Category: Uncategorized

We’re going to go out on a limb and assume nobody has asked you that question today – or ever. Managing perception is probably not one of the classes you took when getting your degree(s) in education. Things are changing every day in this brave new world of 2020. This fall, as your schools open,…
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Friends and neighbors are talking about your school district’s fall reentry plans. Do you have a pulse on what they are saying? We know from conducting hundreds of research studies for school districts that “friends and neighbors” is the number one source patrons turn to for district news. Those same studies tell us Facebook is…
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At least once a week, while walking his dog, Lacy, Dr. Desi Kirchhofer, superintendent, reaches out through a video message to the “Lion Nation” of the Northwest School District in House Springs, Mo., to send out positive messages – and to simply connect with his patrons – during the COVID-19 crisis. The videos – which…
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In this time of uncertainty, some of the most vulnerable are our children and their families. How you respond to and communicate with them about Covid-19 – and the steps you are taking to ensure their education continues – will leave a lasting impression. Your school district is looking to you, district leaders, for clarity…
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In a crisis situation, like the one everyone is experiencing with Covid-19, things can change at the drop of a hat. As district leaders, you are the ones everyone depends on to motivate them to stay positive and feel safe. Getting immediate feedback from your stakeholders about how you are responding to this crisis helps…
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When we ask school districts about their strategic planning efforts, we hear a number of responses – some of which are not very encouraging – such as: I looked for a strategic plan when I became superintendent and found the last one was done 11 years ago.   Our BOE is still mad because the last…
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Every day, week and month, your patrons’ inboxes are inundated with customer surveys. From your local pharmacy to retail stores to restaurants to your local municipality, there isn’t an organization (or business) that is not seeking their feedback. And you don’t want your patron survey to just add to the “clutter” – and their survey…
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Written research reports are the meat and potatoes of most companies who produce surveys for K-12. These reports tend to be voluminous – anywhere from 50 to 150 pages (or more). The alternative to these massive tomes is the digital dashboard. The term “dashboard” comes from its similarity to the dashboard, or instrument panel, of…
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When we ask district patrons to grade various people, places and things in their school district, the item that often gets the lowest score is “value for the tax dollars spent.” Ironically, even patrons who rate their district high in all other areas (and consider their district the best in the area) give the district…
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The ExcellenceK12 model for strategic planning was the discussion topic during the first round of breakout sessions at the Missouri Association of Rural Education (MARE) Annual Conference on October 23. Rick Nobles and Brad Stefanoni engaged educators in an outcomes-oriented discussion of how ExcellenceK12 works with school districts to ensure a broad cross-section of stakeholders…
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