"Schools can live or die by public opinion, and quality public relations
is the key to garnering public support," says Les Potter, professor of
educational administration at West Georgia College.
"With ever-increasing public scrutiny, conducting effective school public
relations campaigns is no longer a luxury--it's a necessity," writes Michael
Savino, director of communications for the Northeast Regional Center and
author of "Public Relations Strategies for Communities and Schools.
What is effective public relations? More than knowing how to manage
the media in a crisis, although that aspect shouldn't be overlooked. In
"Getting the Media on Our Side" (Education Digest, January 1997, Vol.
62, No. 5) Potter offers ample advice to administrators on managing media
relations, including this note on putting a positive face forward: "Don't
wait until there is a problem to establish and nurture good media relations.
Invite reporters and editors to special functions to show them 'good news'
in action."
Where to start? Learn to look for the good news.
Consider your school or district in terms of three categories: mission,
events and people, advises Ray Wyman Jr. in "Promoting Your Organization."
"Under each, apply names, dates, places, messages, and whatever else
seems relevant. Include even seemingly negative and trivial things in
your lists. Now stand back and take a good look. Each one of the items
you wrote down is a possible angle that may be worthy of reporting. You
can use an angle to create an interesting story or to make an old story
seem new. Use personal events, changes in your program, unexpected benefits,
surprise aftereffects--anything that passes the 'NIM' test: new, interesting,
and memorable."
Take a cue from students: Is there a class kids are clamoring to get
in? What makes it so special? What about courses where students do particularly
well--is it because of a teacher's innovative approach? Look beyond school-related
activities, too. A story about a teacher who's also a star on the local
theater circuit, or photo essay on a student who participates in Civil
War reenactments benefits the school even though the activities aren't
directly related to the classroom. Any positive association with your
school or district is a plus.
"Keep in mind that public relations is not product-oriented. Instead,
it addresses the concepts of image and perception," writes Savino in "Public
Relations Strategies for Communities and Schools." The more times positive
mentions of your school or district appear in the media, the more the
public will perceive your schools in a positive light.
But above all else, he cautions, "remember that no matter how comprehensive
a public relations campaign is, there is no substitute for a good product."
In the event of a crisis . . .
What if a crisis occurs? Be prepared for the eventuality. As Savino
points out, a situation need not be dramatic to require crisis communications
management. A school district could come under fire for such issues as:
the elimination of student programs or services
poor student test results
a divided school board/school committee
a work action by an employee union
a change in administration (especially during mid-year)
teacher/staff layoffs
building facility problems
A plan for crisis
communications in such situations is essential. "Anticipating a crisis
is next to impossible," Savino says. "But anticipating the questions,
and planning your organization's reaction to the crisis is not nearly
as difficult if a crisis communication plan has been developed."
Promoting
Your Organization A guide to public relations, including descriptions
of who does what in media organizations, plus a sample press release
and backgrounder/fact sheet, from NetDay,
a grass-roots volunteer effort to wire schools for connection to the
Internet.
How
to Establish a Public Relations Campaign Geared toward business,
but contains information relevant to any organization; from Edge Online's
Business Builders series for entrepreneurs.
Press
Kit Although intended for schools participating in NASA's Live From
Mars project, this site offers excellent guidelines on publicizing school
projects.
Publicity
Strategies Although created by Church World Service for its emergency
response programs, the information could be adapted to a variety of
situations.
