School Public Relations for Student Success School Public Relations for Student Success Edward H. Moore Copyright2009byCorwin Allrightsreserved.Whenformsandsampledocumentsareincluded,theiruseisauthorized onlybyeducators,localschoolsites,and/ornoncommercialornonprofitentitiesthathave purchased the book. Except for that usage, no part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writingfromthepublisher. Forinformation: Corwin SAGEIndiaPvt.Ltd. ASAGECompany B1/I1MohanCooperative 2455TellerRoad IndustrialArea ThousandOaks,California91320 MathuraRoad,NewDelhi110044 (800)233-9936 India Fax:(800)417-2466 www.corwinpress.com SAGELtd. SAGEAsia-PacificPte.Ltd. 1Oliver’sYard 33PekinStreet#02-01 55CityRoad FarEastSquare LondonEC1Y1SP Singapore048763 UnitedKingdom PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica. LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData Moore,EdwardH.(EdwardHampton),1953– Schoolpublicrelationsforstudentsuccess/EdwardH.Moore. p.cm. Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex. ISBN978-1-4129-6567-5(cloth) ISBN978-1-4129-6568-2(pbk.) 1. Schools—Publicrelations. 2. Communicationineducation. I. Title. LB2847.M662009 659.2′9371—dc22 2009010940 Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper. 09 10 11 12 13 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 AcquisitionsEditor: ArnisBurvikovs AssociateEditor: DesiréeA.Bartlett ProductionEditor: JaneHaenel CopyEditor: AliceLanyk Typesetter: C&MDigitals(P)Ltd. Proofreader: CherylRivard Indexer: MariaSosnowski CoverandGraphicDesigner: KarineHovsepian Contents Preface ix Acknowledgments xi About the Author xiii 1. The High Stakes of School PR: Student Success 1 Strong Relationships Support Student Success 1 Perceptions and Reputations Matter 2 School PR Efforts Reflect Reality 3 School PR Basics: Do and Tell 4 QUESTIONSFORASSESSINGSCHOOLPRSUPPORTFORSTUDENTSUCCESS 4 2. Understanding How PR Serves Your Students and Schools 5 Connecting Teaching and School PR 5 School PR inAction 6 ServingAll School PRAudiences 8 QUESTIONSFORASSESSINGCOMMITMENTSTOSCHOOLPREXCELLENCE 9 3. Defining Your School PR Needs 11 Defining School Public Relations 11 Organizing School PR Efforts 12 Different Needs, Different Roles in School PR 12 UseAvailable School PR Support 13 QUESTIONSFORASSESSINGSCHOOLPRROLESANDRESOURCES 16 4. Organizing Your School PR Efforts 17 Defining School PR Success 17 Key Components for Success 18 Getting School PR Research 19 Examples: Putting School PR Research to Work 20 Setting School PR Objectives 21 Deciding Strategies 21 Picking Tactics 22 Examples: DefiningYour School PR Tactics 22 CHECKLIST:THE12-STEPSCHOOLPRPLANNER 23 Q&A:FRANKBASSODISCUSSESHOWSCHOOLSSHOULDPLANAND MEASUREPREFFORTS 24 5. Getting Useful School PR Research 27 Examples: School PR Research Myths toAddress 27 Examples: School PR Research Sources 28 Early-Warning Roles of PR Research 29 QUESTIONSFORASSESSINGSCHOOLPRRESEARCH 32 Q&A:CYNTHIAE.BANACHTALKSABOUTTHE IMPORTANCEOFCOMMUNICATIONRESEARCHTOSCHOOLPREFFORTS 32 6. Creating Goodwill Ambassadors for Your Schools 35 Examples: The People Who Make or Break School PR 36 Communication Happens: Planned or Not 36 Listening: Making Communication Two-Way 36 Examples: Listening Opportunities in Schools 37 CHECKLIST:GETTINGSTARTEDWITHINTERNALSCHOOLPR 37 7. Achieving School PR Success: Employees 39 The Real Power in School PR: When People Care 39 Creating a Team That Works 40 KnowAll of theAudiences 40 Ideas for School PRActivities With Employees 41 CHECKLIST:IDEASFORHELPINGEMPLOYEESDEALWITHUPSETCUSTOMERS 45 8. Achieving School PR Success: Parents 47 What Parents Want 48 Example: Targeting Messages to Parents 48 AnalyzeYour Messages 49 Ideas for School PRActivities With Parents 49 CHECKLIST:ENGAGEMENTIDEASTARTERSFORPARENTS 53 9. Achieving School PR Success: Students 55 Students Talk, People Listen 55 Supporting School Communication by Students 56 CelebrateAll Student Successes 56 Ideas for School PRActivities With Students 57 10. Achieving School PR Success: Volunteers and Other School Visitors 59 Welcoming Outsiders toYour School 59 First Impressions Last 60 Ideas for School PRActivities With Visitors 60 11. Achieving School PR Success: Diverse Audiences 63 Diversity’s Impact on School PR 63 Use PR to Tap Diversity’s Power 64 Ideas for School PRActivites With Diverse Populations 64 12. Achieving School PR Success: Seniors 67 Boost Senior Involvement 67 Ideas for School PRActivities With Seniors 68 Q&A:DIANEHOLTZMANTALKSABOUTINVOLVING SENIORSINSCHOOLPREFFORTS 69 13. Achieving School PR Success: Businesses and Vendors 73 Tap Business Expertise and Influence 73 Build Working Partnerships 74 Ideas for School PRActivities With Businesses 74 Q&A:JOHNMOSCATELLIDISCUSSESHOWSCHOOLSAND BUSINESSESCANWORKTOGETHER 75 Q&A:DR.WILLIAMJ.BANACHDISCUSSESHOW MARKETINGCANCONTRIBUTETOSCHOOLPREFFORTS 78 14. Achieving School PR Success: Community Leaders 81 EncourageActive Involvement 81 Ideas for School PRActivities With Community Leaders 82 Q&A:DR.DONBAGINTALKSABOUT KEYCOMMUNICATORSANDSCHOOLPR 84 15. Creating Your School PR Messages and Content 87 Creating Messages That Work 87 Linking Messages to Needs and Beliefs 89 Example: Creating Messages That SparkAction 89 PayAttention to Message Meanings 90 Some Suggestions for Building Such Messages 91 Writing for Readership 93 Revising Copy to Strengthen Messages 94 Transitions: Shifting Gears Between Ideas 98 Assuring Message Transparency 99 16. Delivering Your School PR Messages and Content: In Print and Online 103 Organizing PR Tactics 103 Communicating Through Design 106 Accommodate How People Read 107 Ideas for Facilitating Communication 108 Headlines Need SpecialAttention 112 Don’t BeAnonymous 113 Consistency Creates Credibility 113 PackageYour Information 114 17. Delivering Your School PR Messages and Content: In the News Media 119 Why Schools Use the News Media to Communicate 119 What Do the Media Offer Schools? 120 How Does Publicity Relate to PR? 120 Who Speaks to the Media? 121 What Is News? 123 Tactics for Getting Stories to the Media 124 Building Solid Relationships With Reporters and Editors 125 Ways to Connect Schools and the Media Covering Them 126 Setting Interview Ground Rules 127 Choosing a Good Interview Location 128 Know What Makes for a Successful Interview 128 Preparing for Interview QuestionsYou’ll Face 128 Handling Tough Interview Questions 129 Learn to Leverage School News 130 Q&A:M.LARRYLITWINTALKSABOUTWORKINGWITHTHENEWSMEDIA 131 18. Delivering Your School PR Messages and Content: In Person 135 Dealing With Others One-on-One 135 Face-to-Face Tactics inAction 136 Ideas for Creating Successful School Gatherings 137 Planning and Writing Presentations and Speeches 138 Accommodating theAudience 139 Getting the Right Introduction 140 Creating Great Visuals 141 Handling Questions During andAfter Presentations 142 Presenting to UnfriendlyAudiences 143 Personal Communication During Crises 145 Tapping the PR Power in Good Etiquette 146 19. School PR: How You Can Make a Difference Now 149 School PR Resources 155 Index 161 Preface U se this resource as your personal school public relations adviser. It has been designed to work as an on-the-job public relations partner foreveryoneworkinginschools.Itisaresourcetobeconsultedagainand again as you plan and implement public relations activities to support student and school success. Thisguiderecognizesthevitalrolesthatschoolpublicrelationsefforts play in helping students achieve and schools succeed. For students and schools to thrive, parents and communities must be supportive and involved. And the engagement and understanding needed to foster such supportandinvolvementdependontheopen,two-way,ongoingcommu- nication created by effective school public relations efforts. Thebookislightontheorybutheavyonpracticalideas.Itoffershints andtipsyoucanuserightaway.Itfocusesonspecificpublicrelationstac- tics that work for individual schools and programs, as well as for school systems overall. Thisguidealsoemphasizesthepublicrelationsresponsibilitiesheldby everyone working in schools. Of course, district administrators play key roles in nurturing communication that works. But principals, program directors, teachers, office staff, bus drivers, volunteers, and others—all personsonthefrontlinesbetweenschoolsandthepeopletheyserve—are key contributors to building understanding of and support for schools. This book offers practical ideas to assist all school employees in fulfilling these individual public relations roles. Successinpublicrelationsoftenrequiresmakingtherightspur-of-the- momentdecisions—resultinginwordsandactionsthatwillaffecttherepu- tations of schools and individuals well into the future. This guide offers sensible public relations support to every person making and implement- ing such choices, every single day, in schools everywhere. ix