School Public Relations for Student Success

184 Pages·2009·5.912 MB·English

by  Edward H. Moore

School
Public
Relations
for
Student
Success

School
Public
Relations
for
Student
Success
Edward H. Moore
Copyright2009byCorwin
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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
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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