Don’t lose your raving fans
For simplicity’s sake, let’s define brand as the cumulative feeling people have when they interact with your district.
People tend not to remember specific incidents, but they will always remember how you made them feel. People who have fond memories of their interactions with the people in the district are called, “Raving Fans.”
And that’s what is leaking out of your district at the end of every school year.
You have many staff, parents, and students who have strong, positive experiences with your brand.
Yet once they leave for another position, retire, go home to an empty nest, or head out for college, you start to lose those good vibrations quickly – and it’s usually an abrupt parting of ways. One day your number one fans are the PTA presidents, and the next day they are gone.
There are a couple of ways to fix this. One way is to survey all outgoing patrons to learn what they liked or disliked about their experience with the district. That’s especially important with exiting staff and students.
For parents, you might consider starting an alumni club. This might include giving parents special access to administration and events and a lifetime free pass to any school event. That way you will have their support when you need it (a tax referendum, for example).
You can DIY all of these ideas or hire a neutral third party, like ExcellenceK12, to help. A third party ensures the survey participants feel free to share criticism without fear of retribution.
