Pe mbina Hills Public Sc hools Communic ations plan Pub lishe d F e b . 11, 2016
Pr oc e ss and time line s Complete internal audit Interviewed 40+ key communicators, 5 focus groups, online survey: 104 people Sept./Oct. What we heard audit report published Nov. 30, 2015 Communications Task Force develops plan (4 meetings) - Informed by the What we heard report - Informed by what they hear from their communities and constituencies - Informed by their own insights and perspectives Present communications plan to the school board in February to inform budget decisions Feb. 16: Administrators Feb. 24: School board As scheduled : Each school/building
T hank you to the task for ce! Brett Cooper, Director, ADLC Karen Gabel, Admin. Assistant, Colony Schools Steven Montgomery, Teacher, BCHS Angie Bachand, Assoc. Principal, R.F. Staples Secondary School Prakash Raju, Assoc. Principal, BCHS Sheila Gardiner, Principal, Swan Hills School Dale Bujold, Principal, Barrhead Elementary Sherry Lantz-Cooper, Admin. Assistant, Vista Virtual School Claire Stitsen, Program Assistant, Busby School Claire Vincent, Teacher, Westlock Elementary School Tracy Dezaeyer, Parent, Dunstable Jennifer Teefy, Admin. Assistant, Facilities and Transportation Lorna Hiemstra, Principal, Dunstable Alex Mottus, Director, Information Technology Services Sharon Sloat, Teacher, Dunstable Lorraine Allison, Accountant, Business and Communications Services, RO Don Hinks, Principal, Eleanor Hall School Veronica Lindquist, Coordinator, Employee Services, RO Charlene Assenheimer, Principal, Fort Assiniboine School Annette Bokenfohr, Trustee Kim Sybesma, Assoc Principal, NPCS Tracy Meunier, Secretary Treasurer, RO Jason Wiks, Assoc. Principal, PNCS Pam Golden, Admin Assistant, Business and Communications Services, RO Elaine Latawiec, Assist. Coordinator, Business and Communications Services RO
Re sourc e de pe nde nc y: Who doe s PHPS ne e d onside ? Resource dependency theory No organization – including school boards – is self-reliant. Pembina Hills Public Schools relies on external entities beyond their control for the resources they need. To survive and thrive, Pembina Hills Public Schools must establish and sustain effective relationships with those who control the resources.
Communic ations and public r e lations -- the be dr oc k of r e lationships Public relations The management function that establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between the organization and the publics upon whom the organization’s success or failure depends. Effective Public Relations , Cutlip, Center and Broom Key words: Management, mutually beneficial, publics, success or failure depends Communications Systemic planned approach to conveying and sharing information between PHPS and a specific public/audience complete with a feedback loop. Key questions: Have we been heard /understood? Have we heard/understood? How do we know?
Why PHPS ne e ds to c ommunic ate The task force said: People don’t know what they don’t know To find out what the community wants • • Education is in transition and changing; or thinks about an issue • we must explain this to citizens and parents We are using public $$ we are accountable to • School is not the same today the public for how we spend it • as when parents attended Encourage public participation and involvement • We are in competition – Home Education, Private in our work • School, other distance education programs, Promote a sense of pride within the division • Catholic Schools – we are not the only option Always looking for resources / funding • Competing views of parents Build / re-establish relationships • • Competing for attention which may be under strain • Would the people of our communities stand up for us if the government cut our funding ?
T ask for c e ide ntifie d 4 pr ior itie s • Effective internal communication will promote schools learning from each other. Simplifying is good. Improve internal • This will build understanding within the division. communications • This will promote efficiency which will save time . Improve • Children are our business. communications • Parents need to understand what is happening in our schools; if they understand why we are changing a practice, they will be on board . with parents • We need to build connections and community. • These stories will remind us of our purpose; our great staff and help build morale. Tell the PHPS • Good stories beget good stories. This creates a positive feeling within and about PHPS. story • The public doesn’t really have a reason to visit the Pembina Hills Public Schools website. Let’s do something to reach out to them . • We want to make our information accessible to the public. Simplify • Recognize that people are very busy – making documents easier to read will accommodate communications them.
Priority: Ge t the g ood ne ws out a bout PHPS What is the stor y we want to te ll? - Divisio n/ sc ho o l prio ritie s: Wha t a re we do ing to ma ke a diffe re nc e fo r kids. (Re fe r to E duc a tio n pla ns fo r g uida nc e ) - Ce le b ra te the divisio n’ s pe o ple a nd the ir c o ntrib utio ns (Pe o ple we re ide ntifie d a s a c o re stre ng th in the c o mmunic a tio ns a udit) Who do we want to te ll our stor y to? - Sta ff, pa re nts, me dia , de c isio n-ma ke rs, ta xpa ye rs. How will we te ll our stor y? - Annua l print pub lic a tio n hig hlig hting Pe mb ina Hills Pub lic Sc ho o ls - Bi-mo nthly dig ita l pub lic a tio n c e le b ra ting Pe mb ina Hills Pub lic Sc ho o ls - Re fo c us divisio n we b site to te ll the divisio n’ s sto rie s Suc c e ss looks like E a c h sc ho o l sha re s 5 g o o d ne ws sto rie s e a c h ye a r.
Simplify c ommunic ations How will we do this? I nc lude a sta te me nt o utlining sc ho o l/ divisio n’ s c o mmitme nt • to c le a r c o mmunic a tio n o n pub lic a tio ns. I nvite fe e db a c k fro m sc ho o l c o unc il/ c o unc il o f sc ho o l c o unc ils. • Asse ss divisio n/ sc ho o l c o mmunic a tio ns a g a inst the F le sc h re a da b ility sc a le . Aim fo r Gra de 8 • Write po lic ie s a nd a dministra tive pro c e dure s in pla in la ng ua g e . F o r to pic s o f impo rta nc e to • pa re nts a nd stude nts, pro duc e info rma tio n b ulle tins in e ve ryda y la ng ua g e . Offe r sta ff – e spe c ia lly tho se writing ne wsle tte rs - wo rksho ps o n ho w to write c o nc ise ly. • E sta b lish a n e ma il sta nda rd. • What suc c e ss looks like ? - Po sitive re spo nse to q ue stio ns o n divisio n/ sc ho o l surve ys - Administra to rs unde rsta nd wha t the y a re c o mmunic a ting . - F e we r c a lls to divisio n o ffic e o r sc ho o ls, with re q ue sts to e xpla in wha t ha s c o mmunic a te d - F e e db a c k fro m sc ho o l c o unc il.
Impr ove c ommunic ations with par e nts How will we do this? - Co nsult with pa re nts b e fo re sc ho o l b o a rd ma ke s ma jo r d e c isio ns tha t a ffe c t the m. L e ve ra g e e xisting re la tio nships with sc ho o l c o unc ils. - Ask pa re nts (Co unc il o f Sc ho o l Co unc ils) wha t the y wo uld like to g e t info rma tio n a b o ut. - Inc lud e a se c tio n in e a c h sc ho o l ne wsle tte r fo c use d o n d ivisio n ne ws. - Cre a te a c he c klist fo r wha t sho uld b e inc lud e d o n sc ho o l we b site s. Cle a n up d a te d info rma tio n o n d ivisio n/ sc ho o l we b site s. - K e e p pa re nts in mind a s we po pula te PHPS we b site . L e ss o f a mish/ ma sh o f inte rna l a nd e xte rna l info rma tio n. - Pro d uc e a n a nnua l print pub lic a tio n hig hlig hting Pe mb ina Hills Pub lic Sc ho o ls (T e lling the g o o d ne ws) - Ask pa re nts o n a nnua l surve y if the y a re sa tisfie d with c o mmunic a tio ns fro m the d ivisio n. What suc c e ss looks like ? F e we r c o mpla ints, F e we r q ue stio ns, Mo re pa re nta l invo lve me nt Mo re po sitive c o mme nts unpro mpte d c o mme nts fro m the c o mmunity Pa re nts re spo nse to spe c ific q ue stio n o n d ivisio n surve y
Impr ove inte r nal c ommunic ations How will we do this? Re va mp the divisio n we b site / e xplo re c re a ting a n I ntra ne t • (Curre ntly we a re using a n e xte rna l ve hic le to c o nve y inte rna l info rma tio n (i.e . T SI ) Bi-mo nthly dig ita l pub lic a tio n (F ro m te lling the g o o d ne ws g ro up) • T his pub lic a tio n will he lp PHPS sta ff kno w wha t is g o ing o n in o the r sc ho o ls a nd the divisio n. K e y RO sta ff ma ke de lib e ra te e ffo rt to visit sta ff a nd stude nts whe n o n sc ho o l site visits • Cre a te a ro le s a nd re spo nsib ilitie s do c ume nt to de sc rib e wha t e a c h pe rso n a t RO do e s. • What doe s suc c e ss look like ? We will g e t fe we r e ma ils Po sitive re spo nse to q ue stio n o n the divisio n surve y
Re sour c e s r e quir e d Re sour c e s r e quir e d So me o ne to pull to g e the r the pub lic a tio ns (Annua l pub lic a tio n/ Bi-mo nthly d ig ita l pub lic a tio n) • T ra ining : we b site , e d iting a nd so c ia l me d ia • Suppo rt fro m IT • Sc ho o ls willing to sha re spa c e in the ir ne wsle tte rs fo r d ivisio n ne ws •
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