Leadership Matters August 2013 issue.pub

Back to School: Tips for thriving, not just surviving

Contact local, civic, fraternal and professional organizations to schedule opportunities to make a presentation regarding the new school year for the district. This is also a great time to include a message about the merits of the public education system. Keep in mind that local groups are always looking for presentations for their weekly or monthly programs. Plan on scheduling an opportunity each month to deliver a message about your school and the importance of the public education system. It is time for us to recapture the conversation regarding the merits of the public school system. Develop the all-inclusive “Back to School” agenda. Share this agenda as part of your communication activities. Plan ‘Back to School’ events Hold an annual “Back to School” meeting and engage your staff in the planning of the meeting. Keep the focus of the meeting positive and upbeat. Provide refreshments and pre meeting time for socialization. Provide a formal “Welcome Back to School” message. Include representation from the Board of Education and the staff/faculty unions, and clearly set out the district goals for the new school year and emphasize the upcoming opportunities and challenges. Also talk about statutory and funding changes, new policies, or updates to your district’s regulations. It is essential to share the district’s key vision, priorities and successes with staff at the start of the school year. Staff can serve as communication ambassadors who carry key messages to a wider audience. Recognize any retirements and resignations that would have occurred over the summer and formally introduce all new staff members. Encourage each school to establish “Back to School” events that provide for the students, parents and staff an energetic and exciting return to school. Schedule “Back to School” visits. Visit each of the schools during the first two days to welcome back the students and the staff. It's important to acknowledge all of the faculty and staff in your district, you are all working together as a community and you want to assure that the new (Continued on page 11)

Here we are once again, families are returning from summer vacations, students are returning from summer camp, teachers are decorating and preparing classrooms, and the annual “Back to School” advertisements are popping up in the local newspapers and on the radio and television airways. The

Dr. Nick Osborne Field Services Director, IASA

much anticipated summer vacation is quickly coming to an end. Yes, here it comes…another school year! The start of a new school year is a special event; some even consider it a holiday. It is an exciting time for the students, parents, faculty, staff and administration. For the school superintendent, it is an excellent opportunity to engage the district stakeholders, reinforce the districts values, and communicate goals, beliefs and strategic initiatives. The “Back to School” environment is also an excellent opportunity to promote all that is good about public education. There are a number of activities a school superintendent should pursue to secure a successful beginning of the new school year. The following list represents some of the approaches that are considered important in focusing on the launch of a new school year: Focus on communications Develop a list of “Back to School” talking points, including things such as a brief review of the previous year’s accomplishments, goals and strategic initiatives for the new school year, challenges and opportunities, and special events for the new school year. Develop a “Back to School” news release for your district and distribute via your local media contact list to stimulate and promote the local media’s interest in the district’s return to school. Utilize your talking points. This is a great opportunity to advance a positive message about your school district and to also promote the value and importance of the public education systems. Develop “Back to School” welcome letters for staff and faculty, administration, the Board of Education, parents and students. Utilize your talking points to develop the “Back to School Welcome” for the district’s website.

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