The benefits of school board leadership training

Mention leadership training and your initial thought might be, “That’s only for the school board president or vice president.” But, as veteran school board members know, there’s much more to being an effective board member than just knowing Robert’s Rules of Order.

Ongoing training and professional development is an important piece of growing as a board member. Few people come onto the board fully versed in all the issues they must deal with in their roles. New challenges and initiatives are constantly emerging. To be effective, a board member needs to be current, not only on what’s happening in his or her own district but also statewide. That knowledge comes through training, networking and professional development opportunities.

This is a shift from years ago, when the main role of school boards was approving operational budgets and protecting taxpayer funds. While those functions remain important, boards have broadened their focus to include student learning and achievement.

Understanding the importance of data in improving student achievement is a big topic for many school boards. The National School Boards Association’s Center for Public Education (CPE) received a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop training and tools specifically to help school board leaders use data effectively to improve student outcomes. CPE worked with state school boards associations in California, Illinois and Michigan for over 18 months to develop and pilot the school board training.

Other CPE research found that boards in high- achieving districts exhibit habits and characteristics that are markedly different from boards in low-achieving districts. It identified eight key characteristics of effective school boards:

  • They have a vision of high expectations for student achievement and quality instruction and define clear goals toward that vision.
  • They have strong shared beliefs and values about what is possible for students and their ability to learn and of the system and its ability to teach all children at high levels.
  • They are accountability driven, spending less time on operational issues and more time focused on policies to improve student achievement.
  • They have a collaborative relationship with staff and the community and establish a strong communication structure to inform and engage both internal and external stakeholders in setting and achieving district goals.
  • They are data-savvy: They embrace and monitor data, even when the information is negative, and use it to drive continuous improvement.
  • They align and sustain resources, such as professional development, to meet district goals.
  • They lead as a united team with the superintendent, each from their respective roles, with strong collaboration and mutual trust.
  • They take part in team development and training, sometimes with their superintendents, to build shared knowledge, values and commitments for their improvement efforts.

Many state school board associations offer regular training opportunities for their members. OSBA’s Division of Board and Management Services serves the entire district leadership team to foster effective school board governance and collaboration. OSBA provides a wide range of governance consulting services to support your district’s unique needs. OSBA consultants, who

are former school board members, work closely with the board and administrative team to ensure all goals, interests and needs are met. Also, OSBA’s website, www.ohioschoolboards.org, has numerous resources under “Being a Board Member.”

To help start new board members off on the right path, OSBA created the New Board Member Passport. This tour of workshops exposes new board members to topics that are important to new board members in their first year. OSBA has extended this program to “Year 2: Running a successful district.” You can learn more about the passport program at www.ohioschoolboards.org/passport.

Held April 26-27, the OSBA Board Leadership Institute (BLI) provides board members the professional development needed to successfully lead districts toward increased student achievement, better boardmanship and greater understanding of the trends and issues boards of education are challenged with today. BLI is only open to school board members, providing a unique networking and learning opportunity. For more information and to register, visit http://links.ohioschoolboards.org/33166.

Many boards feel it is important for all of its members to commit to learning as a team, just as they expect teachers and students to do. They understand that boards make better decisions when they fully understand the complexity of the issues districts face. They also feel more prepared to make thoughtful decisions when they see the complete picture.

A side benefit is that when board members learn together and focus on the big picture, they typically have less time or desire to focus on personal agendas — which is the source of most board dysfunction.

Training can take many forms, from attending the OSBA Capital Conference and Trade Show in November to local and regional workshops geared to specific topics. Topics often requested include:

  • roles and responsibilities;
  • developing a board operating protocol;
  • board self-assessment;
  • superintendent evaluation;
  • team building;
  • conflict resolution;
  • strategic planning;
  • student learning and accountability.

Getting elected to the school board is only the first step to becoming an effective board member. Taking advantage of opportunities for training and professional development can make all the difference in creating a cohesive, knowledgeable board that positively impacts student outcomes.

Contributed by Connie Potter, communications consultant

Considering hiring an ex-journalist as a school communicator?

Traditional media outlets are downsizing, and more and more journalists are looking for jobs as public relations (PR) professionals. They bring valuable experience, established relationships and a dedication to accuracy, clarity and deadlines. They are accustomed to dealing with the ambiguity of news events.

One public official recently put it this way when he hired a newly laid-off newspaper journalist as his communications director: “It’s always been my philosophy that you should hire journalists for communication positions. They bring a well-honed eye for news, along with true journalistic integrity that keeps us honest and talking straight.”

But ex-journalists also face significant differences in their roles. Here are tips to help your new former reporter ease the transition.

Adapting the mindset

As a journalist, you’re committed to objectively reporting the news, never tilting it for or against any person, institution or idea. Your integrity — your credibility — is your calling card. Your responsibility is to the public — readers, viewers and listeners.

The same tenets of accuracy, clarity and deadlines hold true in public relations. Credibility is everything. A respected PR professional never misrepresents or misconstrues a situation. The difference is that your job is to serve the best interests of your client; in this case, the school district that employs you.

That doesn’t mean you should ignore bad news or overly hype good news. Doing either will undercut your credibility, your success and, eventually, your school district’s reputation. But now that you’re on the other side of the news equation, your role is to help journalists and the public understand how this latest development — whatever it may be — fits into the overall picture, and how the school district is responding.

If it’s bad news, whether a drop in graduation rates, a financial misstep or a collapsed gym roof, your role is to provide as much detailed information as possible, to be clear about what you don’t yet know and when that information might be available, and to acknowledge the community’s concerns. That last piece might be most important. The school district must be genuinely empathetic to public concerns, and you are part of the district’s public face in that regard.

If your emotional skills are wanting, now is the time to work on them.

Soft skills are important

One truism of management is that talent is overrated in comparison with self-discipline, attitude, work ethic and the ability to work well with others. Listening — the most important but often overlooked skill of a journalist — remains just as important for a PR professional. Empathy, an equally overlooked trait, is essential. The community cares passionately about its children and its schools.

Often when bad news happens, there is a tendency to try to reassure the public by saying, “We take these concerns very seriously. We’re already doing A, B and C.” The commitment is sincere; but without being empathetic to the situation, such statements often come across as platitudes that insult the public’s intelligence.

This is why it is so important to put yourself in the public’s shoes and to apply the journalist adage of “show, don’t tell.” Tell how the district responded, and let the public form its own opinion. That may go against the instincts of some district officials, so do the best you can within the constraints of your job.

Newsrooms are wacky, quirky, freewheeling places where being mouthy is generally tolerated; where disagreement and conflict are understood as part of the collaborative process; and where news priorities can change in an instant. Not so in most other bureaucracies, including school districts.

What you perceive as logical direction can come across as an unrealistic idea or a brash intrusion unless you understand the culture of your organization as well as the microculture within your communications office. Regardless of how much you know about the communications business on a macro level, you must be skilled at the personal level. You must possess the emotional intelligence to work effectively, flexibly and collaboratively with your new colleagues.

As a journalist, you may be accustomed to being somewhat of a loner, working closely with a few colleagues, such as other reporters, photojournalists and editors, along with sources. In your new role, you likely will have a wider circle of views to include, and you may have less control over the outcome. Pick your battles, especially early on; listen well; and keep your ego in check. Not everything — such as an occasional press release that reads like it’s written by a committee — is worth fighting over.

Understand timing

Journalists expect almost instantaneous turnarounds. They want editors to respond immediately to their work. After all, news is the focus. In contrast, school administrations and staffs have many competing projects and assignments. Their sense of deadline might not complement yours.

Be patient. Calmly think of any tardy contributors or respondents — tardy by your definition, not necessarily theirs — like recalcitrant news sources. Graciously coach them along. Like them, you also will be juggling a multitude of assignments.

Bottom line

Don’t expect a PR role to be exactly like that of a journalist. There are similarities and significant differences. Each job and workplace has its own idiosyncrasies.

Contributed by ex-journalist Dick Hughes, communications consultant and writing coach. Contact him at thehughesisms@gmail.com.

Finding the right people for the team

Your communication program is only as effective as the people on the team. Whether you are a manager who is responsible for filling important communication positions or a member of the larger interviewing team, it is helpful to brush up on best hiring practices to find the best talent for your district.

Have a clear understanding of the position

First, understand the job description. If your colleagues think public relations (PR) is about “spin,” it may be time for a refresher course to understand what a professional communicator does and why your district needs one. Defined by the Public Relations Society of America, “public relations is a strategic communication process that builds mutually beneficial relationships between organizations and their publics” (www.prsa.org/all-about-pr).

The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) further defines school public relations: “Educational public relations is a planned and systematic management function to help improve the programs

and services of an educational organization. It relies on a comprehensive two-way communications process involving both internal and external publics, with a goal of stimulating a better understanding of the role, objectives, accomplishments and needs of the organization. Educational public relations programs assist in interpreting public attitudes, identify and help shape policies and procedures in the public interest and carry on involvement and information activities which earn public understanding and support” (www.nspra.org/getting_started).

Set a public relations policy

If your district hasn’t had a formal communication program, it is helpful to define communications objectives and develop a school board policy in support of the program before recruiting a communication professional. This definition will help guide hiring decisions and serve as a useful reminder of the school board’s goals for both the new public relations professional and his or her colleagues on the leadership team.

The policy should emphasize two-way communication and include objectives for the program, such as keeping the public informed about policies and programs and specific functions, such as serving as a liaison between the district and the media.

The policy can be detailed and specific but must be feasible for the proposed staff resources. If the communication program is new to the district, it may start with a one-person department. Reasonable expectations will take into account the amount each communication function and initiative will take. Also note that the program is coordinated by the public relations professional, but board members and all staff are part of the communication team.

NSPRA’s sample public relations policy begins by defining these team expectations: “The board of directors believes it is the responsibility of each board member, as well as each employee of the district, to actively pursue a two-way communications program that highlights the educational experiences in the city’s public schools and promotes effective school/home/community partnerships. The board recognizes that citizens have a right to know what is occurring in their public school system; that board members and all school administrators have an obligation to see that all publics are kept systematically and adequately informed; and that the district will  benefit from seeing that citizens get all information, good and bad, directly from the system itself” (www.nspra.org/getting_started).

Find good candidates

Before posting a position, districts must define their specific public relations needs and wants. A general PR job description may fit your district’s particular needs, or you may want to prioritize your goals to hire for a specific skill set.

Typical PR functions could include marketing, project management, public engagement and community relations, financial communications, media relations, social media, survey data analysis, crisis communications or finance levy campaign management. Communicators can be generalists or specialists. The best candidates cover most of these standard bases but may bring specific skills for your district’s particular needs.

Most communication professionals also have a combination of strategic and technical skills. They must be able to think strategically to develop communication goals and objectives and have the technical skills to be able to implement tactics to reach them. Important technical skills include news writing and editing, basic survey techniques, website management, desktop publishing for digital and print publications, graphic design, social media, photography and videography.

It may be a challenge to find a candidate who has high-level skills in all of these areas and is a strategic communicator. If the position is new to the district, the program may start at an entry-level salary, which means the focus is more likely on the technical skills to create a presence on the web or social media or create materials. This task-based work will help the district build community connections and increase the visibility of district programs and operations. As the program grows, the need for a strategic communicator will increase and can evolve later.

Communicating clearly

Good communication skills consistently rank among the most sought-after work skills in surveys of employers. The ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, is obviously at the top of the list in an actual communication position. Be sure to verify this skill set during your hiring process.

Considered non-negotiable, writing is the basis for all of the work in a communications office. You can’t implement the strategy if you can’t express it clearly.

Seek proof of clear, fast writing by asking for writing samples, checking references and giving a writing test to candidates in the final round. Provide a scenario and ask for samples for a variety of media and audiences.

Also, consider whether your communication professional will be the spokesperson for the district. Will the superintendent or other administrator fill that role, or will you shift the responsibility for public speaking to the new hire? Verify that they can project confidence and trust and represent the district with a professional image and articulate response.

Sample job descriptions

To help you craft a job description for a new communication position, review samples for four positions on the NSPRA website:

Resources

Contributed by Jay Remy, communications consultant

 

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