Communications issues surrounding the private school choice debate

It's time, once again, for public school advocates to gear up in opposition to a far-reaching and poorly conceived plan to promote private school choice.

Here is a link to a report that originally appeared in December 2010 in the Catholic Miscellany. It was reprinted in The Voice, an online publication produced by South Carolinians for Responsible Government, a front-group for New York libertarian Howard Rich. The article indicates that the so-called Education Opportunity Act is being tweaked around the edges but still contains most of the proposals put forth last time around, including the idea of eventually giving money to families who ALREADY have their kids in private school.

Similar proposals have failed in past legislative sessions because there were enough Republicans (to go with almost all those in the minority party) who supported their local public schools and/or saw that the financial numbers were simply out of touch with budgetary reality. This time could be different.

School choice is a matter for lawmakers to either push or cast aside, but the presence of Mick Zais, a Republican who has said he views school choice favorably, as superintendent of education, will likely embolden supporters of giving public money to private schools. And, of course, governor-elect Nikki Haley, a Mark Sanford protege, has said she would sign such a bill if it comes across her desk.

More than ever, public school backers need to be ready for a fight.

Here are our suggestions:

1. Emphasize the practical, not the ideological. Yes, the philosophical underpinnings of public education are important and worthy of much discussion. But too much focus on ideology could very well backfire. Most parents -- and voters, at large -- are more concerned with practical outcomes. Moreover, we've got to face the fact that the majority of South Carolinians have voted for Republican politicians who say they favor private school choice. While this doesn't mean that all these voters see things the same way -- many may have voted for Haley or even Zais on the basis of other issues -- it sure seems risky to take on the state's conservative power structure on philosophical terms alone.

Stress such real-world concerns as transportation: How will kids who have no means of transportation other than a school bus get to the private school of their "choice"? Talk about capacity and admissions requirements: Will there be room for your child? Will the top private schools admit our state's struggling students? Remind people of cost: Will the proposed $2,200 tax credit be enough for your family to afford private school? Will it be anywhere near enough for our state's poorest families? Will “scholarship-granting organizations” come up with enough money to fund poor families’ choice, or will private school choice blatantly favor the affluent?

2. Make the financial math real. Don't just say the plan will take money out of the public schools. Some are no doubt convinced by the rhetoric, relentlessly pushed by SCRG and others on the right, that your school districts are over-funded already. The public may buy the idea put forth by school choice proponents that their plans will save the public system money. You should EXPLAIN why this is not the case. For example, if you put it in straightforward terms, it shouldn't be too hard for your constituents to grasp why the loss of a few students (or many, depending on your enrollment and infrastructure), along with $2,200 per child, will be a net loss to local public schools.

3. Put your best foot forward – aggressively. During tough budget times, you'd obviously rather cut back on public relations expenses than on teaching positions or programs for children. That's as it should be. But studies have demonstrated how organizations that continue to invest in marketing and public relations during economic downturns emerge stronger than those that do not. Moreover, not all public relations efforts are terribly expensive. Here are some ideas that we believe will help you build community support (not to mention gain an edge in ongoing competition with local private schools or neighboring public districts):

**Gather testimonials from parents. If your print budget allows, put these in the hands of Realtors, HR directors at local companies, politicians, and others who influence families' home buying and school decisions.

**Create video testimonials. Real moms and dads, on camera, talking about positive experiences with their kids' schools, can be very powerful. There are professional videographers who can produce simple testimonial videos for a good price. Your school district may offer courses in videography or may own high-quality video equipment for other purposes. In any case, we aren't talking about a Hollywood production, and the costs don't have to be enormous. But we believe the payoff can be. Use the videos on your district or school websites. Post them on YouTube. Put DVDs in the hands of Realtors and others listed above and tell them they're welcome to make as many copies as they think they can use. The immediate upshot may be to sell your district to prospective homebuyers and families – nothing wrong with that! – but in the process you'll be getting the positive word out to policy makers, business leaders, and the community at-large.

**Work with your local media. Hopefully you already have strong relationships with nearby newspapers and television news media. But make sure you're cultivating those relationships. Young reporters are often inundated with information on test scores, budgets, and school board politics. They'll probably be leaned on pretty heavily by school choice proponents in the coming months. It can all be overwhelming. Take time to meet with reporters and editors. Share your positive stories, but also help them understand complex issues such as budgets and test scores. Meanwhile, if you're given the opportunity to write op-eds to your local paper, go for it. Use that free space to talk about good things going on in your schools, to advocate policies that are good for schools and children, and to explain your position on school choice.

**Thank your volunteers. This sounds simple enough, and many schools do a great job with thank-you notes, volunteer appreciation lunches, and the like. But try not to slip up. Volunteers obviously make a positive impact in your schools, but they can also be important PR advocates out in the community. Let them know they're appreciated.

**Beef up your websites. More and more, a school's website is as much an entry point for the public as the front door of the building. Web development and design can be very expensive. But look around. Not all packages are terribly pricey. Meanwhile, if you're satisfied with your current websites or cannot afford a new design, make sure you're doing the most with what you've got. Show scenes of students learning and having fun, and size those photographs properly. Proofread written content so that there are no embarrassing errors. Try to keep the content fresh, informative, and interesting.

At Rothschild and Maultsby Media, we believe we can serve your district in all these areas, from ghostwriting op-eds and other media relations support to producing video testimonials and planning community events. We’d love to talk with you about these and other ideas. But whether you work with RMM or another agency or decide to carry out strategies with existing staff, we hope you will respond aggressively to attacks on public education. South Carolina’s children need you to prevail. Please let us know if we can help!

Public Schools on the Web: How to keep your 'front porch' in order

We would like to use this blog as a place for discussion of marketing, communications, and public relations ideas and issues. We'll cover a range of topics, from business marketing to local government and non-profit communications.

I wanted to use this post to share some thoughts on K-12 education communications and marketing -- specifically, websites.

More and more, school and school district websites are a starting point for reaching out to parents, prospective parents, and homebuyers. Just as the front entrance of the local high school should be attractive and properly maintained, websites represent an essential opportunity to make a good first impression.

There is a remarkable range of websites for public school systems. I've seen numerous sites that incorporate excellent design and photography. Many sites have a easy-to-navigate links and vital information (contact numbers, calendars, news of the day, etc.). There are other district and school websites that look as if they were designed in 1996 and have hardly been touched up since.

It obviously takes money to pay for new website development. In this budget climate, it's understandable that districts put online content and other public relations efforts on the back-burner. What's unfortunate is that some districts have invested in upscale web templates but lack the photography and other content to keep their sites attractive and interesting.

Whether districts are keeping things in-house or working with outside vendors on web development, we've got a few suggestions:

1. Photography matters. A slick homepage template is great to have. But if the supporting images are weak, then the site won't be particularly attractive or exciting.

Even without hiring a professional photographer, there are a few easy habits to keep in mind.

Show faces, and try to get close to your subject. Close-ups of smiling students, scenes of teachers working with kids -- these images are compelling. They send a message about the learning that takes place in your schools. Parents, especially, want to make an emotional connection, and images of happy students and active teachers will create a positive feeling. They're also more interesting to look at than posed shots of students or staff standing in front of a wall holding award certificates (which is not to say that it isn't important to showcase outstanding achievements of people in your district or school).

Make sure to size pictures large enough so that they are easily visible. Consider your local newspaper: Feature photographs and pictures accompanying lead stories usually take up a good portion of the page.

2. Use reasonable font sizes and colors. Bigger isn't always better. Combined with oddball colors, the wrong font can appear silly and unprofessional.

3. Written content is important. First of all, make sure the grammar is correct. Though it's rare, we've seen school district sites with questionable grammar and incorrect spelling -- not a good message for an educational institution to send.

Many sites include a message from a principal or superintendent. These segments can be very valuable with the right content. Try to tell a story and convey your compassion for and commitment to children. Too often, web site messages from school leaders are stiff and unimaginative. Instead of repeating or slightly rewording an official mission statement, try to make it personal.

Schools may not have the staff available to contribute regular feature articles. But, when possible, add feature articles about people in your schools. This is a great way to highlight your strengths, give attention to deserving students and teachers, and promote an overall message about school quality. It's also a way to keep readers coming back to your site -- meaning greater community engagement.

Again, an upscale design template with myriad bells and whistles isn't worth very much without strong supporting content.

For design, photography, and writing support, you may find that affordable avenues exist.

There are companies that offer support without an exorbitant price tag (you can consider this a plug for Rothschild & Maultsby Media). There may be freelance professionals in your community who would love to write articles or take pictures for a reasonable price. Perhaps a journalism class at your high school could contribute content.

Whatever approach works for your school or district, consider web content absolutely vital to your public relations and community engagement efforts. And even during difficult budgetary cycles, communicating effectively remains essential for the long-term health of every school and district.