2. 1
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
Contents
Introduction
Why We Need to Put Our
Best Foot Forward....................................................2
Chapter 1
Marketing Your School ............................................3
Marketing vs. Public Relations
Chapter 2
Developing the Marketing Plan ..............................4
Getting Your Marketing Plan Started
Set a Goal
Identify Your Audience
Establish Time Lines and Responsibilities
Develop Clear Themes and Messages
Communicate the Message
Evaluate the Plan
Chapter 3
Writing Customer-Friendly Copy ..........................6
Chapter 4
Working with the News Media ................................7
News Media Guidelines
The News Release
Public Service Announcements
Chapter 5
The School Public Relations Audit ....................... 11
Chapter 6
Customer Service....................................................12
Chapter 7
Video Production and Photography Made Easy .........13
Chapter 8
Getting the Word Out! ...........................................16
Tools of the Trade
Publications Guidelines
3. 2
Best Foot Forward
Why We Need to
Put Our Best Foot
Forward
Effective communication is vital to a school’s success in a
competitive marketplace. Let’s face it; with all of the
information bombarding the community about public
schools every day, it’s up to us to make sure our parents
and the public have the facts.
That’s why this program is for you! Best Foot Forward,
created by the Communications and Publications Depart-
ment, teaches school administrators how to develop and
implement a marketing plan that will increase community
support for their schools. The Best Foot Forward Program
focuses school administrators on three primary objectives:
• To identify target audiences and their perceptions about
your school
• To identify the school’s unique selling point and craft
key messages, and
• To assess and evaluate the effectiveness of current com-
munication efforts
We’ve also included tips on media relations, photography,
and video production, along with a list of some of the best
practices in school public relations from the National
School Public Relations Association (NSPRA). This
booklet is your guide to effective communication. Use it
liberally whenever you want to put your school’s best foot
forward!
4. 3
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
Marketing
Your School
Marketing is the buzz word among educators; but it’s a
whole lot more than advertising and promotion. Marketing
is a mindset that will allow you to position your school as a
leader in the marketplace. Where do you start?
Begin by understanding that there are no magic formulas,
no wonder cures, no one-size-fits-all plans that are effective
100 percent of the time for every school. Each plan is
customized, tailor-made to fit a school’s unique personality.
The late Bob Grossman, author of “Making/Marketing Your
School the School of Choice,” defined marketing as
“creating or adapting a product to meet the customers’
needs and demands.” For this reason, it is important for
school principals and staff members to understand four key
facts about their customers. (For schools, the customers are
the parents and the students.)
• They are demanding.
• They are interested in outcomes (specifically their
child’s achievement).
• They expect a customer-friendly school.
• They have options if they don’t find what they are
looking for at your school.
As you develop programs and set goals for your school,
keep these things in mind. Always consider the customer in
your planning of new programs and policies. Designing an
innovative, cutting-edge academic program may win
awards, but unless it is something your parents want or
value, it won’t be the selling point, or the competitive
advantage you envisioned it to be.
An effective marketing plan will bring in and maintain
customers for your school programs. A good marketing
plan is not about razzle-dazzle with no substance. The plan
must be based on parents’ and students’ identified needs
and the school’s long-range improvement goals. Otherwise,
you’re just trying to sell parents a product they have no
interest in buying.
You have to be able to recognize educational trends, as well
as long-range community and employment needs. After all,
we are preparing youngsters to be productive citizens and
employees, in addition to being successful students.
Chapter 1
Marketing vs. Public Relations:
Two Sides of the Same Coin
When you market your school, your goals are quite
different from the goals of a public relations plan. Market-
ing is objective. It deals with countable customer transac-
tions. How many new students enrolled? How many
parents joined the PTA? On the other hand, a public
relations plan is much more broad. It deals with percep-
tions, feelings, and images. How do I feel about a school?
Do I have confidence in a school?
The National School Public Relations Association
(NSPRA) defines school educational public relations as a
planned, systematic management function, designed to help
improve the programs and services of an educational
organization. It relies on a comprehensive, two-way
communication process involving both internal and
external publics with the goal of stimulating better under-
standing of the roles, objectives, accomplishments, and
needs of the organization. “...it assists in interpreting public
attitudes; identifying and helping shape policies and
procedures in the public interest; and carrying on involve-
ment and information activities, which earn public under-
standing and support.”
The key ideas here are a planned management function; a
two-way communication process; internal and external
publics; and earning public understanding and support.
Suffice it to say, a successful marketing effort must be
rooted in a solid foundation of public trust and support for
the school.
Telling parents how good you are isn’t enough. Parents
must experience your school’s and students’ success for
themselves. They must trust and believe in your school’s
ability to deliver quality academic outcomes.
5. 4
Best Foot Forward
Developing the
Marketing Plan
Creating a marketing plan isn’t difficult, but you must
start at the beginning—that means research!
Getting Your Marketing
Plan Started
If you want an effective public relations/marketing effort,
you have to find out what your internal and external
publics know and believe about your school. Ask parents,
staff, and students to make a list of all of your school’s
strengths (i.e., exceptional teachers, popular programs,
award-winning students or student teams, a new build-
ing), and then make a list of weaknesses (i.e., high
suspension rate, low Commonwealth Accountability
Testing System (CATS) scores, old building, school
location). It is important to know your school’s assets and
liabilities. You can be sure that your competition will
know them.
Next, list all the opportunities that are available to
enhance your school’s success (i.e., a new subdivision in
your attendance zone, receipt of a grant or new equip-
ment, site of a Magnet Program). Do the same thing with
events or circumstances that could negatively impact and
pose threats to your school’s growth and success (i.e.,
opening of a new private school in the area, declining
enrollment, closing of a major employer). These lists
should give you a pretty accurate picture of your school.
Review these lists and compare responses of those inside
your school and out in the community. Identify any items
that are perceptions (not fact)—good and bad—about
your school.
Are you surprised by the number of strengths respondents
identified? Keep focused on these because they will
become the basis for your message. The weaknesses and
threats will show you where you need to concentrate your
improvement efforts.
As you analyze the results, go back and take one last look
at that list of strengths. If there is anything on the list that
is unique to your school, circle it. You always want to
look for the characteristic that separates your school from
all the others. Finding your unique selling point is very
important. It provides a competitive advantage that is
very important as you begin to position your school in the
marketplace and to develop your message.
Set a Goal
Describe the outcome you want. Decide how you want your
school to be viewed. Identify what you hope to accomplish.
Make your goals specific and measurable. Simply deciding
that you want to enhance your school’s image isn’t good
enough. It’s too vague. How are you going to accomplish
it? How will you know if you have achieved your goal?
Consider, instead, a measurable statement that seeks to
increase student or staff participation in some area of
school life. By setting measurable, attainable goals, you
help yourself to be more successful. Establishing a goal of
“a 15 percent increase over three years,” for example,
allows you to monitor your progress throughout the
campaign’s implementation.
Identify Your Audience
Who is your audience? If you think the answer is, “Every-
body,” think again. Though you may want the world to
know how great your school is, targeting the whole
community is not the way to achieve short- or long-term
success.
Ask yourself, ‘Who is critical to my school’s success?’ Do
you know who the key communicators are in your school
or community? Who are the individuals others always
listen to or who always seem to know what’s going on in
the school? If you don’t know who these folks are, find out.
They are crucial to your communication efforts. Make a list
of these individuals or groups; then ask yourself this
question: If I could communicate with only one individual
or group, which one would it be? Prioritize the names on
your list and find ways to get those very important persons
(VIPs) into your building.
Don’t forget the staff. They are an important—and often
overlooked—internal audience. Just because employees are
in the building every day, don’t assume they know what’s
going on or are aware of the role they play in marketing
and promoting your school. Principals need to take the time
to make sure that employees get the message, just like
parents and other community members. Employees are
integral links in the communications chain; considered by
the public to be authorities—even when they are not—
about everything that happens in the school building where
they work, as well as in the District. Their words pack a lot
of punch and an off-hand, negative remark can do irrepa-
rable damage to a school’s image.
If you want to communicate with staff, learn their informal
communications network. Your employees bring with them
their own communications networks. Identifying these
networks is necessary when you are trying to promote
school programs. You might be surprised to learn that your
cafeteria manager has just the right connection you need to
reach a specific target audience.
Chapter 2
6. 5
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
Establish Time Lines and
Responsibilities
Put teeth into that great action plan. Identify resources
needed to make things happen and a time frame for
completion. Also, assign someone on the communications
team responsibility for the activity and hold that person
accountable.
Develop Clear Themes and
Messages
Determining the message is based on knowing what your
customers think and what they need. Because most of us
live with information overload, we pay little or no attention
to messages that do not directly affect us. So it’s imperative
that any message we send about our schools is presented in
terms and language our audience understands and values.
This is not the time for educational jargon and buzz words.
While the message focuses on your school’s unique selling
point or competitive advantage, it also must tell the
audience in no uncertain terms: What’s in it for me?
Communicate the Message
Getting your well-crafted message to your target audiences
requires identifying the channels of communication that
will work best with that audience. Do your parents listen to
a particular radio station or read the weekly community
newspaper instead of, or in addition to, the metropolitan
daily? Will a memo or the school newsletter delivered by
the backpack express reach the intended parent audience?
Your decision on the way you communicate has much to do
with how you want people to use the information once they
receive it. Is the purpose informational or do you want the
audience to do something? If you simply want to create an
awareness or to provide information, the mass media is the
most efficient strategy: fliers, newspaper stories, advertise-
ments, and signs. If you want the audience to do something,
if you want to change opinions or behavior, you’ll have to
go beyond the mass media and create avenues for interper-
sonal communication: telephone calls, personal letters,
open houses, and face-to-face meetings.
Don’t depend upon only one method to communicate your
message. You need a mixture of several types of communi-
cation to be effective. One news story or one event won’t
do the job. Plan a series of activities that build upon one
another and reinforce the message over time. If you want to
generate long-lasting support, you may implement the
campaign over several months, which means the planning
could begin as early as a year before the time you expect to
see results.
Evaluate the Plan
If you set measurable goals, you will have completed
results that indicate whether your plan was successful. If
you accomplished your goal, develop a plan for mainte-
nance and establish a new goal. If your plan fell short,
analyze what went wrong, revise the plan, and start again.
7. 6
Best Foot Forward
Writing Customer-
Friendly Copy
An effective brochure about your school has three key
elements: eye-grabbing photos, an inviting layout/design, and
easy-to-read copy. When you begin to put pen to paper (or
fingers to keyboard), keep this in mind: Write to express, not
to impress.
All too often, school brochures are filled with District
acronyms, jargon, and “edubabble” that are casually bandied
about the teachers’ lounge; but that’s the only place you’ll
hear this lingo. When you write for a non-educator audience,
use words and terms that are easily understood by all.
Edward Moore, APR, of Rowan University, told participants
in a recent NSPRA seminar that “we need to understand
readers’ comfort levels in order to clearly communicate. If
you write to that comfort level—or better yet, a couple of
levels below,” he said, “you have a better chance of making
your point.”
Have you ever had anyone complain that they were sent
something that was too easy to understand? Probably not.
Moore’s advice to those of us who want what we write to be
understood is simple. Balance the long, medium, and short
sentences in our writing. To prove his point, he offers the
following data about sentence length and communication
effectiveness.
Chapter 3
Average Sentence Length Readability Readers Reached
Up to 8 words Very Easy 90%
11 words Fairly easy 86%
17 words Standard 75%
21 words Fairly Difficult 40%
25 words Difficult 24%
Over 25 words Very Difficult 4.5%
Here are some other tips for writing effective copy:
• Know the audience for whom you’re writing.
• Know your purpose for writing.
• Use a catchy headline.
• Use bullets when possible.
• Break up copy with subheads.
• Read your work out loud.
• Write today, leave it, and revise tomorrow.
Finally, remember the words of Thomas Jefferson. “The most
valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one
will do.”
8. 7
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
Working with the
News Media
The media have an enormous capacity to shape and mold
public opinion on a wide range of issues. That is why it is
so important that schools use the media to their best
advantage. That really means “putting your best foot
forward.” When a reporter calls or a crisis occurs, you need
to have a plan of action that shows you have the situation
under control.
Fact Number One
The news media thinks of itself as the eyes and ears of the
public. When they ask hard, pointed questions, they believe
they are asking on behalf of citizens who have a right to
know. This does not mean that reporters are totally objec-
tive in their approach to a story. More often than not, they
have been instructed to get a “red” story. They’re working
on a particular angle. They get a lot of information from
various sources, but the final story almost always will
reflect the “angle” they were originally assigned. Few
reporters will buck an assignment editor’s order for a “red”
story by bringing back a “blue” one.
Fact Number Two
The news media is a business. It exists to make money, not
just to serve the public good, no matter what reporters tell
you. News organizations look for stories that will attract
more readers and larger viewing audiences. What types of
stories are most appealing? Simple. Reporters are interested
in whatever their audiences are interested in or are talking
about. Controversy and conflict are prerequisites for news.
That doesn’t mean that good news doesn’t have a place in
print or broadcast journalism. It does mean that the good
news story may take a back seat to a more sensational story
that will capture the attention of a larger audience.
Fact Number Three
The school administrator’s word is not law with the media.
Reporters accept the principal’s statement as one point of
view, but not the only one. They always are looking for
another viewpoint, especially if it directly contradicts the
school’s response.
Fact Number Four
The news media want stories that are fresh—things that are
happening now, not yesterday. Television needs visual
stories. Kids dressed like insects for the spring play titled
Buggin are more likely to capture the attention of a TV
Assignments editor than a story about a workshop on block
scheduling, no matter how cutting-edge that may be.
Newspapers, however, may be more willing to write stories
about educational trends and programmatic changes
because they have the space to fully explain complex
issues.
Think in terms of what is happening in other regions. Are
those things happening here? Is an activity novel or unique
or a first-ever event? Has one of your students accom-
plished something no other student has done? Are celebri-
ties involved? Is the activity the biggest ever or the small-
est? While these criteria don’t guarantee media interest,
they are some of the criteria considered when news staffs
decide whether an event gets covered.
Almost any activity can help you promote your school and
increase public support for your efforts. Here are some
examples of activities that have received media coverage in
the past.
• Student-constructed model of the human digestive
system
• School Bus Safety Assembly with a talking school bus
• Heart adventure course set up in an elementary school
gymnasium
• Field trip to the Crane House
• Elementary students adopting the orchestra
• Rehearsals for a school play
• Visit by the Tuskegee Airmen to an elementary school
• Teen dance at a middle school
• Preparations of an academic team for competition
• Clown class at a middle school
The Reporter Calls
Decide who will speak for your school. District guidelines
designate the principal as the school’s spokesperson, but
another staff member should be designated as the alternate
in the principal’s absence.
Know what you can and cannot say about students and
staff. The Family Rights and Privacy Act precludes school
staff from disclosing students’ names, grades, and other
personally identifiable information. In fact, the District
legally cannot confirm a student’s attendance at any
specific school location. In terms of staff, the Public
Information officer may only release the employee’s name,
hire date, status, and location. Remember that in times of
crisis or in personnel matters, all such inquiries should be
directed to the Public Information officer (485-3357), or
you should contact the Public Information officer before
responding.
Don’t feel pressured into doing an interview cold without
first discussing the subject matter the reporter wants to
cover and allowing yourself time to prepare.
Do return calls promptly. Reporters are always on a
deadline! Often they don’t understand why interviews can’t
be granted instantly when they need to file a story in the
next hour. However, most are reasonable and will work
with you to get the story. Sometimes a reporter’s behavior
is annoying, but it is seldom personal.
Most reporters will call the Press Relations Office for
clearance and/or assistance to arrange a school visit or
interview. (The Press Relations Office will call to advise
you that a reporter will be calling.) If a reporter contacts
you directly, you can ask the Public Information officer to
return the call, or you can refer the reporter to the Public
Information officer according to the guidelines for covering
school news. If you feel comfortable handling the call
Chapter 4
9. 8
Best Foot Forward
yourself, just remember that the Public Information officer
is available to consult with you and to assist you in coordi-
nating an appropriate response.
1. Anticipate questions that could arise about the subject
under discussion, especially questions you don’t want to
answer, and develop an appropriate response.
2. Control the interview. Always respond honestly and
forthrightly to the questions you are asked.
3. Do not allow yourself to be goaded into answering
loaded questions. (Have you suspended many students
lately?) If asked, never repeat the question. Rather, say,
“I follow the District’s Code of Acceptable Behavior and
Discipline when disciplining students who
break the rules.”
4. Use a transitional phrase that allows you to get back to
the point you wanted to make. “However, at this stage of
the process,” or “It is important that the community
understand...”
5. If you are interrupted, go back to your original point by
using a transition such as, “I’d like to go back to your
previous question,” or “Let me finish addressing your
first question.”
6. Say, “I don’t know,” when you don’t, and offer to have
someone else call with that information.
7. Explain why you may not be able to answer a
particular question.
8. Don’t hedge the question, use jargon to intentionally
mislead, or guess about data.
Think Before You Speak
Before the reporter turns on the camera or the tape recorder,
you need to think about what you want to say and prepare
an answer that gets your point across.
1. Think about the words you use. Choose simple words
anyone can understand.
2. Write down your response to get your ideas straight in
your mind. Practice saying the response aloud. How
does it sound to you? Is your main point clear?
3. Time the response. If you are doing a television or radio
interview, keep your response to 20 seconds or less.
Reporters and editors are less likely to edit your
response if it is short and to the point.
The Problem with ‘No
Comment’
And finally, remember: Never say, “No comment.” This
phrase implies that you have something to hide, whether
you do or not. We realize that not all questions can be
answered; however, there are some more gracious alterna-
tives.
1. “I can’t discuss proposed or pending litigation.”
2. “Board policy limits the type of information that may
be released about District employees.”
3. “The Family Rights and Privacy Act does not allow the
release of individual student information.”
4. “I cannot respond to speculation or third-hand informa-
tion.”
News Media Guidelines
The Jefferson County Public School District welcomes
media attention to its students, staff, and programs. To
facilitate the media’s needs and to ensure that instructional
programs are disrupted as little as possible, we ask that
your news staffs continue to follow these guidelines:
• Reporters should call ahead to the Public Information
Office at 485-3357 or the school to arrange a visit.
• Reporters will be allowed access to students and school
activities only at the discretion of the principal, and
then only with appropriate parental consent.
• Reporters, as all visitors, are required to sign in at the
school office.
• Reporters are not allowed in classrooms involved in
testing.
• Reporters may be allowed in classrooms at the discre-
tion of the principal and the teacher.
• Prior parental consent is needed for interviews with
students under 18 years of age.
• Large-group photographs of students are permitted; but
no personally identifiable photographs are permitted
without a Photo/Videotape Release Form signed by the
parent/guardian.
Please Remember
The District and all staff are legally obligated to maintain
confidentiality regarding all student information. This
includes student identification and school assignment.
Regulations also are enforced regarding confidential
personnel information.
In the event of an emergency or an incident at a school,
school staff are required to report such activity immediately
to the Public Information Office. We request that in your
efforts to gather information regarding fast-breaking events,
you call the Public Information Office at 485-3357 for a
report. In doing so, school staff may keep students and their
safety as the first priority.
The chairman of the Board of Education speaks for the
school Board; the superintendent or his designee speaks for
the school District; and the school principal speaks on
issues specifically relating to his/her school.
10. 9
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
The News Release
The news release is the backbone of your media plan. It
gives you the opportunity to tell your story your way.
A good news release must capture the attention of a busy
news editor who gets dozens of releases each day. To make
yours stand out and apart from the crowd, do the following:
• Start with a catchy headline or opening sentance (if
possible), but don’t waste time trying to be clever.
• Use the inverted pyramid format when writing the
body of the release; the first paragraph is the lead and
contains the most important information: who, what,
when, where, why, and how. If you can’t fit all five W’s
in the first paragraph, be sure they are included in the
second. For example, when writing about test scores, tell
the reader the big news first:
All XYZ School students reached the Proficient level on
the state’s CATS tests during the last round of testing.
Explanatory and background information follows. As a
rule, keep the release to one page.
NewsRelease
Jefferson
County
Public
Schools
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
www.jefferson.K12.ky.us
Keep the
release
to one page.
Don’t send a
release until
you are ready
to talk about it.
When?
Background
Information
Who?
What?
Where?
Why?
Background/
Explanatory
Information
Include details
after the main
ideas.
Include a
contact name
and telephone
number.
Use the District’s
standard mark
for “the end.”
Keep headlines
simple and short.
Use letterhead;
it makes
information more
credible.
11. 10
Best Foot Forward
Public Service
Announcements
A Public Service Announcement (PSA) is a short piece (10
to 30 seconds), written in script format, primarily for radio
use. The PSA should promote or announce a specific event
or action. PSAs are not an effective way to sell a compli-
cated or complex idea. Some examples of effective topics
are open-house activities, stay-in-school, don’t-do-drugs
messages, or school activities.
PSAs air at the discretion of the radio station. You have no
control over how often or when a PSA will be used.
Always send PSA copy to stations at least three (3) weeks
before the event to allow the station time to schedule your
message in its rotation.
Sample PSA
THE JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOWCASE OF SCHOOLS
WILL BE HELD FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18 AND 19, 2002,
AT THE KENTUCKY INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER.
REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE DISTRICT’S MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOLS WILL BE PRESENT TO EXPLAIN THEIR PROGRAMS.
SHOWCASE HOURS ARE FROM 3 UNTIL 7 P.M. ON FRIDAY AND
FROM 10 A.M. UNTIL 3 P.M. ON SATURDAY. COME OUT TO SEE
WHAT JCPS HAS TO OFFER YOU. CALL 485-3323 FOR DETAILS.
Always include a telephone number for more information,
if the PSA mentions a specific event or ticket sales.
Keep the PSA short. Two sentences are enough for a 10-
second PSA; three to five sentences make a 30-second
PSA. (You can write more, but the station will rewrite and
edit to fit its guidelines and requirements.)
12. 11
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
The School
Public Relations
Audit
Every school principal knows the importance of spreading
the word about outstanding school programs and students.
No doubt, you have developed lots of printed materials. But
how effective are these communication tools? Are they
effectively delivering your messages to your targeted
audiences? Consider the strategies and tools you currently
use to communicate and ask the following questions.
Does the school have an overall marketing plan?
If yes...
• Does the plan have clear, measurable goals and
objectives?
• Are target audiences identified?
• Are the themes and messages clear and tailored to the
target audiences?
• Are the time lines for activities reasonable with some-
one designated as responsible?
• Is there evidence that the marketing plan pro-
motes two-way communication?
• Is evaluation built into the plan to determine its
effectiveness?
• Is the marketing plan incorporated into the
school’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan?
• Do all school staff members know and understand their
role in the plan?
Does the school have a newsletter? If yes...
• Does the design tell the reader at a glance who it’s
from and its purpose?
• Are the District’s logo and Equal Employment Oppor-
tunity (EEO) statement used according to District
standards?
• Does the newsletter follow the 30-3-30 principle,
offering something to the reader whether he/she has
30 seconds, 3 minutes, or 30 minutes to read it?
• If there are photographs, are they large, clear, and well-
cropped to show action?
• Do the graphics and art enhance the printed word?
• Do headlines use action verbs, and are they in upper-
case and lowercase letters?
• Are the articles easy to read; free of grammatical
errors, jargon, acronyms, and “edubabble?”
• Are articles written to capture the reader’s interest with
the first paragraph?
• Do the articles match the needs and interests of the
reader?
Does the school have a brochure or other
printed materials? If yes...
• Does the design tell the reader at a glance who it’s
from and its purpose?
• Is it easy to read?
• If there are photographs, are they large, clear, and well-
cropped, to show action?
• Do the graphics and art enhance the printed word?
• Is the writing free of jargon, acronyms, and
“edubabble?”
• Is the copy written to capture the reader’s attention?
• Does the copy match the needs and interests of the
reader?
Does the school have a Web site? If yes...
• Is the site easy to navigate?
• Is the site easy and engaging to read?
• Is the site well-written; free of grammatical errors and
jargon?
• Do the graphics and art have a purpose, and do they
enhance the site?
• Is school contact information (address and telephone
numbers) easily accessible?
• Are teachers’/principal’s/staff members’ names and
e-mail addresses included?
• Does the site market/promote the school’s unique pro-
grams and strengths?
• Does the site include a calendar of events?
• Is information up to date?
• Is there a reason to return to the site after the first visit?
• Does the site showcase outstanding students, staff, and/
or student work?
• Is student work clearly identified?
• Does the site include a section for parents (how to get
involved or parenting tips)?
• Can visitors always get back to the JCPS Home Page
in one or two clicks?
Does the school actively promote itself
throughout the community? If yes...
• Does the school use its bulletin boards, marquees,
community spaces, etc., to promote good news about
students and staff?
• Is the school principal a visible player in the commu-
nity (member of Chamber of Commerce, Rotary,
Jaycees, etc.)?
• Does the school participate in community events
(festivals)?
• Is the school certified as a Neighborly, Inviting Center
of Education (N.I.C.E.)?
• Has the principal provided opportunities for com-
munications training among the school staff?
• Does the principal encourage regular communication
with parents, community, and school District staff
about student progress and the school’s strengths and
accomplishments?
• Does the principal communicate decisions about the
school in a timely manner to the school community?
• Are school employees among the first to know about
decisions that affect the school?
Chapter 5
13. 12
Best Foot Forward
Customer Service
Most of us who work in schools tend to think that if we just
give people the facts and tell them what we want them to
know, they’ll immediately understand and support us.
Right? Unfortunately, it doesn’t happen that way with
adults. It flies in the face of all research about how people
form attitudes. In fact, it can be downright offensive or
condescending because what this philosophy basically says
is: If you knew what I know, you’d see things my way.
The fact is, people make choices based on their personal
experiences. This is how we make most of our decisions
about what to buy or who our dentist will be or how we feel
about our neighborhood school. After we make a decision
based on feelings, we generally try to defend it with facts
and we look for evidence that proves we’re right. That’s
why we must pay attention to how we treat our publics.
Once a person has a negative experience with a school; it
takes 80 positive strokes just to get the person back to
neutral. From the moment something goes wrong, he/she
see the negative in almost everything you do. On the flip
side, if people have a good personal experience, they tend
to keep finding the good in the things you do. So you can
see why schools must make a great first impression every
time a parent or a student or a community member calls or
walks through the schoolhouse door.
It’s a tall order, but good customer service usually is. It
means going above and beyond every time with everyone-
and it means doing it with a smile. This is where we can
take a lesson from the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle,
Washington. People come from all over Seattle, Washing-
ton State, the west coast, and the world to visit the Pike
Place Fish Market. The store is known for some lively
antics and some tasty, fresh fish. They’ve created a very
loud, positive buzz that draws people by the hundreds.
The store is successful because each employee has commit-
ted to the company’s vision and each has become the
personification of that vision. All of the employees believe
in this vision and it shows in their behavior and attitude on
the job. Each employee is the Pike Place Fish Market.
At Pike Place, it’s all about customer service. There, the
employees choose to be happy and have fun while they focus
on each and every customer who comes by.
1. Play—regenerate fun into your work every day.
2. Make their day—do something special for customers;
make them smile.
3. Be there—focus totally on the person with whom you’re
interacting.
4. Choose your attitude—choose your frame of mind
each day.
JCPS conducts the Neighborly, Inviting Center of Education
(N.I.C.E.) Program through the Public Affairs Department. If
you haven’t participated, you should. If your school has
received the certification previously, do it again. But just
going through the checklist of activities doesn’t really make
your school nice. N.I.C.E. is the way you and every member
of your staff behave with students, one another, and the
community—every minute of every day—even when you’re
not at school. For more information about the N.I.C.E.
Program, call the Public Affairs Department at 485-3228.
Chapter 6
14. 13
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
Video Production
and Photography
Made Easy
Producing a video may sound like a complicated task, but it
isn’t. Making a video is relatively simple, as long as you
don’t try to recreate Monsters, Inc. or Men in Black. If you
realize that you can’t compete with Hollywood, you’re
halfway there!
That said, here is a simple checklist that will help you plan
your video. Planning, after all, is the most important part of
the production process. Don’t worry about the technical
aspects. The Publications Department’s video production
team will do the actual production.*
Video Production Checklist
I. Who’s Your Audience?—Students, adults, faculty,
staff, parents
II. What’s Your Purpose?—Teach, inform, entertain
III. Write the Script—Pretend you’re giving a speech or
talking on the radio. You have no visuals to illustrate
your point.
A. Use clear and concise statements.
B. Avoid the use of long lists or monologues.
C. Keep it short (Five to seven minutes works well.
Why? Time the length between commercials on
your favorite primetime network television
program. There is a reason segments are short:
other than money, it’s the viewer’s attention
span.)
IV. Select Your Visuals—Read the script, line by line, and
decide what best illustrates what you are trying to say.
A. Avoid using too many different scenes. (Rapid
MTV style video is fine on MTV, but it can
distract from a serious topic.)
B. Determine where charts, graphs, and drawings
should be used.
V. Get Final Approval of Your Script—if necessary. Now
is the time to lock everything in before you begin produc-
tion.
VI. Select a Contact Person to Work with the Video
Production Team—The contact person’s job is identify-
ing students, staff, and parents who may be in the
video, getting any necessary video releases, and
coordinating the shooting schedule at the school.
What Makes A Good Video?
Good video, many times, is simply not making bad video.
The bottom line is that a good video serves the purpose for
which it was intended while engaging the viewer. You can
have a beautifully produced video, but, if no one watches it,
it isn’t a good video.
Don’t Be a Wall Flower.
Don’t expect to set a camera up in the corner, show the whole
stage, and record the latest edition of the school play, awards
ceremony, or guest speaker. Why? The sound will probably
be terrible. If you don’t have microphones you can put on or
near the actors or speakers, try to set up your camera next to
the public address speaker.
Another reason not to just set your camera in the corner is
that you can’t really see what’s going on. You can’t see facial
expressions or hand gestures or anything except a little speck
on the TV.
Do Look for Action.
TV means people and the camera can move. Video of a class
listening to reports is good for about 10 seconds, not 10
minutes. Class performance demonstrations or other activities
work for video. Don’t overdo camera moves. If you’re going
to move the camera or change a shot, have a reason that’s not
just because you could.
Photography
Just like video, a good photograph needs to show the subject
doing something. Capturing students engaged in an activity is
worth a 1,000 words of copy to describe it. Think visually and
know how you plan to use the photos in the final project.
Your purpose determines how the photographer approaches
the assignment and the type of equipment he brings.
The District has one photojournalist who is primarily respon-
sible for photography requests related to publication needs.
The photojournalist also accepts requests from schools and
departments—as the schedule permits—on a first-come, first-
served basis. In order to accommodate as many requests as
possible, please make your request at least two weeks
before the event. The photojournalist will schedule a meeting
with you to visit your school and talk with you about your
objectives for the photos.
* Please note: The department uses broadcast-quality Beta
format equipment. From time to time, brief excerpts (30 or 60
seconds) of SVHS videotape can be edited into a project.
However, the department cannot edit tape shot exclusively on
SVHS.
Chapter 7
15. 14
Best Foot Forward
Now that you’ve developed a great marketing plan and
crafted a well-written, concise message that appeals to your
target audiences, it’s time to communicate! JCPS has several
communications tools that will help you get the word out
about your outstanding students, staff members, and pro-
grams. District publications like Monday Memo, a weekly
newsletter for staff, and Parent Connection, a monthly
publication for parents, are effective ways to communicate
your school’s story with a large audience.
Monday Memo includes a column titled “Schools that Work”
and highlights innovative instructional programs and class-
room projects that are achieving success. Parent Connection
includes a section—“Our Success is Public Knowledge”—
that recognizes outstanding student and staff performance on
the state and national level. It’s a great way to tell more than
65,000 parents and community members about your school’s
success.
Of course the local media are always an option. In fact, the
mass media are among the most popular forms of disseminat-
ing information. (Tips on writing a news release are included
in Chapter 4.) The Courier-Journal has a new page devoted to
education. A form to submit story ideas is located later in this
chapter.) When you want to get your message out remember
to use a variety of media tools. One news release may not be
effective. However, when mixed with a flier or poster, an
announcement on your Web site, along with a mention in the
school newsletter, you stand a better chance of your target
audience receiving your message.
Tools of the Trade
Consider using some or all of these tools of the trade
in your marketing plan.
• Newsletters
• Brochures
• Banners
• Advertising (usually too expensive)
• School Web site
• News Releases and Public Service Announcements
• Special Events (ribbon cuttings, ground breakings,
dedications)
• Videos
• Open Houses
• Large- and Small-Group Meetings
• Telephone Calls
• Face-to-Face Meetings
• Personal Notes
• Computer-generated, non-personal letters
Getting the
Word Out
Chapter 8
Video Overview
Elementary Schools
16. 15
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
Monday Memo
• Submit Monday Memo announcements in
writing through the Pony, fax, or e-mail.
• Information should be of interest to all
employees or to a specific group of
employees. Items should be nonpolitical and
should not duplicate notices carried in other
District publications.
• Professional-development announcements
should be carried in the Professional
Development Bulletin. Announcements of
college/university courses and travel
opportunities should be referred to the
Jefferson County Public Schools Gheens
Academy for possible inclusion in the
Professional Development Bulletin.
Announcements of curriculum committees
and textbook committees should be carried
in Job List.
• The names of students will not be included
in Monday Memo.
• Announcements of fund-raising drives will
be limited to those provided for in the Board
policy.
• Individual school activity notices should
be featured only if the activities are of
interest to adult employees and occur at
times when employees can attend.
Examples of events not to be included in
Monday Memo are PTA/PTSA meetings,
field days, and athletic events.
• “Kudos” will be used for employees and/
or schools receiving honors, recognitions,
and/or awards.
• Space is at a premium in Monday Memo.
Therefore, not all notices can be published
each week. Priority is given to announce-
ments coming from within the District and
those that will impact on the greatest number
of employees. If two items are from within the
District and will affect the same number of
persons, then the itemthat was received first is
placed in the publication.
• Notices for publication must be received by
12 noon on Tuesday to be considered for publica-
tion in the following week’s Monday Memo.
got monday memo?
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us/Pubs/MondayMemo/MondayMemo.shtml
Publications Guidelines
17. 16
Best Foot Forward
Parent Connection
Parent Connection is a monthly newsletter for
parents. Its primary purpose is to help parents
help their children be more successful in school.
The publication is written from a parent’s per-
spective and is full of tips that parents can use.
The publication offers information about District
programs and initiatives that parents care about,
as well as information on ways to make home life
more productive. Each issue has a theme that is
usually tied to that month. For example, the
September issue is full of back-to-school informa-
tion. The November issue focuses on school
choice. April concentrates parent attention on the
CATS assessment and test-taking skills.
The unique thing about Parent Connection is that
its cost is underwritten by corporate sponsorship.
How can you submit ideas? Do you have a parent
project that has proven successful? How about
some outstanding parent support that deserves
recognition? The publication is always looking to
showcase students and schools that are winning
awards for excellence.
Information should be sent to:
Becky Greenlee
Communications and Publications Department
C. B. Young, Jr., Service Center, Building 4
Notices sent through the U.S. Mail carry the
additional address of:
P.O. Box 34020
Louisville, KY 40209-1104
• Information also may be faxed to 485-3898
or e-mailed to: rgreenle1@jefferson.k12.ky.us
• Still have a question? Call 485-3343.
18. 17
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
The Courier-Journal publishes an education page each Monday on page B2. The education page features stories about student
achievers, a sampling of student writing form school newspapers and classes, and a column that answers questions about
education issues from many perspectives, including that of teachers, principals, and other school staff. You can help make this
page successful by submitting information on the form below.
19. 18
Best Foot Forward
PLEASE PRINT
School: __________________________________________________________________
Submitted by: ________________________________ Telephone No.: ________________
What are the TOP FIVE things you want
parents to know about your school?
1. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. __________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
This information
will be used to
update District
publications
printed during
the school year.
Please CIRCLE all
the items below
that apply to your
school:
• Accelerated School
• Advance Program
• Before-/After-School Child
Care
• Child Development Project
School
• Community School Site
• Comprehensive School
Health Education
• Dress Code
• Early Childhood Jump
Start Programs:
– Early Head Start
– Head Start
– Jump Start
– Prekindergarten
– Tuition-Based
• English as a Second
Language Program
• Extended School Services
• Family Resource Center
• Health Promotion Schools
of Excellence Program
• Honors Program
• Montessori Program
• Optional/Magnet
Programs
• Senior Citizen’s Center
• School-Based Decision
Making (SBDM)
• Uniforms
• Year-Round School
• Youth Services Center
Please fax this form to:
Communications and Publications Department
Fax: 3898
Jefferson County Public Schools
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
20. 19
A Marking and Public Relations Plan for Local Schools
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities 50684 Publications Future File Form 7/02 lg
JEFFERSON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Tell us what’s going on in your school! The activity could make a great photo or news story. For best results,
Pony mail or fax (485-3898) this information to the Publications Department at least two weeks in advance.
Fill in the appropriate items. Attach additional information if necessary.
School: __________________________ Contact Person: __________________ Telephone: ____________
Date (month and day) of Event: _________ Time of Event: __________ Date Submitted: _______________
Who is involved (parent, students, staff, grades, etc.)? ____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What is happening? Describe award, event, program, project, etc. ___________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Where will it take place? ___________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What is the purpose of the event, project, etc.? __________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
What else should we know? _________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Please use Pony mail (C. B. Young, Bldg. 4) or fax (3898) this form to the Publications Department at l
east two weeks before the planned event.
Future File
Activities Fact Sheet
21. 20
Best Foot Forward
Jefferson County Public Schools
Photo/Videotape Release Form
Please print.
Student’s Name: ________________________________________________________________________
School: ___________________________________________________ Grade: ____________________
Parent/Guardian: ________________________________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________ Zip: ______________________
Telephone Number: _________________________________________
I, ___________________________________________________________________, parent or guardian of
__________________________________________________, do hereby give and grant unto the Jefferson
CountyPublicSchoolspermissiontousemychild’sname,photograph,and/orvideotapedimageinpublications,
video productions, and/or JCPS Internet Web site. I do further certify that I am of full legal capacity to execute
the foregoing authorization and release.
Signature of Parent/Guardian: _____________________________________________________________
Witness: __________________________________________________ Date: ____________________
Photographer’s Note:
Story Slug: ____________________________________________________________________________
Description of student, clothing, etc. ________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities