Superintendent Priority Goal #3 Informational Resource

PRIORITY GOAL 3

GOAL: Expand Stakeholder Communications and Partnerships

BUILDING TRUST

Building trust with all stakeholders through expanded stakeholder communications and partnerships

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Building credibility and brand confidence through effective, transparent and timely communications.

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF EXPANDED

AND

ALIGNED PARTNERSHIPS

Building relationships and a culture of collaboration through expanded and aligned partnerships

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DR. WAYNE N. WALTERS Superintendent of Schools

THE ROAD TO BUILDING TRUST

Public education continues to be under a microscope We live in a world where it's increasingly important to have more than a high school diploma. Media coverage that is fixated on negative student behavior, less than stellar student achievement results, and increased choice available through charter and non-public school programs leave families unsure about their options.

School districts need to make tough decisions According to the 2018 Public Agenda review of opinion research in its "Our Next Assignment: Where Americans Stand on Public K-12 Education,”

·73% of teachers and 66% of parents think government funding for public schools in their district should increase, and of all Americans 54% agree;

·While 84% of Americans still believe standardized tests should be delivered, only 58% are confident the tests measure how well their children are learning and only 42% believe performance is a highly important factor to school quality;

45% of Americans think the main goal of public education is to prepare students academically, 26% think preparing students to be good citizens is the main goal, followed by 25% who indicate the think preparing students for work should be the main goal.

Overall, American’s confidence in public schools is limited, while 82% of Americans think it is extremely important students think critically across subject areas, only 29% think their local public schools do it extremely/very well furthermore:

·82% of Americans indicate preparing students to be good citizens is very important, only 33% believe their local public schools are doing it very well

·With 12% reporting a great deal of confidence, 17% quite a lot; 44% some, and 25% very little;

·62% of parents give public schools in their community an A or B, but only 27% give public schools in the nation as a whole an A or B;

The Pittsburgh Public Schools continues to offer its students a variety of opportunities that make it marketable among a competitive field of options for families With so many varying opinions, stakeholders must trust the District is committed to providing safe, welcoming educational environments where they and their children belong.

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

Effective communication is the foundation of building trust; ensuring the Pittsburgh Public Schools communication is clear, concise, consistent, compelling, and easily sharable is necessary to inform public dialogue and encourage stakeholders to engage in solutions Pittsburgh Public Schools must share their good news stories and implement a strategic approach to expanding two-way communications with stakeholders. Communication must be authentic, engaging, consistent, and timely while ensuring opportunities for open dialogue that aligns actions with words. Key constituents must be frequently engaged in solving our challenges with student outcomes and experiences

Our approach to communications will target audiences to:

Communicate our efforts to increase transparency in all areas (i.e. budget development, student outcomes, district partnerships, etc.);

Demonstrate our commitment to truthfulness, accuracy, impartiality, and public accountability; ;

Ensure the promotion of the District brand across all marketing channels is consistent; Expresses the District’s commitment to careful and responsible management in all aspects of good governance;

Motivate all audiences to a call-to-action (e.g. engage in dialogue, share our story, give us feedback, participate, keep your kids in, or move your family to Pittsburgh Public Schools).

We aim to build credibility and trust through authentic dialogue, listening and engagement

POTENTIAL IMPACT OF EXPANDED AND ALIGNED PARTNERSHIPS

We know that the Pittsburgh community is full of people who are passionate about this city and its public schools. From local nonprofits, cultural institutions and out-of-school time partners, Pittsburgh has so much to offer our students, and while we have many great partners, we could do a better job of leveraging the rich resources in our community to improve student outcomes and experiences It is critical that key constituents are engaged in solving our challenges, so we must make it easier for nonprofits, community partners, civic authorities, and elected officials to partner with the District.

A changing Pittsburgh Public Schools needs to keep up with a changing Pittsburgh. We must reach out to fellow public servants and elected officials to plan together to serve every Pittsburgher better We must be prepared to put the resources and perspectives of our foundation and corporate partners to work for our students to pilot innovative programs, expand offerings and create pathways to good careers for our students.

Our

approach to expanded partnerships will target audiences to:

Engage stakeholders to understand their expectations for Pittsburgh Public Schools and educate them on how the District’s plans will meet or impact those expectations; Make it easier for nonprofits, community partners, civic authorities, and elected officials to partner with the District; and Leverage the resources and perspectives of foundation and corporate sponsors to work for PPS students through expanding innovative programs, offerings and improvements

Partnersare moreaptto investenergyin effortswhere theyhavean opportunityto contribute

The five priority goals articulate key strategies aimed at improving Culture, Systems, and Instruction in the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Implementing these priority goals begins with inquiry. The conclusions emerging from this process will outline a collaborative and strategic approach to solve our challenges with student outcomes and experiences.

Priority Goal #1

Invest in culturally responsive, evidence-based training, tools, and instructional practices.

Priority Goal #2

Construct safety, health, and wellness protocols.

Priority Goal #3

Expand stakeholder communication and partnerships.

Priority Goal #4

Design effective organizational systems.

Priority Goal #5

Strategically allocate resources to ensure equity, excellence, and efficiency.

For more information on the Superintendent's Priority Goals, please visit www.pghschools.org/suptgoals

www.pghschools.org

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