to best serve the district, communication must be uniform. The CSBA Professional Governance Standards for School Boards states “To operate effectively, the board must have a unity of purpose…” 

These guidelines and policies help in clarifying the role and responsibility of school board members in community relations from a governing standpoint.  However, that isn’t always convincing to board members who want to use communication to show accountability to their supporters.

There are also practical ways to help support board members in fulfilling their duties and provide guidelines to ensure their voice does not overstep their position to help encourage one voice.

Balancing Free Expression with Coordination

It is important to guide communications without restricting personal expression. Often if board members feel the need to share information or speak their mind, there is a motivating reason. Perhaps some changes need to happen within your district, or there are unaddressed issues below the surface. Either way pinpointing the source of the problem is crucial.

Let’s explore how to respond when your school board members act like district spokespeople:

  • Provide talking points: Encourage continuity and consistency through district communication and among board members. Talking points are a great tool. Having clear points will help to make the district’s position clear and help provide organization when board members share information and seek to answer questions. This also allows board members to express concern or offer changes to the notes before communication is shared. 
  • Reinforce the importance of one clear voice to avoid confusion: If there are challenges with Board Members overstepping their role and communicating their own perspective that is resulting in public confusion about the school district’s activities or decisions made, it is important to underscore the importance of speaking in one voice. If key figures share different and even conflicting information it can confuse parents, teachers, and give an image of the district that is disorganized. Facts need to be consistent even if peoples’ opinions on the decisions or outcomes differ.
  • Be transparent and listen: Often board members do not voice their own opinion or share information without motivation or a reason. Finding ways to be more open to board members can help get at the heart of the issue. There are multiple approaches to helping your district be more transparent and open to hearing different voices. Some simple approaches include:
    • A weekly communication to the board: Send the board a summary of district activities, issues being handled and any upcoming events that may interest the board.
    • Hold regular meetings with individual board members: Provide them a forum to raise their own questions, voice their concerns and receive information about matters that are of concern to them individually. 
    • Equip the board members with their own set of resources as a base to confirm the facts about matters that concern the board.
  • Separate personal opinion from official district positions, communications: If a board member feels the need to their express personal opinion, then they need to ensure there is a clear distinction between their own personal opinion and not the position of the board as a whole, or an official district position. If board members want to be transparent and show their opinion, it is important that this is made clear.  However, perhaps this is pointing to a larger issue that should be addressed. Does the school district need to respond more quickly, and be more transparent? Maybe the school board member is filling in the gaps that the district needs to fill. People normally have a reason for reaching and responding the way they do. 
  • Identify a solution: Lastly, once there are strategies to help improve communication, also look inward and evaluate your district communications performance. After connecting with board member, they may express concern or frustration over how your district has been providing information.
    • Does communication need to go out faster?
    • Does the district website and/or social media need to be updated more frequently?
    • Do parents feel there is not enough transparency or means to voice concerns and comments?

Through these conversations with your board members, seek out ways to not only improve board member communication, but also your district’s communication to help get at the heart of the problem. Identify the problem, work through the solution, and create more successful outcomes.

  • Engage Board members as communication ambassadors and partners: Through providing regular communication updates to the board–including an annual communication plan and evaluation of communication activities–the superintendent or communications department can ensure that the board is aware of the effectiveness of the district’s communication plan and strategies, and how the board can play a role in the success of the district’s communication.  Engaging the board members as strategic partners as communicators clearly defines their role versus leaving the board member confused about their role and taking matters into their own hands.

Consistency Matters

Uniform communication across your district can be a challenge but ultimately it helps distribute essential information, secure the trust of your district, and allows for open dialogue. If you want to improve your district’s communication strategies or are going through a season of disordered communication you do not have to figure it out on your own. Sounding Board offers services and resources to help you navigate your district’s communication. Sounding Board can help from launching a communication ambassador program to community engagement, and reputation management from the ground up. To learn more about services or a partnership program that best fits the needs of your district visit https://sounding-board.net/products today!

Top 10 Questions Parents Have About In-Person Learning

March 29, 2021 by Leave a Comment
Are you ready for your school district’s transition to in-person learning?

 

Student wearing a face coveringThis month, we’re kicking off a series of blog posts on Trending Topics….no, not the Kardashians, but real, true trending topics–and challenges-that education leaders and school communicators are facing right now.  

Currently, as schools across the nation are returning students to in-person learning after a year of distance learning, this week’s topic focuses on the Top 10 Questions that parents are asking as their child returns to in-person learning. 

Return to In-Person Learning

As districts are looking to transition to in-person learning, there are many considerations and steps that need to be implemented in order to ensure a smooth transition. Navigating the return to in-person learning is a transition that is new territory for many. Managing communication during the COVID-19 pandemic has been one that has felt like a constant crisis without any playbook, and cannot rely on traditional communications plans. So in this unprecedented season, it is essential to stay proactive in clear and effective communications. Are you ready to handle questions about returning to in-person learning? 

After working with several school districts that have been transitioning to in-person learning, there are some key questions that should be answered as early as possible to prevent rumors and misinformation, and to reinforce stakeholder trust.

Navigating a New Landscape

As school leaders are finding, there is not one correct way to transition to in-person learning. Depending on the grade levels of students being served, classroom sizes, the number of students returning to in-person learning, employee negotiations, state and local health department requirements and more, the planning in-person learning planning process that school leaders are undertaking are detailed and time consuming.  But, remember that this is also a new experience for both students and parents, and they have questions about the process and what to expect. Questions and details left unanswered about transitioning to in-person learning can lead to misunderstanding, rumors, and the spread of false information. Being aware of individuals’ concerns while navigating this new landscape is essential in building and retaining trust throughout this process. 

Proactive Communication

A way to overcome miscommunication is to be proactive and answer common questions ahead of time. Many parents and students have valid concerns about the process and return to in-person learning. Although it is challenging to manage so many details, proactive communication can help demonstrate student safety and maintain parent trust. Implementing a Frequently Asked Questions page on the district’s and schools’ websites, along with the in-person learning plan will help to funnel many of these questions and reinforce trust and your relationships with families.  Share the FAQs via email and social media to ensure that your families see the information.

Student Holding BooksTop 10 Questions Parents have about In-Person Learning

  • What is the schedule? Being clear about the details of the schedule–what days cohorts are attending and during which hours–is an important first question to provide for parents and students. This can be explaining how the schedule will change and similarities to the current structure. A schedule with easy-to-view data will be immensely helpful in funneling initial questions to help accommodate parents. Keep in mind that families need to plan for childcare and adjust their own schedules when these transitions occur.

 

  • How will I be informed about COVID-19 cases in the classroom, on the school campus? Providing specific procedures will help give order and peace of mind to parents so they know exactly what to expect in case of a COVID-19 case on campus. Being clear about covid cases will help show intentionality and transparency.

 

  • What if the teacher or someone in my child’s class is COVID-19 positive? This is an important question for both parents and students to know what to expect. Having clear procedures and expectations and steps to follow will help give clarity to parents.

 

  • Where do I drop off/pick up my student from school? Providing maps and visuals will give a reference to parents. In-person learning will be different from attendance before the pandemic. Communicating specifically the procedures ahead of time for dropping off students will help ensure proper social distancing and safety to help maintain order on the day of returning.

 

  • How will snacks, recess, lunchtime be handled? The daily routine of in-person learning is different from when the pandemic began. What are ways that these daily activities are carried out realistically and safely? This will be an important question to answer not just for parents but students as well since many are curious to see how their interactions with one another will change or feel the same.

 

  • What will be done to promote physical distancing? Since physical distancing can have many applications it is important to define the steps to ensure clear procedures. Having clear expectations and procedures for social distancing will help give peace of mind to parents to see a safe learning environment.

 

  • What are the disinfecting procedures? Demonstrating thoughtful and clear procedures for disinfecting will help to model the promotion of a safe learning environment. What are regular disinfecting practices throughout the day and what are deeper janitorial practices that will be implemented?

 

  • What measures will be implemented on campus to ensure the safety of staff and students? Beyond physical distancing and regular disinfecting what safety measures can students and staff expect? What types of screening procedures will be required of students and staff? Are there similarities and differences between the procedures between staff and students? Include visuals and graphics to help make steps memorable and clear.

 

  • What happens if a student comes to school ill? Addressing possible scenarios helps give clarity to parents, staff, and students on the proper actions and steps to take in case of an illness. This will help to demonstrate further the safeguards in place to promote a safe learning environment in multiple situations.

 

  • Will my child be assigned to a different teacher? This is an important question to answer for both parents and students. Knowing what to expect ahead of time will help in the transition and allow students to best connect with their teacher.

The Bottom Line: Communication Matters

Implementing questions and answers about in-person learning is helpful in not only maintaining organization but builds parent trust. Proactive communication helps minimize the spread of confusion and helps to funnel common questions. 

 

We Are Here to Help

If you’re balancing school/district leadership with communication responsibilities, and you’re finding yourself falling behind on timely and consistent communications across your communication channels, Sounding Board Marketing & Communications can help. You can discover services to help school districts navigate communicating well in an unfamiliar landscape. To learn more about communication services that best fit the needs of your district you can explore Sounding Board Marketing & Communications Strategic Services. Schedule a 30-min consultation today and discover proactive communication to help fuel a positive and impactful transition to in-person learning.