Patron input matters.  School districts are increasingly having to address new issues and concerns from students, staff, and parents that general patron relationships might end up on the back burner.  One way to help districts navigate trying times is to have an early warning system in place, like a Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC). These patrons…
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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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Almost every school district reports the same findings when it comes to how patrons receive district information. The number one source is almost always friends and neighbors. This is often followed by social media/Facebook. Additional findings can include media resources (newspaper) and district-initiated communications, such as the district website, email blasts, etc. The piece of…
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It’s always good to know where you stand. Is your school district respected, beloved, and held in high esteem? Or do staff, students, parents, and patrons simply tolerate you? If you don’t know where you stand, it’s hard to have a plan of action that will move the district forward. Remember, when it comes to…
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What happened? If you just lost a bond or levy ballot issue, you are probably getting this question from all sides. And that’s probably a hard pill to swallow right now. It hurts. We get it. One of the hardest things about a failed bond or ballot issue is you are back to square one.…
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The last few years have seen a steady rise in conversations about culture: what it is; what it does; and why it’s important. Much of the content has been based on human resources issues, including recruiting, retention, employee engagement, et al. While these are all worthy topics to explore and can impact your bottom line,…
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If you are talking to your Board of Education about the advisability of conducting a pre-election phone survey to determine whether your long-term facility ideas will be received favorably, below is good information to have. Five things a pre-election survey can tell you: Ready to find out what your pre-election survey can tell you? Contact…
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Frankly, I don’t know anybody or any profession that doesn’t have occasional communication challenges. A big part of the challenge is simple. Most people think they are communicating clearly when it’s simply not happening. And it’s not happening for one reason. The communication is incomplete. To help you understand the basics of communication, take a…
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We recently completed patron satisfaction surveys where the data showed patrons who once had students in the district were less pleased with the district than patrons who had never had children in the district. The prevailing thought is once you are familiar with the district and your children and you have a positive experience, you…
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