Author: admin

Teaching is a craft

Guest column by Lonnie MoserSuperintendent, Hiawatha Schools USD 415 I’m not sure there is a better season than autumn. The fall colors in Hiawatha, known as the city of beautiful maples, is a sight to behold, and schools are fully engaged in their purpose. As we near the end of our first quarter of the…
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Empowering education and the community through data

By: Dr. Jaret Tomlinson, Superintendent, Excelsior Springs School District Since embarking on a journey to harness the power of data to transform our schools and strengthen community bonds, we reflect on the progress made by engaging our stakeholders. It’s inspiring to witness the positive impact data-driven decision-making has had on education and community engagement. Empowering…
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Guest Article: Never stop dreaming

Superintendents dream big: new buildings, performing arts centers, stadiums, and one-to-one initiatives. Whatever it takes to improve the educational experience for their “kids” is exactly what superintendents want – and go after. We applaud the vision, the audacity, and the effort – and we want to help. We have been exceedingly fortunate to work with…
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Avoid common hurdles when running a bond issue election

Is your school district considering a bond issue election in the near future? If so, keep in mind the following things that could impact your election results. Cost – Often, the most important consideration is how much the election will cost the average homeowner in new tax dollars. Depending on the size and nature of your…
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Listen to your patrons. It’s key to your success

The 80/20 rule has never been more apt. In most school districts, there are two distinct groups of patrons. There are raving fans who support everything the district does and the “citizens against virtually everything” (or CAVE dwellers) who rain on everyone’s parade.  Collectively, these groups generally make up about 20% of the patron population.…
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Back to the “not-so” normal

If you are like most of our clients, you are shouting, “hip hip hooray” the 2020/2021 school year is in the books. You are probably chomping at the bit to get back to a more normal routine and education delivery system. We are, too. And none of us wants another crazy year like this past…
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Reflections of a school year

By: Stephanie SmithDirector of Public Relations, Fort Osage R-1 School District In the past year, I have never been prouder to be a part of public education.  While I am not sure words can convey the COVID-19 pandemic or its impact on education, I have seen school personnel all over the United States demonstrating their…
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When DIY won’t work for your school district

When people ask who our competition is, our immediate response is the DIY school districts. Many research tools are readily available to school districts – and some take advantage of the cost savings by doing their own in-house research. In fact, we often encourage our clients to DIY projects that don’t require our expertise. However,…
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Don’t halt your pre-election research

Fall reopening ups and downs have your school district busy beyond belief, making it hard to think past tomorrow. But, pre-pandemic, your school district may have been planning for a bond issue. Now is the time to seek the input of your patrons, if you foresee a future bond election in spring 2021. If you…
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