SchoolCEO Summer 2024

HIGHLIGHTS: How experiential marketing can strengthen your district’s brand and generate buzz P OW E R E D BY A P P T EGY

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SUMMER

William D. Parker of “Principal Matters” shares a building-level leader’s role in creating experiences

The Experience of a Lifetime: Moments that Make People Fall in Love with Your Schools

loyalty and generating word of mouth.

three goals: building brand awareness, cultivating brand

surprises and moves you, it makes you see the world differently. It can

have proven to be effective in helping brands accomplish

What can experiences do for you? In person experiences

—even strangers—it has the power to bring you closer together.

even change your behavior. If you experience that moment with others

In person experiences are powerful. When a moment

HIGHLIGHTS: Artificial intelligence expert Rebecca Bultsma, APR, on what generative AI means for school comms P OW E R E D BY A P P T EGY

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How one finalist for AASA’s Superintendent of the Year turned her district into an enterprise

Experiential School Marketing: Let them see that You are part of the community

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“I remind myself that I’m always more satisfied by human interaction than by a digital connection.”

- Maulik Pancholy

How can experiences boost your brand?

As we started working on this issue, a total solar eclipse passed over North America, an event that won’t be repeated for another 20 years. At our office in Little Rock, Arkansas, we were in the direct path of totality. Leading up to the big moment, we were all excited—but I don’t think we really understood the magnitude of what we were about to witness. After all, most of us had seen a partial eclipse before.

How different could it be?

We couldn’t have been more mistaken. We weren’t prepared for evening darkness to fall over the sky at 2 p.m., for the sound of birdsong to be replaced by chirping crickets. We weren’t prepared for the awe of standing in a park with hundreds of other people—tourists and locals alike—all of us cheering when the last sliver of sun slid behind the moon. And I don’t think we were prepared to still be thinking about that experience three months later, but here we are.

Some of us cried. Some of us bought astronomy guides and telescopes afterward. At the risk of sounding cliché, we’ll remember that moment for the rest of our lives.

So in this edition of SchoolCEO, we’re focusing on the experiences, both big and small, that bind people to your school district. We’ll teach you about what the private sector calls experiential marketing and the ways it can benefit your schools. We’ll show you how real districts have created incredible, showstopping experiences for their stakeholders, from a surprise teacher shopping spree to a districtwide musical to a series of themed playgrounds. We’ll also consider the day-to-day experiences—the moments between science fairs, award ceremonies and other big events—that show families you care all year round.

There’s one more thing the eclipse showed us: The smallest shifts can make a world of difference. The eclipses we’d seen in the past may have been 90% of the way to totality, but that extra 10% made this one a life-changing moment. As you plan experiences for your schools, from the daily classroom experience to big events, think about how you can add that extra 10%. It might just win your district a lifelong advocate.

The eclipse taught us a lesson that we want to pass on to you: In-person experiences are powerful. When a moment surprises and moves you, it makes you see the world differently. It can even change your behavior. And if you experience that moment with others—even strangers—it has the power to bring you closer together.

OUR TEAM

Editor: Melissa Hite Writers: Eileen Beard, Marie Kressin VP of Marketing: Tyler Vawser Illustrator: Alex Barton Ad Designer: Marisol Quintanilla Operations: Barrett Goodwin

Research & External Relations Manager: Brittany Edwardes Keil Content Marketing Manager: Heather Palacios Video/Podcast Producers: Tanner Cox, Ryan McDonald

Based in Little Rock, Arkansas, Apptegy is an education technology company dedicated to helping school leaders build a powerful identity for their schools.

Learn more at apptegy.com

CONTENTS

Published by:

Vol. 6 No. 4 © 2024 by Apptegy, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint or quote excerpts granted by written request only. SchoolCEO® is published four times a year (October, January, April, and July) by Apptegy, Inc. 2201 Brookwood Dr., Suite 115, Little Rock, AR 72202. Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the magazine or Apptegy, Inc. Accordingly, no liability is assumed by the publisher thereof.

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School Shoutout: Recess Reimagined

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Not the Same Old Story

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Harnessing the Power of Experiences

In Texas’ Humble ISD, themed playgrounds are giving families new experiences—and bringing the community together.

Superintendent Dr. Dianne Kelly is reforming outdated education models to help struggling students find their footing.

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Families in Flux

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Pics or It Didn’t Happen

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The Power of Principals

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Perspective: ReadTalkPlay

We’ll teach you all about experiential marketing and how it can boost your district brand.

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Private Sector Playbook

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Q&A: The Human Side of Marketing

Learn how to plan a memorable event from some of the private sector’s biggest experiential marketing campaigns.

Veteran marketer and storytelling coach Neal Foard shares his take on how personal connection can build your brand.

Over time, families have changed. Has your district’s approach to family engagement changed with them?

How two school districts leveraged digital marketing to make their in-person events even more memorable

Author and podcaster William D. Parker shares insights on a principal’s part in creating experiences.

Superintendent Randy Jensen on a simple but powerful initiative that’s fostering community and investing in kids

Want to read up on all you’ve missed?

Past issues are available at: schoolceo.com Scan this QR code to read and

30 38

Backstage and Beyond Ways to broadcast your brand out to the community—and bring them behind the scenes of your schools

share this issue online.

Listen to SchoolCEO’s podcast and join the conversation.

Plus, find us on social media: X: @School_CEO

The VIP Treatment How real districts are creating experiences that put current and future teachers in the spotlight

LinkedIn: SchoolCEO

Scan here to read and share this article online.

School Shoutout: Recess Reimagined How one Texas school district is inviting its entire community to come and play

By Marie Kressin Take a moment to revisit your favorite childhood playground in your mind. What was it like? Was the ground covered in gravel, mulch or grass? Was the equipment made of metal or wood?

Were the grounds cared for or in disrepair? Unfortunately, the quality of your playground likely depended on the neighborhood you grew up in and how affluent it was. Until recently, this was true in Texas’ Humble ISD as well.

“When we started out, we had inequitable playgrounds,” says Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Fagen. “Typically, funds for playgrounds are raised by PTOs and PTAs. If an area is very wealthy, they have lots of money and lots of playgrounds.”

Humble ISD knew they wanted to bring their playgrounds up to par across the district because, as Fagen says, “all kids deserve a great playground.”

But Humble ISD is doing even more than building new, highquality playgrounds at each school site. They’re building themed playgrounds—inspired by everything from outer space to fairy tales—creating interactive spaces where families and students can enjoy making memories together. Plus, the playgrounds are free and open to the public outside of school hours. “We wanted to take it up a notch,” says Fagen, “so we pitched the idea of creating a communitywide asset.”

Now, children from all across the community—whether they’re

So it’s clear: Playgrounds are worth the investment. But why

enrolled in Humble ISD or not—can climb up the back of a dragon,

playgrounds with such a wow factor? Well, you wouldn’t

slide out of a treehouse, zipline through a ski lodge and more. But

necessarily drive half an hour to try out a new slide. You might,

it’s not just local families who are benefitting from what Humble

however, make the trip if it meant climbing up a whale-shaped

ISD has created. Families from outside the community are driving

jungle gym or sliding out of a lighthouse. You might invite friends

in to enjoy some outdoor play too.

and family along. Maybe you’d even take pictures to share online.

That’s because the more wondrous and unique the experience is,

And as great as these playgrounds are for the community, they’re

the more likely it is to be remembered and shared.

equally good for the district. Every time a family visits one of Humble ISD’s playgrounds, it’s a positive touch point that builds

More than just providing opportunities to play, Humble’s

the district’s reputation. By providing so many people with positive

playgrounds are so special because they consistently go above

experiences, Humble ISD is sending a message: It’s a district that

and beyond. They’re more than swing sets and monkey bars;

cares and can do great things.

they’re treehouses and trains and spaceships. They’re real-life

Why build themed playgrounds?

renderings of what it means to go the extra mile.

You might imagine that convincing stakeholders to invest in a

Positive experiences build buy-in.

larger-than-life volcano jungle gym with a magma-colored base

Construction on Humble ISD’s playgrounds was funded primarily

would be a difficult sell. Considering all the different ways schools

by a recently passed bond, so the way the district handled the

can invest in students and communities, why playgrounds?

project’s rollout was crucial. While the community had approved the playgrounds with their votes, they were now looking to

“For years I’ve believed in the power of play as an instructional

Humble to follow through. Every step of the way, the district

strategy,” says Fagen. “Every child has a different set of skills for

had to reassure constituents that they were good stewards of

navigating relationships or challenges. When they’re playing, they

taxpayer money.

don’t know it, but they’re working on those skills. Obviously we want our children to read, write and do math proficiently. But being a good person who can cope with challenges in life and have quality relationships—that’s equally important.”

And because playgrounds provide environments for students to learn how to interact with one another, it’s crucial that they are accessible to all students. That’s why Humble ISD planned each playground with inclusivity in mind, incorporating innovative equipment like rubber floor surfacing with fall protection, bucket swings and a wheelchair-accessible merry-go-round. The district also wanted to make play accessible to older students, so they built outdoor fitness spaces reminiscent of “American Ninja Warrior” courses at their middle and high schools.

Humble’s playgrounds aren’t just about student interaction. The district wanted to create opportunities for families to spend time together too. It’s no secret that today’s kids (and adults, for that matter) spend a lot of time looking at screens—but most online activities aren’t meant to be done as a family. “I’m unlikely to play Minecraft,” Fagen tells us, “but I’ll go sit on the playground with a Starbucks and be around my children and my friends.”

SUMMER 2024 /

7

Photos courtesy of Humble ISD

The district based their launch plan on what they already knew

thing for the district,” Fagen says. “People will just walk up and say,

themselves to be experts in: positive experiences. The district’s

‘I love the playgrounds! The space one’s my favorite!’”

communications team worked with each building’s principal to host a dedication ceremony at every new playground, and at

But even more impressive are the overwhelmingly positive

each one, students were front and center. Some gave speeches,

reviews of the playgrounds on social media. Influencers from

others sang songs, but the overall message was clear: These

nearby Houston have even driven over to play with their kids and

playgrounds are another way the district is taking care of kids,

post about their experiences. “Typically, I don’t read social media

and the community is invited to be a part of it.

comments,” says Fagen. “But when it comes to our playgrounds, I love reading the comments because they say things like, ‘Why are

“Every single time I talk about the playgrounds, I’ll repeat that

all the nice places in Humble?’”

these are community assets,” Fagen tells us. “Everybody who is a property owner pays property taxes. So we wanted to

A number of the comments on these posts are simply tags—

communicate that our playgrounds are shareable assets that

folks sharing the photos or reels with others they think ought to

provide our community with opportunities that aren’t available in

see it, some even saying things like, “Let’s go next week!” That’s

other places.”

the thing about creating really awesome experiences. They’re

Positive experiences get people talking.

not only great to share with family and friends; they’re also great to share online.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: Your district’s brand is

Whether commenting on how incredible it is that Humble ISD has

the way that people think and feel about your schools. Your brand

opened their playgrounds up to the public or proudly claiming

is your reputation. And the more your district does to create

their status as a member of the district, just about everyone in the

positive sentiment throughout you community, the more likely

comments section agrees on one thing: Humble ISD has done

you are to have a good reputation.

something awesome.

improving the district’s reputation and strengthening their brand?

Positive experiences build strong communities.

“We have a lot of anecdotal evidence from employees and

To have a community of people looking out for the district is any

community members that our playgrounds are a really positive

school leader’s dream scenario. After all, you and your staff cannot

But how does Humble ISD know their playgrounds are truly

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be everywhere and in every conversation at once. It’s important to have people throughout the community who believe in the work you’re doing and who want the best for your schools. How better to build a community than to invest in the one you already have?

Because Humble ISD has invested in their neighborhoods, those neighborhoods are invested in Humble ISD too. “The people who live around these playgrounds really love them,” Fagen says.

“People want these playgrounds to be taken care of. And they’ve also helped create care within our community. You don’t normally see that anymore, but these playgrounds are creating that sense of community again—people coming out of their homes and talking in the streets.” Their playgrounds have also positioned the district as a pillar within the community. “There’s a sense of pride

“These playgrounds are creating that sense of community again—people coming out of their homes and talking in the streets.”

here,” Fagen says. “People will say, ‘That’s my school! That’s where my child goes!’ And I love that.”

No matter which Humble ISD playground is your favorite, one thing is true: Each and every one has a wow factor that makes you wish you were within driving distance of the district. By inviting everyone to come enjoy the district’s playgrounds, Humble ISD is encouraging the community to take part and take pride in the district’s work. They’re building a whole community of people invested in the district’s success, and they’re constructing a network of goodwill—one positive experience at a time.

SUMMER 2024 /

9

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Not the Same Old Story How Dr. Dianne Kelly is working to rewrite the K-12 rule book

By Eileen Beard In her first year teaching, Dr. Dianne Kelly was determined to push the thinking of every single student in her classroom. While she didn’t enter the profession naively, it was much harder than she expected. “I can distinctly remember these kids saying to me, ‘Come on, Ms. Kelly, we’re the Sweathogs,” she says—a reference to the remedial class in the popular 1970s sitcom “Welcome Back, Kotter.” “That’s what they called themselves, because they had been told for eight years, ‘You are not capable.’ You belong in this lower-level class where you won’t be challenged.’”

Kelly, the 2023 Massachusetts Superintendent of the Year and recipient of the 2023 Bobbie D’Alessandro Leadership Award, helms Revere Public Schools, a district in the greater Boston area that serves a vibrant and multicultural community. In fact, she has worked in the same district for all but the first two of her 31 years in K-12 education. In 2024, she celebrates her ninth as superintendent.

To Kelly, her brother’s success perfectly illustrates why traditional K-12 education methods need reform. Students like Greg have the potential to be incredibly successful, but they are often punished or overlooked in schools for reasons outside of their control. “The way we structure our schools does not honor what people are capable of,” she says.

Can’t Rule with an Iron Fist Although Kelly describes herself as just an “okay” K-12 student, she says she was always good at math. “I really enjoyed it,” she says. “I found math problems to be almost like a puzzle and a challenge.”

D r. D

i a nn e Ke l l y

In high school, Kelly had a phenomenal math teacher who inspired her to lean into it. “Mr. Stengle was really engaging and didn’t give up on anybody,” she tells us. “He would sit with you forever if you

In her role, Kelly has focused on reforming systems that no

needed help. So I remember thinking, as I’m wrapping up my

longer serve students. Her inspiration started at home. One of six

senior year, I would love to do for kids what Mr. Stengle did for me

children, Kelly says her family didn’t have a lot of money growing

and open up this love of math.”

up, but her parents had a very strong work ethic. Her father worked two to three jobs at any given time, and her mother rejoined the

As a math teacher, Kelly was always drawn to leadership roles.

workforce as soon as all of her children were old enough to attend

While still in the classroom, she served as president of the Revere

school. Despite being busy, her mother would routinely sit with her

Teachers Association and was lead teacher of the mathematics

children around the dining table to help them with homework. In

department. She taught for 11 years before she was asked to

high school, Kelly stepped in to assist her youngest siblings.

become the dean of students at Revere High School, a role that dealt heavily with discipline issues. Kelly calls it the worst job she

Like the so-called “Sweathogs,” Kelly’s younger brother Greg

ever had.

was one of those students who struggled academically and was repeatedly placed into lower-level classes. He had an auditory

“It just breaks your heart,” she tells us. “Without a doubt, 90% of

processing disorder which made it difficult for him to follow

the kids had something really awful going on in their lives, and

assignments. “If the teacher said, ‘Open to page 25 and read

that’s what was making them dysregulated at school—skipping

the third paragraph,’ Greg would hear, ‘Open to page 25,’” Kelly

classes or being rude to a teacher, whatever the case may be.”

explains. His teachers assumed Greg was not paying attention.

Kelly saw cases of abuse and financial difficulty that made it

He often fell behind on tasks, which generated more homework

extremely hard for students to show up to classes, literally and

and frustrated their mother. He was smart, but he needed help.

“I learned that students who are struggling can actually do really well, if guided in the right way. That has fed my passion for education since then,” Kelly says.

Growing up, Kelly’s parents were emphatic that she and her siblings attend college in order to have the opportunities they themselves hadn’t. But because of the negative feedback he received in school, Greg didn’t pursue higher education, much to their parents’ initial dismay. He would go on to make his parents very proud, however. Greg became a sergeant major in the Green Berets and actually designed missions for the elite special ops branch of the United States Army before he retired.

Students from Kelly’s first class.

(Photo courtesy of Dianne Kelly)

figuratively. “People try to use the iron fist with teenagers, and that

five classes per quarter and still pass the class, as long as they can

just isn’t the right way to engage them,” she says. “I understand

show mastery of the subject. The point is not to let students off the

we need standards and expectations for behavior, and that there

hook, but to provide them some wiggle room as they readjust.

must be consequences when those are not met. But that doesn’t mean that we have to operate in such a systematic, factory model

To address behavioral issues without such rigid standards, Kelly

of education.”

put restorative practices coaches at each of the district’s middle schools and the Revere High School campus to train groups of

Kelly always expected she’d return to the classroom, but she found

students to do peer mediation. When classmates get into trouble,

that once she started down the administrative path, she couldn’t

the peer mediation system is an attempt to work through less se-

go back. She transitioned from dean of students to director of

vere disciplinary issues without excluding students from school.

mathematics, which morphed into the director of STEM before

Coaches teach students how to cope with adversity in more

leading her all the way to the superintendent’s office.

acceptable ways than verbally attacking one another or being defiant to a teacher. While they don’t replace traditional measures

As superintendent, Kelly has seen behavioral issues become

when students engage in fights or exhibit other significant disci-

even more widespread after the pandemic—and she has

plinary issues, restorative practices take a more holistic approach,

recognized many of the same issues she dealt with as dean of

considering the underlying factors of each individual situation.

students. “Everybody was on edge,” she says. “Students lost loved ones and had a lot that they were dealing with socially and

Real-Time Intervention

emotionally.” When students and staff returned to school, Kelly

Kelly thinks one of the biggest challenges educators currently face

says administrators expected everyone to “be normal,” but they

is finding ways to provide real-time interventions so that students

just weren’t ready for that. School policy was adjusted in the wake

are not held back. As she points out, these interventions are

of that trauma—it now states that students can miss more than

already happening at the elementary level. “K-6 students are used to having literacy coaches, reading and math interventionists.

Teachers at the elementary level focus on differentiation so that kids in the same classroom can have different experiences that meet their individual needs,” Kelly says. “Secondary schools haven’t been structured that way, so we struggle to figure out how to give a kid who has been struggling with math extra help today, not three weeks from now after they’ve already given up.”

In 2023, Kelly helped spearhead the establishment of an academy system at Revere High School. The school is divided into five smaller “schools,” each with its own assistant principal, two guidance counselors and a social worker. The intention of the program is to enable school officials to build closer, more supportive relationships with students and their families by focusing on smaller groups of them.

Additional roles have been carved out within the system to provide real-time intervention to students. Each academy has a student support specialist, who is a licensed teacher, to monitor and assist kids who are struggling academically. A student engagement coordinator is placed at each academy to keep track of student attendance and engage kids who are not in school when they should be.

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coursework because they were expected to work in factories rather than attend college. It has since become standard practice in K-12 schools. “It was always a construct that was meant to separate,” Kelly says. “And as we see people move here from different countries, we see that same narrative repeat itself.”

Today, tracking disproportionately affects low-income, Black and Latino students. Over 65% of students in Revere Public Schools are considered low-income. The majority of its student body is Hispanic, and English is a second language for over 70% of students. As a teacher, Kelly didn’t know how to address the inequity tracking created. But when she became superintendent, she worked to do away with honors classes and put students at every academic level in the same classroom, thereby giving every student access to the same rigorous curriculum.

Photos courtesy of Revere Public Schools

Despite Kelly’s efforts to pivot from the traditional tracking system to competency-based learning, the Revere Public Schools Committee has pushed the district to reinstate honors classes

The high school also has a STEM center and a writing center

for the 2024-25 school year. Some parents and guardians

that are staffed daily for peer mentoring. If the student support

were concerned their children would be negatively affected by

specialist identifies a student who is struggling in math, they can

eliminating honors classes. “They want what’s best for their kids,

refer them to the STEM center for tutoring. Teachers can reserve

and they should,” Kelly says.

those mentors to come into their classrooms and assist students on specific projects. “We’re trying to build that infrastructure that

However, Kelly’s research does not bear this out. In fact, the

allows for real-time intervention, and we’re also trying to expand

numbers suggest the students who would have been tracked

the knowledge of our secondary teachers on how to differentiate

for honors classes—a majority of whom are white—were

their own instruction,” Kelly explains. When it comes to disciplining

not negatively impacted by combining classrooms. In 2021,

students as well as educating them, one size does not fit all.

every single group of students measured completed a higher

Deviating from the Traditional Tracking System

percentage of advanced coursework than in 2020. Between 2020 and 2021, white students’ completion rate jumped from 83.8% to 86.5%. At the same time, the completion rate for high

“In my mind, the most egregious thing we do is that around third,

needs students—English language learners, students from low-

fourth or fifth grade, we tell kids, ‘You’re smart, and you’re not,’”

income households and students with special needs—increased

says Kelly. “What we should be telling them is, ‘We’re going to do

from 65.9% to 77.2%.

everything we can to help you be successful, regardless of how you learn or anything else.’”

Despite the setback, Kelly has not given up on making advanced coursework available to all students. She and her staff are

As a teacher, Kelly remembers getting class rosters before school

taking teacher recommendations into account to identify strong

started that would label kids Honors Geometry, College Geometry

candidates for honors level courses next year. But the district

or Standard Geometry. “I would make decisions about what those

is also giving parents and guardians the choice to enroll their

kids knew, and could do, without having ever met them. I would

children in honors classes even if they are not recommended.

plan lessons that would challenge kids and push their thinking and

“It’s quasi-open enrollment,” Kelly explains. “If we move back to

give them to the honors kids, but not to the other kids,” she says.

a detracked system, that’s going to take time. But I think that we have deviated from the traditional enough to still say that we’re

The practice of tracking was originally established in the 1900s

making progress and that more kids are going to have access to

following an influx of poor immigrants from Italy and Ireland.

the rigorous kind of work that we want all kids to have.”

Children from those countries were given less challenging SUMMER 2024 /

13

Deeper Learning

Continuing Education

To further assist those students who have struggled in traditional

Kelly shares her parents’ appreciation for postsecondary

learning environments, Kelly has partnered with the Harvard

education and has worked hard to lower barriers to access for her

Graduate School of Education to modernize outdated, industrial-

students. In addition to Revere High School, the district is home to

era systems in schools that harm both students and teachers. “I’ve

CityLab Innovation High School. The school was designed to give

never actually met a kid who doesn’t want to learn—I’ve just met

students an advantage in an ever-evolving job market through

kids who feel like school is an affront to them as a human being,”

experiential learning.

she says. “If you take that same kid and put them in an environment that is more nurturing, and where there’s more hands-on learning

Students at CityLab attend classes in their freshman and

and deeper learning, those kids thrive.”

sophomore years. Then, as juniors and seniors, they’re given the option to train on partner campuses such as the Benjamin Franklin

Deeper competency-based learning aims to help students

Cummings Institute of Technology and Roxbury Community

understand the underlying structures or ideas of a lesson rather

College. “The program is targeted at students who struggle to

than simply memorize facts. At the end of a unit on the American

be successful in a traditional learning environment,” Kelly says.

Revolution, for instance, a teacher might ask students to compare

CityLab students graduate with up to a year’s worth of college

and contrast it to a revolution in another country rather than test

credits. “When you’re struggling financially, that can be a game

them, or assign an essay which asks students to articulate pivotal

changer,” she says.

moments of a single war.

Both high schools have dual enrollment agreements, and the “It might be something that they literally experienced in

district has an early college partnership with North Shore

their lifetime, or it could be something that their parents and

Community College. “We’re really trying to encourage kids to

grandparents have told them about because they fled a country

scoop up as many of those credits as they can,” Kelly says. She

that was enduring a revolution,” Kelly explains. “They would be so

is proud of the long list of colleges and universities her 2023

much more attached to that than just giving a rundown of what

graduates were accepted into, many of which are ranked among

happened in the American Revolution—and they are still required

the top 100 schools in the nation.

to demonstrate their understanding of the revolution, but in a way that’s meaningful to them.”

To measure the success of shifting from detracking to deeper learning and other initiatives, Revere Public Schools is a member of the Massachusetts Consortium for Innovative Education Assessment (MCIEA). The collective of eight school districts and their local teachers unions works to develop methods that assess staff and student performance more fairly and effectively. In addition to measuring parent and student satisfaction with their school environments, the MCIEA emphasizes performance assessments in the classroom, such as asking students to write a paper on revolutions as described above, to determine their deep mastery of content and skills. “By having curriculum-embedded performance tasks, we can keep engaging kids instead of stopping the learning so that we can do the assessment,” Kelly says. “It goes hand in hand with what we’re doing around deeper learning.”

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But continuing education doesn’t stop with her students. Kelly

“I will not deny the fact that I am tired,” Kelly says about her near

is also passionate about providing the teachers in her district

decade-long career as superintendent of Revere Public Schools.

with adequate training and support. She believes the tenets of

It’s a long tenure, given it’s such a demanding role full of setbacks

deeper learning apply both to students and teachers. To that end,

and restarts. Then again, there’s nothing standard about the way

the district has implemented the Colleague to Colleague (C2C)

Kelly does things. “It’s the kind of job where you have to face a lot

program. Participating teachers choose an academic topic they

of negativity, but when you see the little rewards, it’s like, This is

want to learn more about, in the same way students are given

why we’re here,” she says. Seeing struggling students, who remind

the option to explore revolutions in other countries. They agree

her of her brother, thrive with some individual attention is just one

to work with a consulting teacher who conducts research on the

of those rewards. Although many challenges remain, change is

topic, helps to plan lessons, collects data in the classroom during

coming to K-12 education—at least if Kelly has anything to say

implementation and sometimes co-teaches lessons.

about it.

The program is designed to benefit every teacher involved.

Consulting teachers are released from classroom duties for two years to act in this role. Having built their own expertise in the process, they then return to the classroom, and another teacher steps into the consulting teacher position. At the end of each year, participating teachers will have earned 80 hours of professional development on their topic.

With Kelly’s guidance, the district has created over 100 teacher leadership positions. In addition to consulting teachers, those positions include professional learning group facilitators and curriculum-based lead teachers. “The reason we’ve invested so

“It’s the kind of job where you have to face a lot of negativity, but when you see the little rewards, it’s like, This is why we’re here.”

heavily in coaching positions, and the C2C program, is so that teachers can have that long-lasting embedded professional development that will really help them differentiate instruction, or learn how to engage kids in deeper learning themselves. We just have brilliant teachers and brilliant students,” Kelly gushes.

Needless to say, Kelly has made changing the education game a constant in her work. She has stayed committed to updating her schools from industrial-era models, right down to the buildings themselves. “Right now we have too few science labs, because this school was built when most kids didn’t take more than one year of science in high school. Now our kids are required to complete three years of lab science before they graduate, but our facilities don’t support that,” Kelly says.

So the Revere City Council recently approved a bond authorization worth almost half a billion dollars to build a new 21stcentury high school, due in part to Kelly’s perseverance. However, she is quick to point out that the bond would not have been authorized without the students, families and elected officials who worked so hard to make it a reality.

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Harnessing the Power of Experiences Why in-person experiences matter to your district’s brand and how to create effective ones

By Melissa Hite If you’ve ever been to a concert, you know that live music hits

said they were even more confident about the value of live events

different. Maybe it’s the bass thrumming through the arena or

than they had been before the pandemic. It makes sense; having

the crackle in your throat after screaming for an encore. Maybe

been deprived of in-person experiences for a prolonged stretch

it’s the proximity to your favorite singer or the thrill of singing in

of time, we appreciate them even more now. This year, research

unison with thousands of other fans. Maybe it’s just the novelty of

from event management software AnyRoad found that 90% of

something you don’t get to do every day. Whatever the reason, a

private sector marketers consider brand experiences “important”

live show feels worlds away from listening to an album in your car.

or “absolutely critical” to their organizations’ success.

It’s more than a way to pass the time; it’s an experience. And when it’s over—if the show was good—you come away even more in

We know that in many ways, schools and private sector

love with your favorite band than you were before.

companies are not the same. You probably don’t have the funding or the staff to pull off the kind of elaborate brand stunts you might

Many of your district’s stakeholders—parents and guardians,

see at SXSW. But you don’t need them—because you’re engaging

prospective teachers, outside community members, and more—

your school community with branded experiences all the time.

don’t spend time in your schools every day. If your district was a band, they’d be listening to you in their cars (that is, if they’re even

Think about it: Back-to-school nights. Football games. Parent-

fans at all). But like a live concert, in-person experiences with your

teacher conferences. Award ceremonies. Science fairs. Even

district have a greater impact—and they have the potential to

staff convocations and teacher recruitment fairs. Whether

make your community fall even more in love with your schools.

you’ve thought about them this way or not, school events are experiences—and if you engineer them intentionally, they can

Private sector companies often engineer special opportunities to build their brands through face-to-face connection with their

help you accomplish a few crucial goals.

audiences—a tactic called experiential marketing. Generally,

What can experiences do for you?

experiential marketing entails more than typical day-to-day

In-person experiences have proven to be effective in helping

connections like entering a store and engaging with staff. Like con-

brands accomplish three major goals: building brand awareness,

certs, the experiences brands create fall outside the ordinary. As

fostering brand loyalty and generating word of mouth.

we’ll see, they’re especially memorable, interactive, rich with emotional connection, and worth telling your friends about afterward.

Brand Awareness Whether you want families to enroll their children in your district,

The private sector has embraced this strategy for years—

teachers to submit job applications or senior citizens to vote “Yes”

and while the pandemic did hit experiential marketers hard,

on your school bond, you need to make a positive first impression.

experiences have since come back more powerful than ever. In a

Luckily, branded experiences—from recruitment fairs to open

2022 survey by industry magazine Event Marketer, 54% of brands

houses—are a great way to introduce your community to your schools and show them what your district stands for.

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According to a 2023 report from global events company Freeman and independent research firm Edelman DXI, people who interacted with a brand at a live event generally left with an extremely positive impression of that brand. More than threequarters left the event trusting that the brand would do what was right, be honest, and be good at what they did. What’s more, nearly 70% interacted with the brand online, visited the brand’s website or even made a purchase after the event.

Brand Loyalty You know as well as we do that retention—whether of students or of staff—is crucial to the success of your schools. But if the district across town starts offering an exciting new academic program or significantly boosts their pay scales, what’s keeping your students and teachers from jumping ship? The answer is brand loyalty: a true emotional connection to your schools.

Interactivity

Building brand loyalty is one of the strongest reasons to invest in

The most engaging experiences invite audiences to participate in

experiences. In the AnyRoad survey we referenced earlier, 43%

some way. This may seem like a no-brainer; after all, aren’t most in-

of private sector marketers listed “growing or deepening loyalty”

person experiences interactive? Well, not necessarily.

as their primary goal for experiential marketing. And research has shown that when executed well, branded experiences can boost

Let’s switch gears for a second and think about pedagogy. As

consumers’ trust in a brand and their perception of its quality,

we’re sure you already know, there’s a lot of research to suggest

leading to greater brand loyalty.

that active learning—where students are engaged in interactive

Word of Mouth

activities or discussions—is more effective than passive learning.

The same is true outside of a classroom setting. Participating in an

According to a 2021 study from Nielsen, 88% of individuals trust

experience—rather than merely observing it—makes audiences

the recommendations of people they know above all other forms

more likely to feel strongly about it and remember it well. Studies

of marketing. In other words, what you say about yourself matters

have also indicated that the more senses an experience engages,

much less than what others say about you. That means positive

the more likely you are to remember that experience. Simply giving

word of mouth is critical to maintaining a strong district brand. And

stakeholders a chance to touch, taste or even smell something

branded experiences are a great way to get people talking.

boosts the memorability of an event.

Data from Freeman and Edelman DXI indicates that after

To create an engaging, interactive experience, you don’t need

attending a live event, 67% of consumers want to talk about the

anything flashy—you just need to put a little thought into how to

brand or company to others. As we’ll see, social media plays a role

invite your audience to participate. For example, why not have

here too. According to a 2020 study in the Journal of Business

parents at back-to-school night fingerpaint to demonstrate what

Research, branded experiences often prompt participants to

their kindergarteners will be doing in the coming year? Or host a

create organic social media content promoting the brand.

trivia game to give families of older students a glimpse of the next

What makes an effective experience?

year’s curriculum?

It’s crucial to note that simply holding a live event is not enough

And no matter what kind of experience you’re building, be sure

to guarantee these results. Like any other part of marketing, this

to leave room for your audience to have one-on-one interactions

isn’t a box to check off, but a strategy to think about carefully

with staff members or other advocates for your district. As we’ll

and execute precisely. But what elements go into an effective

see, building emotional connections that show stakeholders you

experience—and how can you engineer them?

care is paramount to a successful experience.

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Emotional Connection

Which begs the question: How do you foster an emotional con-

Perhaps the most important aspect of an effective experience

nection with your district? According to Dobrev, it’s much the

is emotion. If you want to pique your community’s interest, build

same as building a close interpersonal relationship. When peo-

loyalty or get people talking, you’ll need to evoke a positive

ple feel that a brand cares about them, respects them, listens to

emotional response. But why? Because emotions have a huge

them, is responsive to their needs—that all creates emotional

impact on decision-making—whether we’re choosing where to

attachment. “You can’t have an emotional connection with some-

send our kids to school or how to vote on a bond initiative.

one if you think they don’t care about you,” he says. “That’s valid for personal relationships, it’s valid in business relationships, and our

Zhecho Dobrev, author of The Big Miss: How Organizations

research suggests that it’s valid for school experiences as well.”

Overlook the Power of Emotions, has done a lot of research on this point. “If you ask people, they will say emotions are not important

As you start planning an in-person experience for your district,

to their decision-making,” he tells SchoolCEO. “They want to be

think about how you can show your audience—whether it’s

rational. But the data shows that emotions are very important.”

families, teachers or students—that you care about them. For a

In a survey of nearly 19,000 customers across the U.S. and U.K.,

great example, look at the Waterford Welcome enrollment events

Dobrev determined that “emotional attachment” was the greatest

put on by Michigan’s Waterford School District. With balloons and

driver of business value, even ranking above product quality.

bubbles and branded swag, these events get families excited

This means that people were more likely to stay with a brand,

about their new schools—but more than that, they immediately

recommend it to their friends and prefer it over competitors if they

prove that Waterford cares. As parents and guardians fill out

felt an emotional connection to it.

enrollment forms, staff members stand by to answer questions or even walk them through the paperwork step-by-step. Interpreters are available to help Spanish-speaking families navigate the process. There’s even a play area to keep kids entertained. None of those touches are particularly flashy, but they help to build that all-important emotional connection.

Memorability For an experience to effectively build awareness, loyalty and word of mouth, it also needs to be memorable. As it turns out, memories have a great deal of influence over the decisions we make.

According to the work of the late author and psychologist Daniel Kahneman, we don’t actually make decisions based on our past experiences; we make decisions based on our memories of those experiences. When your stakeholders sit down to make choices involving your school district—whether to send their kids there or donate money to a fundraiser—it’s their memories that will sway them one way or the other. A strong positive memory of an inperson experience could be the deciding factor.

So what makes an experience memorable? Well, one factor is emotion—another reason to pay attention to the feelings you’re evoking. If you’re a sports fan, Dobrev says, “you don’t remember every single game, but there are some games that really stick in your mind—because those are moments of high intensity.” It’s the same for your community’s experiences with your district. “If you think about your own experience in school, you don’t remember every single moment,” he says. “But if you think about what sticks

in your mind, you see that those are moments with high emotional

Surprise helps here too. In their book on the subject,

intensity, both positive and negative.”

“Surprisologists” Tania Luna and Dr. LeeAnn Renninger explain that when we’re surprised, our brains need help working through

We are also more likely to remember experiences that were novel

what’s happened—so we share the experience with others.

or that surprised us in some way. Research has shown that when

(We’ve all called a friend to say, “You won’t believe what happened

older adults are asked about their most vivid memories, the ones

to me today.”) So it’s easy to see how surprise fits into marketing.

they mention tend to come disproportionately from the period

When you offer people a pleasant surprise, they’ll post about it on

between ages 15 and 30. Relatedly, this time in our lives is full of

Instagram or tell a friend over coffee. Whether they know it or not,

“first” experiences—first car, first job, first serious relationship, first

they’ll become part of your district’s marketing.

child. These moments stick in our minds not only because they’re emotional, but because they’re so new to us.

But there’s also a more straightforward way to make your event shareable: prompting your audience to post about the experience

Some experiences—like the first day of school—are novel by

on social media. Invite your attendees to share their experience

nature, but more commonplace experiences need a little boost

using event-specific hashtags. Include a photo booth so your

of surprise to make them memorable. Engineering a memorable

community can take pictures to post on Instagram. Authentic

surprise starts with knowing your audience’s expectations. When

social media buzz like this—called “user-generated content” in the

the reality of a situation is worse than we expect, we experience

private sector—is worth its weight in gold. According to a 2023

negative surprise: disappointment. But when reality surpasses

survey from marketing platform TINT, people trust user-generated

our expectations, we experience delight. As a combined force,

content more than any other type of content. (For more on how

surprise and delight can utterly revolutionize the way people feel

digital strategies can boost the effectiveness of your experiences,

about your district. It’s your job as a school leader to figure out

turn to “Pics or It Didn’t Happen” on page 49.)

what your community expects of a given experience and not just meet those expectations, but surpass them.

Without the same levels of funding and staff power as private sector brands, it may feel like you’re at a disadvantage when it

When I was in high school, we attended schoolwide pep rallies

comes to building effective experiences. But really, schools have

before important basketball or football games. Most of them were

a leg up on the private sector—just because you have so many

about the same: Cheerleaders performed, players led chants,

opportunities. Some brands struggle to meet their customers

the principal spoke. But almost 15 years later, the only pep rally I

face-to-face, but you see at least some of your stakeholders

remember vividly is the one where nearly the entire staff surprised

every single day. Whenever you gather part of your community

us with a flash mob of “Thriller.”

together, it’s a chance to give them a great experience; you just have to be intentional.

The student body was absolutely shocked and awed. We lost our minds. And while the element of surprise certainly played a role, I don’t think that’s the only reason it has stuck with me for so long. Those teachers and support staff spent weeks learning this dance on their own time, just to see the looks on our faces. If that’s not proof that they cared about us, I don’t know what is.

Shareability Finally, the best experiences make people want to share them with others. It’s not hard to see why this should be an important part of your strategy; after all, word of mouth is one of the primary reasons to invest in experiences in the first place. So what makes an experience worth sharing? Well, all of the elements we’ve talked about so far—interactivity, emotional connection and memorability—boost the likelihood that your audience will share their experience with their friends.

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Private Sector Playbook What Districts Can Learn From Private Sector Experiential Marketing

By Eileen Beard

As school leaders, you are no doubt familiar with the proven

So what does this have to do with you? Schools already host nu-

benefits of experiential learning models. Students who conduct

merous experiential marketing events every year, whether or not

experiments in a chemistry lab become part of the scientific

you think of them as such—take football games, school dances

process; they develop a better understanding of chemistry princi-

or choir performances, for example. These events foster a sense

ples, and they retain that knowledge longer than they would from

of community and help drive positive feelings about your schools.

a traditional lecture.

Whether you want to improve existing events like the ones Experiential marketing works in much the same way—customers

mentioned above or introduce new ones, we hope this roundup of

who participate in a positive branded experience develop

successful experiential marketing campaigns in the private sector

a strong and lasting connection to that brand. Successful

will inspire you. (We’ve also included a couple of unsuccessful

campaigns create memorable moments that resonate with

ones to help you avoid making the same mistakes.) Remember, a

consumers beyond traditional advertising methods. According to

successful event is just a memory in the making. And if you deliver

a survey conducted by Statista, 93% of consumers claim that live

a good memory, you won’t only win a fan for life—you might just

events have a larger influence on them than TV ads. What’s more,

win their friends and followers too.

people tend to share those memorable moments with friends and followers. A report by the Event Marketing Institute showed a whopping 98% of consumers create digital or social content at branded events and experiences.

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Lesson 1: Consider your audience.

Photos courtesy of Anthony Scerri.

This one might seem obvious, but it’s worth emphasizing: The very first step to putting on a successful experiential marketing event is to consider what your audience wants and needs. In 2015, Facebook (now Meta) launched Facebook IQ, a platform that provided businesses with valuable insights into consumer behavior. However, the social media company soon realized many of its potential customers—in this case, the advertisers that stood to benefit from those insights—didn’t really understand how to interpret or take advantage of the data the platform provided.

To better educate its consumers, Facebook set about creating a fun and memorable experience that would demonstrate the value of its metrics. Facebook invited business representatives to “IQ Live,” a mock neighborhood where attendees could walk around to locations like a coffee shop or a newsstand to witness data come to life. In one of the installations—a model home— attendees could watch actors play parents of a newborn to illustrate the IQ platform’s findings: New moms check Facebook at 3 or 4 a.m. because they are up feeding and tending to their babies, making it a lucrative time of day to place targeted ads.

The event was a success. When surveyed by Momentum Worldwide, the agency that designed IQ Live, 93% of attendees said the experience provided invaluable insight on how to use

So what can you learn from Amazon’s mistake? In marketing as in

Facebook IQ to benefit their businesses. Facebook discovered

medicine, success starts with the tenet, “First, do no harm.” When

its audience needed information, and the company created an

you’re planning something, strive for inclusivity. Representation,

immersive experience in which to give it to them.

accessibility accommodations and respect for different cultures are essential for hosting events in your school or district that will

The goal of experiential marketing is to build strong relationships

please, not put off, your audience. If you’re not sure what your

with customers that will go the distance. However, if the

stakeholders want or need, don’t be afraid to ask them directly!

experience runs counter to your audience’s interests—or worse,

Survey parents and teachers to determine unfulfilled wishes. You

offends them—you could lose them, and negativity spreads just

will get valuable feedback, and they

as quickly as positivity. Consider the disastrous 2015 marketing

will know their opinions matter.

campaign for the Amazon Prime TV series “The Man in the High Castle.” The show imagines an alternate history in which the Axis powers win World War II, giving Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan divided control over the United States.

It’s a thought-provoking concept for a TV series, but the show’s marketing team turned the idea into a nightmarish reality for many riders of the New York City subway. Advertisements for the show plastered Nazi imagery across the seats, walls and ceilings of a busy train connecting Times Square and Grand Central Station in Manhattan. The stunt caused an uproar, and then-Mayor Bill de Blasio demanded that Amazon remove the ads, calling them “irresponsible and offensive to World War II and Holocaust survivors, their families, and countless other New Yorkers.”

Lesson 2: Form a partnership.

Two heads are better than one—it’s an idiom that applies to both problem-solving and planning experiences. Take the following example: In 2015, Google launched Google Photos, a new—you guessed it—photo-sharing app. To advertise it, Google parked a branded food truck in downtown Austin and offered passersby free cupcakes in exchange for photos. It was a fun and effective way to gain new users, but that was only the beginning.

Fast-forward an hour or two, and along came Zappos to crash Google’s party. The online retailer set up a makeshift mobile store right next to Google’s cupcake truck and offered goods such as shoes and electronics in exchange for cupcakes. All of a sudden, customers were caught up in a friendly tête-á-tête between two tech giants. The stunt garnered even more attention for the Google Photos app, and Zappos was able to piggyback off of Google’s campaign to attract attention to themselves.

Although Google and Zappos have never confirmed the partnership, the point remains the same: Joining forces with

A large number of customers chose to share their chocolate with a

another organization can increase your brand’s exposure while

friend, which increased the brand’s customer base and won it valu-

potentially offsetting some of the costs and labor of staging an

able (chocolate) brownie points for spreading good cheer. Milka’s

event. And though you certainly don’t have to start a fight to reap

campaign is a perfect real-world illustration of how your brand

the rewards, sometimes a little friendly competition is a plus for

benefits when your audience shares good vibes with other peo-

both parties. Think of a high school sporting event—what is a

ple. The impact is even bigger when your audience shares online.

football game if not a face-off between two different brands that provides a memorable experience for fans of both?

Many of us had Barbie dolls growing up, but not many of us felt represented by the brand’s narrow selection of skin tones, hair

What other events could you co-host with a nearby school or

textures and body types. When “Barbie” was released in 2023,

district? Would any companies in town be willing to donate

Mattel not only banked on a nostalgic connection to its brand to

supplies in exchange for free advertisement? Get out there

drive audiences to the theater, but also invited new and disgruntled

and make some friends—or even frenemies—to set your next

customers to see it. How? The company installed life-sized Barbie

marketing experience up for success.

boxes at cinemas around the country that invited moviegoers to

Lesson 3: Encourage sharing.

step inside and see themselves in the box, possibly for the first time. The brand launched an online “Barbie selfie generator” in

We’ve all heard the phrase “sharing is caring,” but it’s overused

tandem, allowing people to insert photos of themselves in the

because it’s true. We teach children to be generous by sharing

roles of Barbie and Ken against backdrops from the film.

their toys with their classmates, and we demonstrate kindness by donating canned goods to food banks. The European chocolate

People appreciated the sentiment and shared their Barbie selfies

brand Milka bet on this kindness with their experiential marketing

on social media platforms, using the hashtag #Barbie. Those

campaign “The Last Square,” in which the company sold

shares drove more people to the theater to see the movie and to

incomplete chocolate bars to an unsuspecting public. Seems like

take their own selfies. (While we’re on the subject, a selfie station

a bad idea, right? But in place of those missing chocolate squares,

is an affordable and reliable option for encouraging the public to

the company engaged consumers with a choice: Contact us and

post about an experience.)

we will deliver your missing chocolate to you or to someone else, free of charge.

SUMMER 2024 /

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You can also engage your online audience with interactive polls on Instagram or TikTok to make them active viewers of your content.

Ask students to vote on their favorite food and serve the winning dish at lunch Friday. However you go about it, let your followers interact with your school or district in a fun way—because fun is a good impression for people to have and spread about your brand.

Lesson 5: Let people express themselves.

When was the last time you sat down to create something with your hands? American Greetings asked consumers the same question, and the answer was, “Not in a long time.” In 2016, the company invited SXSW attendees to #analog with them, Online shares reach a larger audience and word spreads faster

providing a space for people to take a break from their busy days

than in real life, so don’t neglect to devise a digital strategy at the

to craft. They also invited people to fill in a page of their “coloring

same time you plan your event. As you’re planning your school

book mural,” a big collaborative work of art that gave people a

dance, for example, why not create a prom hashtag? Doing so

sense of accomplishment when they saw the finished product.

makes social media chatter about your event easier to track and

Furthermore, photos of the mural were posted online inviting

encourages your audience members to interact with one another.

contributors to tag themselves.

Lesson 4: Think beyond IRL. Not all experiential marketing experiences are event-based— take Milka’s “The Last Square” campaign—and in fact, they don’t even have to take place in the real world. When Benefit Cosmetics launched a new mascara in 2021, it faced a very big obstacle in promoting it: the pandemic. Traditionally, consumers like to test makeup products before they buy, which created a challenge because most retail locations were closed at the time.

To draw attention to its new product, Benefit hatched an immersive experience in which users could collect tokens and exchange them for discounts on online purchases, free mascara samples or virtual beauty consultations. Once users signed into Benefit’s platform, they were asked to share their location. Next, thanks to augmented reality, “gamers” could use their phones to find those tokens offline.

While using virtual reality as a tool is probably out of reach for most schools and districts, you can still gamify an online experience by creating contests and challenges. Remember when everyone started dumping ice buckets on their heads for ALS? It was successful because a) people liked challenging themselves, b) it was fun to see friends and celebrities squeal in shock when they got iced, and c) it was for a good cause! Can you think of a similar challenge that could gamify fundraising for new art supplies?

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@amgreetings

Lean Cuisine provided another opportunity for customers to

The takeaway? If you hold a school movie night, test the projector

express themselves with its #WeighThis campaign. Once the

before the big night. If you host a haunted house, do a walk-

most popular brand in the grocery freezer aisle, Lean Cuisine’s

through to make sure any special effects are safe. You shouldn’t

reputation began to lag as public opinion about dieting and weight

leave important details up to chance, especially where health and

loss changed. Female consumers felt they were valued more for

safety are concerned.

their physical appearance than their accomplishments, so Lean Cuisine provided a space for women to write what they were most

Let’s not beat around the bush: Experiential marketing takes a lot

proud of—a gallery of writing boards that looked like scales in

of time, effort and coordination. While we know you don’t have

New York City’s Grand Central Station. Their responses included

the same resources as Fortune 500 companies, you can still

being a combat veteran, surviving brain surgery and helping

learn from their wins and losses to engage your stakeholders in a

children with autism.

more meaningful and memorable way—one that will strengthen their connection to your brand and create new ones. Trust us, it’s

A brand that was once a symbol of 1980s diet culture gave women

worth it.

an opportunity to publicly reject dieting and recorded it on video to share with a wider audience. It might seem like a risky move, but the video campaign led to a 33% increase in positive brand perception. You don’t have to rent out Grand Central Station to give your stakeholders a voice—but you can incorporate similar exercises into pre-existing events. On back-to-school night, for instance, maybe you could ask students and parents to write what they’re most excited about for the new school year and display their answers—both at school and online.

Lesson 6: Do a test run.

If you’re planning a brand-new experience or you’re incorporating challenging new elements into an existing event, it’s important to think about Murphy’s Law: Assume anything that can go wrong will go wrong. IBM forgot the adage when it used biodegradable chalk stencils to write slogans advertising the Linux operating system on sidewalks and walls across San Francisco. Unfortunately, the drawings didn’t wash off, and the city ordered IBM to pay a $100,000 fine and about $20,000 in clean-up costs. If IBM had simply spot-tested the chalk on a small area of private property, it would have avoided this whole mess.

But if you think paying a big fine is bad, consider how you would feel if you seriously injured members of your audience. Jägermeister, a German liqueur brand, did just that when it hosted a pool party in Mexico in 2013. The organizers poured liquid nitrogen into the pool to create fog, not realizing the element becomes toxic to humans when combined with chlorine. Nine partygoers had to be taken to the hospital, and needless to say, the Jägermeister brand took a big hit for it.

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The Human Side of Marketing Advertising expert Neal Foard on why person-to-person experiences matter to marketing

By Marie Kressin

If you ask Neal Foard, he’ll tell you: Marketing is “a human enterprise.” And he would know. With 30 years in advertising, Foard has created award-winning campaigns for household names like Anheuser-Busch, Lexus and Sony. He spent some of those years in the experiential marketing space, helping brands build

Q A

makes an in-person experience effective?

Q What A

Anything that helps people build relationships is going to make an experience meaningful and memorable. I used to love trade shows because people were there

experiences that, as he puts it, “treat customers like

to mix and mingle and learn new things. I found it really

friends instead of targets.” Now, this marketing expert

gratifying to be an agent of that kind of experience. But

and storytelling coach has become known for his

sometimes when people walk into a trade show or any

videos about memorable moments of kindness and

new environment, they’re thinking, Where do I go? What

connection—ones that change someone’s perception

am I doing? Activities are fabulous for raising the energy

or challenge their thinking.

level in a room.

In Foard’s words, “marketing is not just storytelling.

When I went to trade shows as a vendor, we’d put

It’s relationship building.” In other words, it’s distinctly

people into teams of three to play “Jeopardy!” or “Family

human. We sat down with Foard to get his take on

Feud”—some contest that forced them to engage with

the human side of marketing—from storytelling to

the people around them. If school leaders can find ways

presentations to live events and more—and learn how

to put together an activity where there’s some element

school marketing can put relationships front and center.

of teamwork and competition, that could be the key to

Why are in-person experiences so important from a marketing standpoint?

The advantage of live experiences is the serendipity of meeting people and establishing relationships you never would have otherwise. Life is a team sport. The more teammates you have, the more opportunity you have to connect and the better off you are.

creating new relationships and giving people something to talk about afterward.

Q A

Lots of events involve public speaking. What advice do you have on presenting effectively?

When I worked in advertising, I was able to advance not because I was a tremendous writer or an extremely creative person, but because I got good at pitching ideas. I was the one who would go into a room and try

When we see someone in person—when we can shake

to persuade the client to buy our idea. In selling the idea,

their hand and look them in the eye—it raises the level

it’s often the way you put something—and the way you

of civility, increases our mutual understanding and

present yourself—that determines that idea’s value.

allows for a dialogue that improves our lives. In-person experiences are simply more pleasant. Human beings

So if you’re in front of people you’re not familiar with, do

are better when we’re together.

not walk in and surrender status. Don’t walk in and say, “I’m not a very good presenter” or “This will only take a minute.” The first 10 to 15 seconds are key—that’s where you get your audience’s attention. If you walk in and

SUMMER 2024 /

27

immediately self-deprecate, you’re wasting the most valuable real estate of the presentation.

most memorable experiences are participatory.

Q The How can school leaders make their presentations more engaging?

Another thing to avoid saying is, “I’m so excited to be here.” If you really were excited, you would begin immediately with what’s got you excited. Imagine you’re telling a retiree on a fixed income that she’s just won a million dollars. You wouldn’t start by saying, “I’m so excited to be here.” You’re going to go, “Hey, you want

A

Every audience is different. I’ve run into quite a few audiences that were incredibly reluctant to contribute.

That said, an audience that is invited to participate now

to hear some really good news?” Plus, everybody says

has permission to feel at home and to be more interested

they’re excited to be there. By starting with a cliché, you

in you. They’re going to pay more attention.

actually reduce your status, because you sound like everyone else.

Try asking questions that are easily answered. You could say something like, “Has anybody been stopped

Instead, what people need to perceive about you is that

in customs and suddenly felt the terror of not knowing

you are there to fix a problem or provide value. You are

what’s in your bag?” Half the hands will go up. If you

not ashamed of it; you are proud of it. And if anybody

prime your audience to expect questions, participation

ignores you or decides not to listen, that’s okay. You’re

is going to be higher, and they’ll be more attentive.

just there to help, and if they don’t want your help, you’re

Use a couple of those softball questions to help build

not going to take offense. You’re somebody who’s trying

momentum, and then move into your more pointed,

to be of assistance and who knows what they’re doing.

meaningful, relevant questions.

of your work focuses on storytelling, and that’s a huge Q Much part of building connections.

How can school leaders tell better stories?

But it’s not just about asking them questions. Think back to when you were a teacher. You wanted your class to be so intrigued that they’d ask questions if they didn’t understand. An audience is the same. I learned from doing business pitches that an audience with no questions at the end is not a good sign. The Q&A is

A

It’s important to remember that stories are how we

where you win it or lose it, because that’s where they get

imagine. When you’re listening to someone tell a

a sense of who you really are. They know what you’re

story, your mind paints an incredibly vivid picture of

saying isn’t a rehearsed act.

what’s taking place. It picks all the right colors and all the right actors. It lets you participate in filling in the

There’s one more thing I like to do when I have a really

empty spaces. That is powerful because when your

large audience. Without priming them at all, I tell them to

imagination is engaged, you feel like you’re participating.

find a piece of paper and a pen, and I’ll say, “You have 30

You subconsciously feel a sense of ownership, which is

seconds to draw your neighbor. Go.” Immediately, you

exactly the kind of reaction you want from your audience.

hear laughter. There’s a flurry of activity, and the noise level in the room goes up instantly. And after 30 seconds,

That’s why it’s also important as a storyteller to never

I have them show their portraits to each other. Again, an

cast yourself as the hero. That makes your audience feel

eruption of laughter.

like they’re not standing next to you—but really, you want them to be right next to you, watching something that you can both learn from. You want your audience thinking, I like them because they are in this with me. If you’re not portraying yourself as the one who learned something or

To learn more about Neal Foard’s approach

was humbled or was able to appreciate something new,

to storytelling, visit storyfire.net

your audience just won’t believe the story.

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/ SUMMER 2024

Not only is this a low-stakes way to get people laughing and engaging with one another, but it’s also a great way to get everyone’s attention back, which increases participation. And even though it’s silly, it makes people more open and vulnerable. As soon as people show their finished portraits, they start apologizing to each other.

That gives me the opportunity as the speaker to say, “Don’t worry about getting things wrong.” When I ask complex questions, I want my audience to be engaged and honest. Those are the kinds of conversations that are the most memorable.

huge part of building a experience is making Q Apositive people feel cared for. Why is

“Trust may be the most important commodity there is in business—no matter what business you’re in.”

that so important?

A

They have a phrase in New Orleans called lagniappe, meaning “a little extra something.” When you go down there and have yourself a coffee, they might bring out some beignets and not charge you for them. That little extra something is a really sweet way of saying, “I suppose we could do this for the money, but I’d just as soon make a friend.”

In marketing, the goal is to earn another conversation.

And by earning conversations, you eventually earn trust.

Trust, listening, being open, transparency, genuineness, authenticity—these are not buzzwords. These are some of the oldest human values. They are timeless. It’s funny that we talk about them as though they’re some new discovery. That’s just how you behave when you’re friends with somebody. That’s why that little extra effort—going the extra distance to make a friend—is so valuable.

What I’m saying is the goal isn’t always to make a sale.

Trust may be the most important commodity there is in business—no matter what business you’re in.

Hear more from Neal Foard and other expert speakers at this year’s SchoolCEO Conference!

Scan here to learn more and claim your spot.

SUMMER 2024 /

29

By Marie Kressin and Melissa Hite

Backstage and Beyond Broadcasting your brand to your community and bringing them behind the scenes

Photo courtesy of Central Kitsap School District

Scan here to read and share this article online.

You’ve heard the saying: Relationships go both ways. That may sound a bit cliché, but there’s truth to it—especially for school districts. In order to build positive relationships with your community, you must consider both how to get your district out into the community and how to bring your community into your schools.

More than likely, your district is already doing this. After all, if you’re one of the growing number of school districts across the country with a professional communicator on staff, then you’re probably already working to create seamless, two-way relationships with your families and community members online. But while newsletters and a regularly updated website are important parts of building those relationships, the touch points that take place offline matter just as much.

Photos courtesy of Fort Wayne Community Schools Here, we’ll be focusing on how districts can leverage effective in-person experiences—both inside and outside your school

Getting Out Into the Community

buildings—to generate brand awareness, brand loyalty and word

When we talk about getting out into the community, you might

of mouth. We know what you’re thinking: “In-person experiences’’

immediately think of the school-sponsored events your district

is just marketing lingo for “events”—elaborate, expensive ones.

hosts. Maybe you lead an annual community resource drive or

And sometimes that’s true, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s entirely

offer students field trips to businesses in your area. However, if you

possible to cultivate powerful, positive experiences that are both

only focus on hosting your own events, you’ll quickly find yourself

manageable and easily repeatable.

stretched thin and burned out. Here are a few ideas for getting out into the community—without necessarily putting on your own

So whether you’re hoping to get your district’s brand out into your community or to bring the community into your schools, this

huge shindig.

article is for you. We’ll take a look at the sustainable strategies

Leverage existing community events.

districts have cultivated for elevating in-person moments into

With 52 schools, Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS) is the

memories, both within and beyond their school walls.

largest district in Indiana. Needless to say, engaging all of the district’s stakeholders at several independent events per year would require a staggering amount of resources. That’s why Krista Stockman, APR, director of communication and marketing at FWCS, has found ways to piggyback off of existing community events. “Small towns often have some sort of big festival—maybe it’s their summer event or Fourth of July parade,” she says. “If you aren’t already going to those events, that’s the first thing you’ll want to do.”

The big event for FWCS is the Three Rivers Festival. Held every July, the community celebration includes a parade attended by tens of thousands of people—and watched on television by even more. “We hadn’t been involved in the parade for years,” Stockman says, “until we said, ‘Hey, you need banner carriers for your parade, and we have students. If you just let them wear their FWCS shirts, we’ll let them carry your banners.’”

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The event’s organizers loved the idea. In fact, in exchange for the

One of five communities chosen to pilot the Community

students’ time, they gave FCWS a free spot in the parade. “So we

Economic Analysis for Rural Wisconsin Communities program

didn’t even have to pay the cost to have a float,” Stockman says.

(CEA-RWC), the Gilman School District has broken the traditional

“Now, we have a float every year, and it’s become a chance for us

mold for school strategic planning. Supported by a grant from the

to be at a major community event.”

Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, the district and the broader community worked together to develop a plan that

As valuable as it is for FCWS to be involved in such important

would benefit them both.

community celebrations, they also recognize that it’s impossible to be present at every single one. “In the summer, there’s a festival

“I would try to recruit staff, and they’d take one drive downtown

almost every weekend,” Stockman tells us. “So we started look-

and see a closed grocery store and say, ‘I don’t know if I want

ing at which events make sense for us to attend and which ones

to work here. This place might be too desolate for me,’” says

don’t.” For example, the district has decided to forego the local

Superintendent Dr. Wally Leipart. “But I have a deep passion for

wine festival—but they do sponsor PBS Kids Explorer Day, an

rural schools and communities. Just because you’re from a small,

event designed specifically for families with young children. “We

rural town doesn’t mean you can’t have the same opportunities

just need to have some people there,” says Stockman. “Maybe we

that a large district offers. You just have to be creative, and you

don’t have expensive giveaways—maybe we just have balls and

have to work with others to make it happen.”

sunglasses, things that kids like. But some light brand awareness can make a big difference.”

Together, community and district leaders identified the following priorities: establishing a vibrant main street; promoting

“Our tagline is, ‘We are your schools,’” Stockman says. “This is all

volunteerism and community engagement; and embracing

part of how we can be out there showing our community that we’re

the quality of life found in a rural community. Then, they worked

here. It’s how we say, ‘We want you to be a part of our district.’”

together to turn those priorities into realities. For example, it was

Make lasting community investments.

up to the Gilman Development Foundation to determine the feasibility of developing a business incubator in an underutilized

In Gilman, Wisconsin, the local school district is beginning to think

building downtown. Now, thanks to the foundation and their

differently about how they can support their community. They’re

partnership with the district, that space houses 54 vendors.

working with local organizations to create high-quality spaces where people can conduct business and spend time. By investing

“It doesn’t look like an abandoned bank anymore,” Leipart tells

in physical places that serve the whole community, Gilman School

us. “You can buy everything from crafts to processed meats

District has given people a lasting opportunity to build positive

and cheeses to wine. We’re actually looking at buying a second

associations with the district.

building because we have so many vendors on our waiting list.”

Photo courtesy of Gilman School District

/ SUMMER 2024

And every time a community member enjoys an afternoon of

Photo courtesy of Central Kitsap School District

shopping in the revitalized building, they’re reminded that this new community asset was made possible in part by the vision of the Gilman School District. They’re reminded that their schools care about and are invested in the community.

We recognize not every school district will have the opportunity to participate in something like CEA-RWC. That’s okay. The idea is to identify where your community has a need and brainstorm how the school district may be uniquely positioned to fill that need. What would it look like to support your city council in a park revitalization project? After all, who’s more knowledgeable about high-quality playground equipment than your school district?

If your school district has a hand in creating positive experiences throughout the community, then people will be all the more likely to develop positive associations and relationships with the district.

As Leipart says, “A vibrant school needs a vibrant community, and a vibrant community needs a vibrant school.”

Bringing the Community into Your Schools

Don Fox, Central Kitsap’s director of performing arts operations and resources, first came across the idea of an all-district musical when he worked as the technical director of the local performing arts center in Wenatchee, Washington. “Every other year, the Wenatchee School District would let little kids and big kids all get

For people who spend time in your school buildings everyday—

together to do a much bigger show than they could do at their

like school leaders, employees, and students—it’s not hard to

individual schools,” says Fox. “They really put some resources

see what makes them special. But for other stakeholders, it might

behind it and made it something special.”

not be so obvious. The more you can bring people into your schools and immerse them in your culture, the more clearly they’ll

So in 2022, Central Kitsap mounted their first districtwide summer

understand your value.

musical: “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.” Roughly 100

Build something big—together.

students, from third graders to high schoolers, acted in the show, and even more helped behind the scenes. But just as crucial—if

As they emerged from COVID-19 shutdowns in 2022,

not more so—were the production’s adult volunteers. “The culture

Washington’s Central Kitsap School District, like many districts

that I am working to build through our summer musicals is that

nationwide, struggled to reengage their community. “People

your participation as a parent is essential to the success of the

were feeling disengaged, disenfranchised, disconnected,” says

production,” says Fox. “There’s no way to do a show at this scale

Superintendent Dr. Erin Prince. “We really felt like we needed to

only with kids.” Students’ family members painted sets, helped

have something to celebrate that would bring people together.”

with costumes, worked on hair and makeup, and even played in the orchestra alongside students as mentor instrumentalists.

In 2019, the district had completed construction on the Central Kitsap Performing Arts Center—a state-of-the-art, 900-seat au-

“Willy Wonka” was an incredible success. Financially, the district

ditorium at Central Kitsap High School. But though the community

had hoped to break even on the show while keeping participation

had approved the facility as part of a 2016 bond, they still hadn’t

free for students; in the end, they actually turned a profit. But

seen the return on their investment. Thanks to the pandemic, the

more importantly, the production gave families and community

district hadn’t yet had the chance to show it off. Fortunately, these

members something to rally around. “After ‘Willy Wonka,’ we had

coinciding problems shared a potential solution. Why not rally the

adults telling us, ‘This brought us together,’” says Prince. “We had

community around a districtwide production?

people from all walks of life working together side by side. That shared experience was of great value.” So the show would go on—becoming an annual tradition.

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For the following year’s musical, Central Kitsap upped the ante on community participation. “At the end of ‘Willy Wonka,’ one thing I heard all the time from parents and other adults in the community was, ‘This was so amazing—why can’t we have something like this for grownups?’” says Fox. “So we decided that in the odd years, we would open the cast up to all ages.” In the district’s 2023 production of “The Music Man,” the oldest cast member was 93.

To drive even more family involvement, Fox introduced a new stipulation for “The Music Man”: Every student younger than sixth grade was required to have a parent or guardian perform in the cast with them. And while many found it nerve-racking to get onstage, a lot of parents really got into it. “These parents that stepped the furthest out of their comfort zone to be on the stage with their kids were the most appreciative of the opportunity to

Photos courtesy of Central Kitsap School District

share that time with their child,” says Fox. “They’re never going to forget that experience.”

This summer, Central Kitsap is putting on “The Wizard of Oz,” and between students, family members and community members, Fox’s contact sheet has more than 450 names on it. That’s 450 people having an incredible experience with the school district, even in the summer months. It just goes to show: If you want to bring people into your schools, invite them to be part of something bigger than themselves—whether it’s a districtwide musical or another major project. It just might be your golden ticket to better community engagement.

Help people find community.

Not everyone in your area has a direct connection to your schools.

Some of your community members may not have ever had an experience with your district at all—positive or negative. So perhaps, like many school leaders, you’re thinking about broadening your network of volunteers—not only to better support your staff, but also to generate more positive ties between your district and these otherwise uninvolved community members. But it’s not just about getting folks into your schools; it’s about making sure they have a great experience once they’re there.

Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS) in Kentucky has leveled up their volunteering opportunities with a program known as Flash Dads. “It’s a group of men from the community who go to a different elementary school every month and surprise the students.

They line the hallways and cheer for the kids, high-five them, and get them excited for school,” says Carolyn Callahan, chief of communications, marketing and community relations for JCPS.

Some Flash Dads participants are actual dads of JCPS students, but that’s not a requirement. “We know that so many of our students don’t have positive male role models in their lives, and a lot of students don’t start the day off with a smile. The first one they get is when they come to school,” Callahan says. “So Flash Dads don’t have to be dads. They just have to care about kids and want to help them start their day off positively.”

To get Flash Dads up and running, the district reached out to local fraternities, police departments, fire departments, the NAACP and more. Now, the volunteer group is hundreds strong. Many members have never missed a month and will even reorganize their entire schedules so that they can participate.

In addition to supporting kids, though, Flash Dads gives adults a way to build their own community in connection to the schools.

“We rely on Flash Dads to spread the word about how much fun it is,” Callahan tells us. “If they’re a police officer, we rely on them to tell fellow officers. Or if they go to church, they might tell their church group.” In other words, the Flash Dads community is both growing and self-sustaining. But why does that matter? Why is it so crucial for volunteers to have a sense of camaraderie?

When it comes to building community amongst students, school districts are pros—but that same attention isn’t always paid to community members. Think of your last school event. How many parents sipped their punch while staring at their phones? How many community members headed straight out the door after the ceremony’s conclusion, with no interest in staying to chat? If you saw this scenario playing out in the classroom, you’d help your students make friends, likely by identifying a common interest or providing a common task. Adults aren’t so different.

JCPS now has hundreds of men throughout their district who know one another as members of the Flash Dads community.

These men see each other every month, help improve the daily lives of JCPS students, and have a great time doing it. So it wouldn’t be surprising if at the next district event, they recognized each other and stayed a little longer to chat. Over time, these volunteers will likely come to see themselves not only as Flash Dads, but as proud and committed members of the JCPS community.

Photos courtesy of Jefferson County Public Schools

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The VIP Treatment Creating experiences that put teachers in the spotlight

By Melissa Hite

I

t’s no secret that over the past few years, recruiting and retaining teachers has become harder than ever before. Teacher job

What about layoffs?

satisfaction is down, and as more and more educators find themselves

You may already know too well that many

embroiled in polarization and controversy, more of them are retiring and

districts across the country have been

resigning. With fewer college students studying education, the hiring

forced to lay off teachers and other staff. And

pool to fill those open positions is shrinking. As school leaders, you need

while this makes the conversation around

a full arsenal of strategies to combat this complex problem. But have you

recruitment and retention a little sticky,

considered including experiential marketing amongst your tactics?

here’s why we believe it’s still a conversation worth having:

As we’ve already observed, experiential marketing can help you build three key advantages: better brand awareness, stronger brand loyalty

• Layoffs don’t mean

and more word of mouth. (To learn more, turn back to “Harnessing

the end of hiring.

the Power of Experiences” on page 16.) And when you think about

Even as districts conduct broader lay-

it, recruitment and retention really boil down to those three factors.

offs, yours may still face shortages in

You want prospective teachers to fall in love with your district, current

certain positions. Special education

teachers to thrive in your schools and both groups to tell their friends

teachers, for example, have been

and family all about it.

historically difficult to hire—and experts predict that trend will continue.

Here, we’ll look at just a few ways that targeted, in-person experiences can boost your recruitment and retention efforts—and how real districts are employing those strategies.

Support the next generation.

• Layoffs often lead to more turnover.

Laying off teachers may also mean you have to hire replacements

As you likely already know, the future of education is facing a major

for those left behind. Recent re-

challenge: there aren’t enough people becoming teachers. Data from

search from the University of

the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) shows that the

British Columbia suggests that lay-

population of college students has nearly doubled in the U.S. over the

offs often boost turnover among

last 50 years, but the number of education majors has steadily shrunk.

remaining employees due to in-

While education was once the most popular major—accounting for

creased workloads, feelings of

one in five students in 1970—now just 4% of college students study to

job insecurity, and other factors.

become teachers.

• Morale always matters.

There’s not one simple reason for this shift, but it’s worth noting that

Even if you’re not actively hiring,

many adults aren’t encouraging the students in their lives to pursue

you should never deprioritize reten-

careers in education. In a 2022 survey from the National Opinion

tion efforts. To keep your remaining

Research Center at the University of Chicago, only 18% of adults said

teachers in the classroom after a

they were “likely” to encourage their child or another young person to

layoff, you have to make them feel

become a K-12 teacher. Nearly half (44%) said they were “not at all likely”

supported and valued.

to encourage that career choice—citing factors like low pay, high stress and lack of respect.

That same year, PDK International’s annual Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward Public Schools found that 62% of respondents would not like their child to become a public school teacher in their community. Perhaps most disheartening, in a 2024 Pew Research study, more than half of teachers said they would not advise a young person to pursue a career in the classroom. It begs the question: How many students are initially interested in becoming teachers, only to be talked out of it by adults?

SUMMER 2024 /

39

Photo courtesy of Baldwin County Public Schools It’s clear schools have a vested interest in counteracting this

And at Mansfield, this signing day doubles as encouragement for

troubling trend, but how? What can districts do to support young

current teachers as well. The first time the event was held, each

people who want to become teachers—to affirm that they’re

participating student was asked to write a paragraph or two about

making a good and valuable decision?

a teacher who inspired them. “Those paragraphs made us say, ‘You should really show that teacher what you wrote about them,’”

A few districts across the country have found an innovative way

says Murphy. So this year, students again chose teachers who

to show their support for future educators: teacher signing days.

inspired them—who were then invited to the ceremony to hear

Like athletic signing days, these events celebrate graduating

those paragraphs read.

high school seniors’ commitments for their futures; but instead of committing to a college football team, these students are

“Everybody likes to hear they’re doing well, that they’re

committing to pursue careers in education.

valued and trusted,” says Murphy. “So this is a double dose of encouragement—because we’re celebrating the young people,

“I knew from the time I was a first grader that I wanted to be a

but we’re also celebrating the teachers who have inspired them.”

teacher,” says Teresa Murphy, superintendent of Mansfield Public Schools in Massachusetts. “So I see the value of celebrating

At Baldwin County Public Schools in Alabama, signing day

young people who know they want to be teachers.” After the

is just one part of a broader effort to encourage students to

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary

become teachers. As part of the Baldwin Proud Future Teacher

Education suggested the idea to districts statewide, Mansfield

Scholarship program, at least seven students per year—one

held their first teacher signing day in 2023. “I thought that to be

from each of the district’s feeder patterns—receives a renewable

able to honor academia as we do athletics was a really good

scholarship to pursue education. “We stay in touch with them, and

thing,” says Murphy.

we hope that once they complete their education, they’ll come back to Baldwin County Public Schools,” says Chasity Riddick,

The event plays out much like a traditional athletic signing day:

the district’s communications coordinator.

Students come up to a table and sign letters of intent indicating their choice to pursue education. “They can also bring their

The program also supports clubs for future teachers, and it’s

families,” Murphy says. “For their parents to be able to show their

these clubs that organize the signing days. And according to

pride, that’s important.” It’s a small experience, but it’s meaningful

Vickie Locke—an English teacher at Baldwin County High School

for the students being honored. Last year, the ceremony

and an advisor for the Future Teachers of Alabama club—signing

conflicted with a dress rehearsal for the school musical, and one

day doesn’t just make future educators feel special. It also spurs

of the participating students was the lead—but he came anyway.

word of mouth, generating more interest for the clubs. “Afterward,

“I thought it was really meaningful, that to him, it was still an

kids who didn’t participate will come up to me and say, ‘I want to do

important event to attend,” says Murphy.

that, but I didn’t know y’all had a club,’” says Locke. “So it’s a way to put the club out there and let those who really want to be teachers know: We’re here to support you and to be mentors for you.”

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/ SUMMER 2024

Draw in prospective teachers.

smaller pool to pull your candidates from, and then you’re having

In our increasingly virtual world, you may be wondering if in-person

to compete with other school systems to get the same high-

events like job fairs are still a good way to recruit prospective

quality educators.”

teachers. Virtual job fairs and online hiring events gained traction during the pandemic, and initially it seemed they could become

So in the spring of 2022, MCPSS decided to hold their first

the “new normal.”

districtwide teacher recruitment fair—a massive undertaking for a system with more than 90 schools. “We had a very representative

But that hasn’t actually been the case. In a 2023 survey by

committee of the school system working on this,” says Philips.

EdWeek Research Center, about one-third of K-12 human

Everyone from teachers to administrators to transportation and

resources professionals said they were attending more in-

finance staff was invited to join. “We got our team together and

person career fairs after the pandemic than they had prior to it.

we asked, ‘Why do you love working for Mobile County Public

Only 17% said the same for online job fairs. And of more than 100

Schools? What differentiates us as a school system?’” she

teacher recruitment fairs tracked so far this year by the American

explains. Their answers would shape the direction of the event.

Association of School Personnel Administrators, fewer than 10 have been virtual. It’s not that surprising; after missing in-person

The committee landed on a few key messages they wanted

events during the pandemic, people are more keen than ever to

the event to impress upon prospective teachers. One was that

attend them now.

MCPSS encompasses a diverse array of schools. “We have a mix of urban, suburban and rural schools. We have magnet

We’re not saying you should ignore other channels like your

schools. We have schools for children who are deaf or blind,” says

website in favor of in-person experiences. (In fact, if your website

Philips. “We like to say we have a school for everybody.” So every

isn’t helping you attract candidates, our research shows you’re

single one of those schools had their own booth at the event,

missing a valuable opportunity.) But neither should you count out

showcasing their unique academic offerings, staff and culture.

in-person hiring events. They can be a rare chance to grab your prospective teachers’ attention and impress them.

But MCPSS is more than just a group of 90-plus schools— it’s a team of people. “We have this sense of camaraderie in

In Alabama’s Mobile County Public Schools (MCPSS), as in

Mobile County,” Philips says. “We call ourselves Team MCPSS.”

most districts across the U.S., recruitment has been a challenge

In addition to each school’s individual booth, event organizers

in recent years. “Since COVID, there’s been a higher number of

set up a table where prospective job candidates could talk to

retirements and resignations, and simultaneously, you have fewer

award-winning teachers from across the district. “We wanted

students graduating from colleges of education,” says Rena

candidates to be able to ask any questions that they wanted:

Philips, MCPSS’s director of communications. “So you have a

What’s it like teaching in Mobile County? What kind of professional

Photo courtesy of Mobile County Public Schools SUMMER 2024 /

41

To say that the event was a success would be an understatement.

That first year, MCPSS hoped to attract at least 200 attendees and hire 75 new employees. In reality, nearly 450 people attended the fair, and 93 were hired. If post-event surveys are any indication, it also did a lot to boost the district’s brand. “People said they loved how organized it was, that they felt like Mobile County was a great place to work, that they wanted to be part of Team MCPSS,” says Philips. And in the two years since, the event has only grown. At their most recent career fair this spring, more than 900 candidates turned out.

Experiences like recruitment fairs certainly aren’t the only way to attract people to your district. But they are an incredible

Photo courtesy of Mobile County Public Schools development do they offer you? Do they recognize you for your

opportunity to make it appealing—and easy—for candidates to apply for positions.

asked to be ambassadors feel valued too. “That showed them that

Show current teachers they are valued.

we appreciate the work they do and that we want them to be out

Of course, teacher retention is just as critical as recruitment—if not

there sharing their love for the schools,” says Philips.

more so. In our own 2023 study, 40% of teachers surveyed said

hard work?” Philips explains. As an added bonus, the teachers

they would leave the field of education if given the opportunity.

The MCPSS team also knew it was important to highlight the city

That’s not surprising when you consider that, according to

of Mobile itself. This makes a lot of sense; in our own research on

research from Gallup, K-12 workers have the highest burnout rate

teacher recruitment, we found that geographical location was the

of any industry in the U.S. But we also found that, unsurprisingly,

number-one factor influencing which jobs educators apply for. As

teachers who said they were happy in their current positions were

Philips puts it, “You’re not only selling your school system; you’re

less interested in leaving their districts or education as a whole.

selling your community and your quality of life.”

According to Gallup, more engaged employees show signs of With help from community partners like the chamber of

better well-being, greater productivity and lower turnover. So what

commerce and the local realtors association, MCPSS spotlighted

keeps teachers happy and engaged in their work? Citing decades

what’s great about their city, from nearby beaches to Mardi Gras

of research, Gallup has identified a few statements that are good

celebrations. Attendees could even take trolley tours of downtown

indicators of employee engagement in any sector—for example,

Mobile. “We wanted to let candidates know that Mobile is a great

“I know what is expected of me at work,” or, “There is someone

place not only to work but to live and play,” says Philips.

at work who encourages my development.” In 2023, they asked more than 1,100 K-12 teachers to agree or disagree with these

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of MCPSS’s recruitment

statements. The results were mixed.

fair was its convenience. “We wanted to make it as easy as possible for the job candidates,” says Philips. So the fair was,

Some of the news was good. Teachers were more likely than em-

in essence, a one-stop shop for prospective employees. After

ployees in other sectors to agree that the “the mission and vision

candidates submitted their resumes at specific school booths,

of my organization makes me feel my job is important.” However,

principals could interview them in designated private areas. Then,

only a quarter of teachers said they had received recognition or

in an HR room, they could do all the necessary processing—

praise for doing good work in the previous seven days, and less

like fingerprinting and background checks—to clear them for

than 40% believed that their supervisor—or at least someone at

employment. While the school board would need to vote to

work—cared about them as a person. Clearly, it’s crucial to recog-

officially hire most candidates, “we wanted you to walk out with a

nize, appreciate and care for your teachers, but how? A thoughtful,

contract in hand,” says Philips. Everything up to that final vote was

well-planned experience can help you do just that.

taken care of before prospective hires left the event.

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/ SUMMER 2024

North Texas Collegiate Academy (NTxCA) has a simple mission statement: “Love First, Teach Second.” But in 2023, Superintendent Dr. Lisa Stanley began to wonder if the district’s usual August convocation event was conveying that mission to teachers. “Traditionally, we host some incredible motivational speakers and have a keynote address,” Stanley tells us. “But by October, when I go back and survey the staff about convocation, they don’t remember the heart of the message or the name of the

“We wanted to treat our teachers like celebrities, because they should be honored and esteemed in our culture.”

presenter. If we’re going to use convocation to unite us all on our mission, that should start with our board and me showing our staff that we love them—before we expect them to do the hard work and teach.”

To make the experience even more special, NTxCA literally rolled out red carpets for teachers, leading them out to the chartered

So as the 2023-24 school year began, teachers settled into their

buses that would take them shopping. “We wanted to treat

seats for a keynote address from the local mayor. But instead of

our teachers like celebrities, because they should be honored

launching into a speech, he announced a surprise. The teachers

and esteemed in our culture,” says Stanley. “They are shaping

were going shopping for classroom supplies—and instead of

tomorrow’s leaders. So we want them to know how important

paying for a convocation speaker, the district would be footing the

they are.”

bill for the shopping spree.

Of course, one isolated event at the beginning of the school “We all know that teachers spend an excessive amount of their

year will not be enough to keep your teachers feeling valued all

own personal money to make their classrooms loving, welcoming

year long. But creating an experience that not only shows staff

learning environments. There’s really no other profession where

appreciation but fills an actual need will set the right tone for a

we ask people to go out and buy their own supplies,” Stanley says.

culture of care.

“They shouldn’t have to choose between going on a vacation, paying their cell phone bill or decorating their classroom. They

It’s worth mentioning that any experience that doesn’t ring true

need to have supplies. So let’s take them on a shopping spree and

to your district’s culture and values will prove ineffective. If your

let them buy everything that they need.”

students can tell your teachers aren’t happy in their jobs, a signing ceremony won’t magically make them want to study education.

Teachers hired at a career fair won’t stay if they were sold on an environment that doesn’t actually exist. And one shopping spree won’t cancel out an entire school year of feeling unappreciated.

Experiences aren’t panaceas; they won’t singlehandedly solve your staffing problems. But they can get the word out more effectively and serve as firsthand proof of your district’s values.

And they just might be the factor that brings an employee into your schools—or keeps them there.

Photo courtesy of North Texas Collegiate Academy SUMMER 2024 /

43

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Families in Flux How Districts can improve the modern family School Experience

By Brittany Edwardes Keil

T

here are a few things that every school leader knows.

Plus, the average number of children under 18 per family has

Behavior incidents spike before a holiday. Teachers love a

decreased. Sibling relationships have also shifted—the average

fresh set of Expo markers. Students are more engaged in

age gap between siblings has climbed to 4.2 years.

school when their families are too.

This is a lot of data all to say that families—a critical part of This last point, of course, is more than a well-known anecdote.

your schools—have changed and will continue to change. The

Over the past few decades, dozens of studies have shown that

question is: Has your district’s approach to families changed too?

increased family engagement improves outcomes for students— and from this research has grown a set of solid best practices

What do families want?

that schools use today. Positive phone calls home, once a rarity,

While there is little data on what families have historically wanted

are now a common occurrence. Parent-teacher conferences are

for their children, what families want now may not match your

now frequently hybrid events, and many school districts have

expectations as a school leader. According to a recent study

found creative ways to provide flexible opportunities for families

by Pew Research Center, parents ranked the following as their

to volunteer at their child’s school.

biggest fears regarding their child (in order): struggling with anxiety and depression; being bullied; and being kidnapped or abducted.

But if we zoom out a little bit, the relationship between your

While 88% of parents say that it’s either extremely or very

schools and its families goes beyond family engagement. In this

important that their children be financially independent as adults,

issue, we’ve been focusing on experiential marketing: creating

only 41% of them say that it’s either very or extremely important for

memorable moments that impress people and get them talking.

their children to earn a college degree. In thinking about the kinds

But to build positive relationships with your district’s families,

of people they want their children to be as they grow up, parents in

it’s not enough to wow them a few times a year at events like

the survey were most likely to choose “honest and ethical.”

the first day of school and graduation. The small, seemingly inconsequential moments matter too—whether it’s navigating

And naturally, not every family wants the same thing. In the Pew

your school website, picking their child up from school or voting

study, individuals’ perceptions of parenthood and worries for their

in a bond election.

children varied by race and ethnicity. Parents’ income levels also impacted their feelings about parenthood, with lower-income fam-

This article is an exploration of just that: the summation of a

ilies reporting much more concern about their children becoming

family’s day-to-day interactions with your schools. We’ll unpack

victims of gun violence or getting in trouble with the police.

who today’s families are, what they want for their children and a few ways you can provide a better daily experience for this

This information is probably not all surprising to you. But we want

valuable part of your community.

to illustrate that as a group, families are incredibly diverse and

Who are today’s families, anyway?

If you watch an afternoon school pickup, one reality of American family life should become apparent pretty quickly: No family

incredibly complex. Responding to their needs takes more than a one-size-fits-all approach; it requires some close research into your own community.

lot in the past few decades, a trend that doesn’t show any sign

Building Solid Impressions with Families

of abating. In the U.S., fewer adults are marrying, more single

As a school leader, you spend a lot of time thinking about the

individuals are having children, and more children are likely to live

student and staff experience at your school. It can be daunting

in blended families, with at least one parent who has children from

to know that your broader community, including your families,

another marriage. What’s more, 6.7 million people—just over 3%

has an experience that should be considered too. Here are three

of all adults over 30—now live in the same household as their

strategies to get in the right headspace to understand, address

grandchildren.

and improve family experiences.

looks identical to the next. The “typical” family has diversified a

This means that for many children now, home life looks vastly different than it did a few decades ago. After all, in 1970, 67% of Americans aged 25-49 were living with their spouse and at least one child under 18. By 2021, that number had dropped to 37%.

SUMMER 2024 /

45

Know your community beyond demographics and anecdotes.

Ask yourself what kinds of ambient problems may be hurting your district’s overall experience. Do school start times vary

It’s important to note that the demographics we cited earlier

wildly between campuses, making drop-off difficult for families

were part of a nationwide study. While parts of your own

with children in multiple schools? Do families complain that they

community’s interests and desires will align with the findings

don’t know where to call when school offices are closed for

above, others won’t. To understand what your community wants

the summer? Are your schools’ forms impossible to access on

from your schools, ask them directly—whether through a survey,

mobile? Identifying and solving these pain points can do a lot to

focus group or some other means. The important thing is to

improve the impression your families have of your district.

think carefully about what you’re asking and how you plan on responding. Some questions you might consider asking your

Collecting and tracking these small problems is challenging but

community include:

worth it. If you’re in a smaller district, it may be enough to have an item in the weekly cabinet agenda to talk about what speed

• Who in your family assists in childcare activities?

• What skills or beliefs do you hope your child leaves our district with?

• What worries you or excites you the most

bumps your families are running into. If your district is large enough, it may make more sense to invest in an internal ticketing software that allows any staff member to report a problem. This way, there’s no chance of an issue being lost or misunderstood as it’s passed up the ladder.

about your child’s current school experience?

• What is your favorite event each year?

Although these kinds of problems may seem insignificant to

• What parts of your school experience are

you, know that they may feel bigger to a parent or family who

confusing or difficult for you to navigate?

encounters them regularly in their interactions with your school.

Addressing these problems as readily as possible, even when

Questions like these are just starting points, but

they’re small, helps to build a culture of customer service in your

they can help you understand your families’ school

district, showing families that you care.

experience—setting the bar for you to improve these experiences later on. There are also questions you should ask yourself, such as: • Have we made space to ask and understand what families want for their children?

• What assumptions do we have about our families that may not be actually true?

• How can families reach us if they have a small concern?

• What is the best way for teachers and other frontline staff to share concerns they hear from families or students?

Have a system for sharing and addressing speed bumps.

In her book Impact Players, author Liz Wiseman writes about the concept of an ambient problem: a “low-grade problem that erodes productivity.” More often than not, no one is responsible for solving ambient problems; it’s easier to work around them than to find a solution. They often result in “recreational complaining,” in which people vent but don’t expect a resolution. If they’re occurring, ambient problems could be having a big impact on families’ overall experience in your schools.

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/ SUMMER 2024

Create programs that build connections.

When Walters’ children were in elementary school, his wife heard their school was starting a chapter of Watch D.O.G.S. and

We’ve established that families have shifted over time, but have

suggested he volunteer for a day. “I was honestly so reluctant.

your districts’ activities shifted too? And if not, what can you do? To

But it changed my life,” Walters tells SchoolCEO. “After each

give you some inspiration, let’s take a look at one program that has

volunteer day, I found myself not only reflecting on how my kid

radically changed how families experience their children’s schools.

was at school, but also all the other incredible kids that I had met.

The rest was history.” Walters went on to become active with his

In 1998, after an incident of gun violence occurred at a middle

school’s PTA and eventually took his leadership position at Watch

school across the state, a few dads in northwest Arkansas were

D.O.G.S. Once his children began graduating from school, Walters

determined to contribute to their children’s safety. With the guid-

continued to meet with his initial group of dads, but also the new

ance of their local principal and superintendent, they formed

generation of father figures stepping up to serve.

an initiative for their campus, and the idea very quickly spread throughout the state and eventually the country. They decided

A volunteer program should enlist helping hands, but—like Watch

to name the group “WATCH D.O.G.S. - Dads of Great Students.”

D.O.G.S.—it should also strengthen the ties between your families

While the families’ initial concerns were around school safety, the

and your schools. Experiences like this change how families view

dads quickly became just as interested in helping with other as-

your district, even if they only participate a fraction of the time. As

pects of the school day.

you think about how to build programs to bring in a larger subset of your families, think about how best to structure them to reach

In the decades since, schools have evolved—and so has Watch

members who can’t typically attend. Often, these are the people

D.O.G.S. When we spoke to President Jim Walters and Senior

who need to be a part of your community the most.

National Program Developer John LeBoeuf, they were quick to share that anyone of good character can be a “Dad” as defined by

The Best Years of Our Lives

Watch D.O.G.S. The organization creates its program starter kits—

I am a parent of a preschooler, and this spring, I closed out my

all the materials a school needs to start a local program—to be as

first year as a member of our local school community. On the first

inclusive as possible. “We focus on dads, mostly because they ha-

day, I felt conflicted about sharing my wonderful little girl with a

ven’t historically been involved with their kids’ schools in the same

building full of strangers. As I watched her walk into her classroom,

way moms have,” Walters explains. “They often feel awkward in

drenched from a rainstorm and still wearing her duck raincoat, my

schools and don’t always know, until an administrator invites them

heart was in my throat. Would she be cared for? Would she be

in, how to engage with their kids at school.”

listened to?

Once a school has completed the requirements to start a Watch

Although there were a few bumps, we had a fantastic school

D.O.G.S. program, the superintendent or principal puts out a call

year. In May, I felt nothing but gratitude to the many adults who

for volunteers. Then, dads can sign up for a single day of volun-

cherished and taught her throughout the year. I felt lucky to be a

teering. Schools have the authority to decide how much they want

part of our school community and excited to do it again.

their volunteers to be involved. Some use volunteers to help with bus loading, others to lead games and activities during recess. Still

In serving as a school leader, you have the unique opportunity to

others enlist the dads as classroom volunteers. At the end of each

positively impact so many families in your community. If you are

shift, every volunteer shares their experience through a survey.

successful in building a school experience that—moment by moment—makes families feel cared for, you will build relationships

For Walters, these end-of-day surveys demonstrate how in-

that last long after each family graduates their youngest child.

creased family engagement can drastically change the way families see their children’s schools. “The comments are incredible,” he says. “So much of the time it’s, ‘I had no idea how hard this is for teachers,’ or, ‘I had no idea how much goes on!’ And so many of them are eager to sign up for another day as soon as they can.”

SUMMER 2024 /

47

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Pics or It Didn’t Happen Using digital media to amplify experiences

By Heather Palacios Think about an experience you’ve had that left you feeling alive and happy. Maybe it was a recent family trip or a long, winding conversation with friends. There’s something to be said for simply being present in these moments, but sometimes the irresistible urge to document these experiences creeps in. And if you’re like most people, you have to scratch that itch. So what do you do? You reach into your pocket, pull out your phone and take a quick picture or video. After all—as Gen Z says—if you didn’t document it on social media, did it ever really happen?

How your online presence enhances in-person experiences Taking photos or videos is a way to capture important memories and share them with loved ones who aren’t there to experience them.

But for some, documenting moments is also a vital part of the experience itself. One study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that simply taking photos during in-person experiences—visiting a museum, going on a bus tour or eating at a nice restaurant—actually enhanced the enjoyment of those experiences for the majority of participants.

If you’re in communications or work with a school communicator,

We talked to a few different school leaders and communicators

you know that in-person experiences aren’t just about putting on

who understand the vital role digital mediums play in experiential

a great event. They’re also opportunities to capture good content

marketing. They’ve figured out how to not only generate buzz

and share it across all of your communication channels. And that’s

around their events but also get people talking about these

important for building brand awareness, increasing engagement

experiences long after they happened.

metrics and maintaining touch points with your community—all of the bread and butter reasons why having an online presence plays a role in marketing your schools.

Strengthen connections with social media.

While some may see social media as a barrier to in-person rela-

But broadcasting in-person experiences through online channels

tionships, Mariah Linnett, the creative communications designer

is about much more than just marketing. It’s also about connection;

for Framingham Public Schools in Massachusetts, used social

more importantly, it’s about connecting with people who can’t be

media to strengthen connections between her superintendent

there with you in person. Think about the parent who worked a

and his school community. From the fall of 2022 to the winter of

double shift and couldn’t make it to their child’s back-to-school

2023, Superintendent Dr. Bob Tremblay spent time in each of the

event, or grandparents who live out of town and couldn’t attend

district’s 15 schools in what he calls his “superintendent residency.”

their grandchild’s high school graduation ceremony. Sharing these experiences online helps people in your community feel

The residency idea started early in his tenure as a way for

connected to your schools, even if they can’t always be physically

Tremblay to get to know the district environment. Each week,

present with you.

he would tour a different Framingham school. “I would be a part of everything from riding the bus with the kids to being in the

Gen Z is also changing the way we communicate and interact.

lunchroom and talking with them,” he says. “I’d have office hours

Recent research suggests that Gen Z spends almost three hours

and even my leadership meetings at the school. It took a while for

a day on social media. So as you think about different ways to get

the staff to warm up to the idea because it felt like an undercover

students excited about your events, it’s important to keep in mind

boss kind of thing, but then they realized I was really there just to

how you’re showing up and broadcasting those events on the

understand the schools.”

communication channels they prefer, like social media.

@framsuper1

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From a communications standpoint, Linnett realized the residency

“So, what have I learned about our students

was an opportunity to keep families and students across the dis-

during my 9-day visit at FHS? Our students

trict in the loop, and that the vehicle for doing so was social media.

love hands-on learning and I saw it happen in so

She devised a clever plan to gamify Tremblay’s visits through mul-

many different ways and across the subjects. Our

tiple video series posted on his Instagram and TikTok accounts.

students are smart, multi-talented, inquisitive, caring, patient, independent-minded, and have

At the beginning of each week, Linnett and Tremblay would post an

an insatiable appetite for chicken tenders and

Instagram story featuring Tremblay at one of the district’s schools,

warm Otis Spunkmeyer cookies. And what have I

challenging followers to guess where he was. They’d also include

learned about myself over these last two weeks?

a question box in the story so people could submit their answers.

I have forgotten how to conduct a band, my

Later, Linnett would share everyone’s guesses through a follow-up

basketball skills are extraordinarily limited, and

story. They’d cap off the series by finally revealing his location.

my ability to draw a model using charcoal is really pretty awful. But, I had the opportunity to learn,

Some of the answers turned out to be pretty silly. “The students

make mistakes, take risks, and to be surrounded

started saying he was all over the country, just so they could see

by a school community that celebrates the

their crazy answers on his next story,” Linnett says. It became a fun

learning journey. And that is what it’s all about!”

game for everyone in the district to participate in.

— From one of Tremblay’s Facebook posts

Since so many Framingham students use Instagram and TikTok, launching a social media campaign was also a way to humanize

For Tremblay, the residency was about breaking down barriers be-

Tremblay on channels students frequent. “When I was in school, I

tween students, staff and the superintendent’s office. “It’s a serious

don’t think I could have picked my superintendent out of a crowd,”

job, but you don’t have to take yourself that seriously. So I don’t,” he

Linnett says. “So I wanted to show Bob’s personable side and how

says. “I stopped wearing a tie in 2019. I’m just not that guy.”

fun he is, and that he cares about the kids.”

The result? Students started engaging more with their superinThroughout each week, Linnett also posted pictures and videos

tendent both in person and online. “It’s fun when you walk into a

on Tremblay’s Instagram and TikTok accounts, sharing what

building and they’re like, ‘You were on TikTok! Can you do a TikTok

he was up to at each school. In one series, Tremblay interviews

with me?’” says Linnett. “It makes it so the students are more will-

high school students, asking questions like, “What are your pet

ing to come up and talk to him, and that was one of the goals.

peeves?” or “Can you finish the lyrics to this song?” He even asks

Obviously, you always want to increase your reach, but I think it

one high school student, “Who am I?” When the student doesn’t

was more about making him approachable in the community.”

know, they both laugh—then Tremblay extends his hand and introduces himself.

Families and staff from across the district also felt more connected as a result of the campaign. “We’d see the comments on TikTok

At the end of each week, Tremblay shared his reflections about his

of the kids being like, ‘That’s my school!’ Or, ‘Come do this at my

experiences with Linnett, who would summarize his thoughts and

school!’ They all got involved,” says Linnett. “It made all of our kids

share them on his Facebook account. His posts, which often read

feel connected even though they’re in different buildings.”

like journal entries, have a lived-in, sincere quality about them.

Dr. Tremblay set out with a clear purpose during his superintendent residency: Make every student and staff member at his schools feel appreciated. But with Linnett’s help, the residency became even bigger. Together, they leveraged social media to highlight the work he was doing, while making everyone in their district feel more connected to one another. The tie came off, and—thanks to a clever social media campaign—his community discovered that, in many ways, he was just like them.

SUMMER 2024 /

51

Photo courtesy of Tyler ISD

Provide experiences that prompt sharing.

While the camera’s primary purpose was to make the event more fun, it turned out to pay even bigger dividends. It also encouraged

Jennifer Hines, chief communications officer at Tyler ISD in Texas,

people to loosen up, get out of their shells and connect with one

understands that the best experiences enable you to live in the

another. “It helped people not only engage in the event, but also

moment—but also have something to show for it later. Her district

with each other,” says Hines. And because attendees shared their

has taken this mindset to new heights by investing in technology

videos, more people heard about the event.

that allows both the district and event attendees to gather content You might not find someone to sponsor a 360-degree camera at

simultaneously.

360-Degree Camera

your next shindig, but you can still give people something to do at your events. Buy a couple of Polaroid cameras and create a

Hines knows that any event is more fun when you give people

photo backdrop that features your district’s branding. Encourage

something to do. Each year, Tyler ISD hosts an Educators of the

attendees to post photos using your event hashtag on social

Year Banquet to honor their staff for all their hard work. In years

media, then feature their pictures on a big screen. Anything that

past, the events had special themes, like ‘80s Night, but in more

gives people something to do but also prompts them to share

recent years the banquets have morphed into an elegant cocktail

their experiences online is great for your community and your

affair. “Everyone dresses up, and there’s a red carpet people walk

district brand.

down. It’s a fun evening,” says Hines.

Snapchat Filters

For their 2024 banquet, Hines wanted to add a bit more pizzazz to

Even something small like creating a branded Snapchat filter

the evening and find a way to make it even more fun. That’s when

for an event can make the moment feel bigger. For Tyler ISD’s

she and her team came up with the idea of renting a 360-degree

2022 high school graduation ceremony, Hines and the district’s

camera, sponsored by a generous local business partner.

Facilitator of Marketing Skyler Hefley designed custom Snapchat

Attendees could stand on a round platform while a camera rotated

filters representing all four of the district’s high schools. “We

in a circle around them, taking a video as it moved. “It gave people

wanted students to be proud of where they go to school and give

something to do at the event, so they could take a selfie, or they

a little FOMO to other students that aren’t in the district,” Hefley

could do a little dance with their award,” she said. The best part?

says. “It’s good branded content.”

The camera would send the video straight to the individual. “Then they could share those videos on social media or text them to

The best part? It was a low-cost, high-reward investment. “I think

friends and family,” says Hines. It was such a hit that she plans to

we paid less than $200 to do it, so I thought, Why wouldn’t we

buy a 360-degree camera for future events.

just try it?” says Hines. Even though Snapchat doesn’t allow you to track who uses your filter on an individual basis, the general metrics were still impressive. One filter alone got 51,300 views with

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a 73% usage score. That’s a lot of brand impressions for a relatively

Photos courtesy of Tyler ISD

low price tag. Plus, the filter made it more fun for students to post about graduation when they may not have done so otherwise.

Portable iPad Photo Booth “We had a ribbon-cutting ceremony for our recently opened Hubbard Middle School, and the principal purchased this portable iPad photo booth,” Hines says. “You can put your iPad in, and it does a quick countdown and takes a picture.” Once the photo is taken, it’s sent to both the individual and the event host.

Both Hines and Hubbard Middle’s Principal John Smiley saw this as a great branding opportunity. Smiley plans on using the photos throughout the year to help them market their school. “It’s a winwin,” says Hines. “You’re giving them the experience, and they’re loving it—but you also are getting the assets to use later.”

Use digital media to amplify in-person experiences.

Hines is on a mission to empower every principal in Tyler ISD to think more about digitally documenting in-person events. She believes the district’s communications office should pave the way and that many principals don’t know what’s possible until you show them.

“When you start getting them to see these things, they start realizing, We do need to up our digital game. We do need to update our website. We do need to have really good posts on our Facebook,” says Hines. “A lot of times, educators are so focused on what they’re doing that they don’t look up and ‘clean the windows,’ so to speak, so that the public can see all the great things that they’re doing inside.”

As communicators, it’s important to think about the small ways you can broadcast your events online, whether that’s creating custom-branded Snapchat filters or investing in new technology that helps capture experiences right as they’re happening. If there’s one thing Hines has taught us, it’s this: Digital media tools can actually bring people together at your events—whether virtually or in-person—and make the moment that much sweeter.

It’s true: in-person events give us something digital media doesn’t.

They invite us into an immersive sensory experience that our phones can’t quite replicate. But technology is also changing the way we show up at events, and it’s critical for you to adapt to these changes. Digital marketing doesn’t take the place of in-person experiences, but in many ways, it acts as a megaphone, amplifying those experiences to an even broader audience.

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Pocket-Sized Production Simple Tips for Creating Low-Maintenance Video Content

By Heather Palacios

We probably don’t need to tell you that video is one of the most popular ways to consume and share information. But video is more than that—it’s also a tool for marketing your schools. In fact, a 2023 study found that 87% of private sector marketers say video has a direct impact on increasing sales. When it comes to experiential marketing, video plays a big role in generating buzz around your events.

Creating great video content may seem intimidating, but it doesn’t have to be. In fact, there are several easy, low-budget ways to create amazing videos. To explore this idea, we sat down with SchoolCEO’s award-winning, in-house video producers, Ryan McDonald and Tanner Cox, to talk to them about all things video. Together, they have over 25 years of experience in film, cinematography, TV production and video content creation. Here’s what they shared.

Anyone can create good videos with a smartphone.

Shoot videos horizontally, then crop them.

It’s easy to assume that to get good video content, you need

As you probably know, some communication channels—like

state-of-the-art equipment—but that’s not necessarily true. If a

Instagram reels—work best with vertical videos, while others

smartphone is all you have to work with, that’s more than enough.

favor a horizontal format. Some people like to shoot a mix of vertical and horizontal videos at events, but shooting the same

“People overestimate what they really need,” says Cox. “If you

video in two different formats can be tedious. Luckily, there’s an

have a smartphone, you can basically do anything you need

easy solution: Film your video horizontally, and then crop it during

for content creation purposes. Obviously, the more money you

the editing process to create a vertical version.

have, the better photo and video quality you have. But if you have a smartphone, there’s your mic, there’s your camera. It has really

“Film horizontally at 4,000-pixel resolution, then crop it to get your

good lighting detection and depth.” So if you’re working with a

vertical video, or even still shots,” says McDonald. Say you want

limited marketing budget, don’t stress. You’ve got everything you

to shoot a video for your website but you’d also like to share it on

need right in your pocket.

Instagram. First, shoot the video horizontally for your website.

People won’t listen to poor audio.

Visual quality matters, but sound is arguably the most important factor in video production. “There’s a saying I used to hear: ‘People will watch bad videos, but they won’t listen to bad audio,’” says Cox. “So to get better sound in your videos, try using a small clip-on mic where the audio records directly to your device, like a smartphone.”

Then, crop the video to 1,080 pixels to get a vertical version.

For good lighting, all you need is a window.

wanting to take their video editing skills to the next level.” When it comes to video editing software, it’s important to remember

Lighting is another important part of video creation, but what

that the internet is your friend. If you encounter a problem

do you do if your lighting options are limited? The key is to find a

while working in any video editing tool, it’s likely that someone

natural light source, like a window.

somewhere has had the same problem and posted their solution on YouTube or an online forum like Reddit.

“Work with windows, not against them,” says McDonald. “You generally want to make sure you’re not shooting against a window

Adaptability is key.

or bright light source, and you don’t want to directly face your

As school communicators, keep in mind that not every idea you

subject toward a window either. Position them so that the light

have will be the best one, but any content you gather can be

hits the side of their face, like a 45-degree angle.” This can help

molded into whatever you need. “I recently finished a video with

soften someone’s face and add an extra element of depth and

four different endings. None of them worked,” says Cox. “The final

dimensionality in the frame. It also adds a little bit of reflection in

ending came after revisions. You just have to be flexible.”

the eye. “You see that a lot in professional photography—these little glints in people’s eyes,” McDonald says. “It makes a person

Sometimes the best ideas come last. “I think the harder you stick

look more alive, and it’s more visually interesting.”

to something instead of adapting and pivoting your idea, the

Prep your subjects, but leave room for spontaneity.

Most people feel uncomfortable on camera—at least at first—

worse the video turns out to be,” Cox reflects. “Part of that, again, is adapting to the moment, being fluid, and withholding frustration—even if you need 20 takes to get there.”

but a little preparation can go a long way. “The way you talk to the person beforehand is important,” says Cox. “The more information they have going into a shoot—when they have a better idea of what it’s going to look like, the vibe of the video—the more they’ll stop trying to be perfect. So be honest and transparent with them about what you’re making.”

That being said, sometimes a little spontaneity makes for more authentic, organic content. “Actually, I will start rolling when people don’t know,” says McDonald. “People will usually ask when we’re starting, and I’ll say we’re already rolling. That usually loosens them up because they realize, Oh, I’ve already been on camera for 30 seconds, and everything is fine.”

Take advantage of free video editing resources.

Post-production video editing can be the most intimidating part of the process if you’re not a professional videographer. But luckily, you don’t need fancy software to make your videos look amazing.

For beginners looking to post on social media, there are several free tools available. According to McDonald and Cox, CapCut is becoming a popular choice because of its auto-captioning features, text-to-speech voiceover tools and an easy dragand-drop user interface.

“DaVinci Resolve 19 is another free tool for those wanting to add some extra polish and pizzazz to their videos,” Cox adds. “It has more of a technical learning curve, but it’s a great option for those SUMMER 2024 /

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The Power of Principals William D. Parker of “Principal Matters” on how principals are key to strong school experiences

By Brittany Edwardes Keil If you’re reading this, you likely already know that telling your district’s story is an essential part of keeping your schools healthy and relevant in today’s hypercompetitive education environment. You know that to do this well, school communicators must be aware of the good things happening throughout the district—and you know that the relationship between your schools and your central office can make or break this entire process.

What you may not realize is that there is a cadre of people who can serve as essential conduits between what happens in classrooms and the strategic messaging at the district level. These people are your school principals.

When you think about it, principals have a unique position. While they often serve as part of a district’s executive cabinet, they spend most of their time bouncing between classrooms and meeting with families. They’re familiar with your school board, yet can tell you the names and describe the personalities of many of their students. They’re your most valuable recruiters and also confidants to many struggling parents.

In addition to their other duties, principals are a pivotal part of

As part of this focus on atmosphere, Parker made sure that he was

your district’s strategy for creating and sharing everyday school

there to greet his students as they came in. “I wanted to set the

experiences. Because principals are such busy people, here we’ll

tone,” he explains, “and made sure the space felt like a place they

explore how to most effectively equip them to create and share

wanted to be.” One of his favorite tools to accomplish this goal

positive experiences in their schools—the day-by-day moments

was a television playing slides of student shoutouts. “I would see

that determine what it’s like to be a part of your school community.

them talking at the tables with their friends, but their eyes would

Creating a Strong Culture of Care In considering how to support principals in their roles both creating and broadcasting strong school experiences, we reached out to

unerringly float back to the TV screen,” Parker tells us. “The minute one of their friends was featured, they would begin nudging each other and pointing. It never got old.”

William D. Parker. Until 2017, Parker worked as a principal full

Empower stakeholders to co-create these experiences.

time, and he has spent the years since helping other principals

For Parker, a strong school culture can’t happen without student

navigate the position. What’s more, Parker has become a thought

leadership. He included students in his effort by asking them to

leader on how principals can use day-to-day moments to better

take shifts welcoming their classmates to school each morning.

communicate the good things happening in public schools.

“It’s so great to channel all the student energy into being a part of

education leadership author and “Principal Matters” podcaster

Make students want to come to school.

something positive,” he says.

Principals are the individuals in your district most responsible for

Parker often impressed upon his upperclassmen how crucial they

controlling the interactions that teachers, students and families

were to creating a positive experience for younger students. “I

have with your schools. For Parker, this sets up the principal for an

tried to attend most of the senior and junior class meetings,” he

incredible opportunity.

explains. “But when I was there, I knew that I was a listener and a supporter of the student leadership that was naturally emerging.”

“My friend Kim Coody, a former principal, always says that it’s the principal’s responsibility to create FOMO for students. While she had to teach me what FOMO was—the fear of missing out—I knew immediately that she was onto something,” Parker explains.

“Kim wants principals to figure out how to make school a place where students feel sad if they’re not there. To me, that starts with everything from how you interact with your students to how you build the atmosphere at common times like lunch and arrivals. It’s setting a tone that makes people want to come back to school over and over again.”

Parker admits that this is easier said than done. Schools can feel hectic even when kids are happy and learning. But the practice of prioritizing a positive atmosphere is a necessary part of building spaces where people want to be. While our memories of school are characterized by high points—from homecoming games to award ceremonies—the daily experience is more about the inbetweens. It’s about the feeling that students have when they walk into lunch or how families feel when they walk through your doors for a parent-teacher conference. “I always know I’ve been successful when a visitor comments something like, ‘There’s just something about this place! It feels so welcoming,’” Parker tells us.

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As part of this effort, Parker frequently asked his seniors to brainstorm ideas for improving school culture. One year, they had the idea to present awards to students who exemplified kindness and other school values. Their plan was ambitious: They not only wanted to recognize students weekly but also tabulate the good deeds into an annual class cup. Parker was initially worried the idea was not feasible, but his students and teachers assured him that with a strong sense of student ownership and a well-designed Google form, they could do it.

They were right. Each Friday, the seniors passed out awards to fellow students during homeroom and made it a point to verbally thank each recognized individual. Parker feared that they would lose steam once the novelty wore off, but that never happened. As the school year went on, Parker gave regular updates on the class competition, and at the end of the year, a very proud freshman class clinched the first-ever class cup. The best part? Parker was able to share all of this in his weekly newsletter to families and community members. “I loved being able to say to them, ‘Aren’t

When he was a principal, Parker made a practice of walking

you glad to be a part of something so great?’” he tells us.

around his school after every challenging task to notice what

Marketing Memorable Experiences

incredible things had been happening while he dealt with the five percent. This helped keep Parker motivated and rooted in his

Think about this last example. Something good happened in

purpose, but it also helped him tackle the second barrier: finding

Parker’s school, but he recognized that it wasn’t enough to just

time to document and share the good.

enjoy the experience—he had to share it with his community.

Using insights we gleaned from our own research and our

On his walks, Parker would note positive moments taking place in

conversation with Parker, we’ve derived three tips you can use to

his school. Sometimes, it was a shy student participating in class.

position your principals—and your entire district—for success

Sometimes, it was a particularly innovative classroom activity. No

when it comes to sharing memorable moments.

matter what, Parker would end his walk with a quick kudos email

Help your principals see and document the good.

When we asked Parker the most common hurdle principals face in regards to creating positive day-to-day experiences, he named

to his staff, telling them what he saw and thanking them for contributing to a learning community they could all take pride in. This documentation helped Parker stay upbeat, in touch and ready at any time to report on all the good things happening in his school.

things happening in their schools, and an inability to see “beyond

Provide principals with coaching and practice.

the five percent.”

In our 2023 study “Layers of Leadership: How Principal-

two main barriers: a lack of time to source and document good

Superintendent Relationships Impact Your District Brand,” we “I’m talking about the five percent of challenges that take up

found that many principals are reluctant to start conversations

an inordinate amount of a principal’s time,” Parker explains.

with their superintendents around communication, marketing

“Sometimes this is related to student behavior. Sometimes it’s

and branding. Some principals felt that they mostly “communi-

certain individuals consistently taking up large blocks of time.

cated up” about challenges and updates, while others admitted

Whatever they are, these challenges make it hard to notice

outright reluctance to broach a topic that felt somewhat outside

good things happening because you’re physically and mentally

of their scope.

preoccupied with them.”

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But principals are essential. Without them, the district is unable

Other principals felt too far removed from their comms pros. One

either to realize the vision set at the executive level or to tell the

principal even expressed outright frustration: “There’s not a real

story of what it’s like to learn and work in their schools. Because

growth mindset for them [communications professionals] to learn

this area is such a challenge for principals, superintendents (and

about the instructional pieces and what’s happening in the inner

communications professionals, if your district has them) can and

structures. This will be my fourth year, and we’ve never had the

should serve as guides and coaches in this space.

director of communications come to our building.”

Parker believes that many of his fellow principals need practice

As you can see, relationships between principals and school

and feedback about how to best communicate what’s happening

communicators fall along a wide spectrum, but superintendents

in their schools. Internal emails, like Parker’s own kudos emails,

can help build a strong rapport between the two vastly different

are one way to build this skill, but conversations with more

positions. The work of building this relationship can take many

experienced school communicators can also help. “I’m a writer

forms, but it likely begins with bringing the teams together with a

and a storyteller, so this comes naturally to me,” Parker tells us.

sense of shared purpose and mutual respect.

“But many of my colleagues have a totally different skill set and need help not only telling the story, but also drawing attention to

We’ve said it before: No one person can be solely responsible for

the heart of why they’re sharing that story.”

telling your district’s story. In the case of principals, this is true more than ever. Not only are they the ones creating the moments that

Coaching principals to serve as stronger documentarians and

make it to your district homepage and social media; they’re also

communicators also means allowing them room for failure. Parker

the ones responsible for sharing that information with the district

shared that it’s easy to feel deflated when you’re trying something

office. To do this well, they need coaching, guidance and trust.

new. “School districts, often rightfully, have strong opinions about

“So many good things happen in a school at any given moment,”

how communication is handled,” he says. “But there needs to be

Parker says. “Principals just need to understand their role in the

some room for the principal to build their legacy with their own

overall district storytelling machine.”

experimentation.”

Facilitate strong relationships between principals and comms professionals.

In our recent study “A Seat at the Table,” we surveyed 600 school communicators across the country about what they needed to be most effective in their work. Interestingly, while comms professionals reported having both frequent access to and mutual respect with their superintendents, they were much more unsure about their relationships with principals. Some communicators expressed not having enough time to stay in tune with building-level happenings, while others admitted that they felt intimidated by their colleagues with experience more deeply rooted in education.

“So many good things happen in a school at any given moment. Principals just need to understand their role in the overall district storytelling machine.”

This finding echoed our previous study on principals. In districts where a communications professional was present, principals were mixed about how well they were able to work with them.

Some principals lauded their comms team for sharing the load of internal and external communication. As one principal put it, “We have our district communications team, and we’re really collaborative. I feel really blessed as a principal that they tell me over and over and over that their job is to make my job easier.”

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ReadTalkPlay How our Idaho school district is fostering community through the ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative

By Superintendent Randy Jensen

On Wednesdays, our small Idaho town becomes a sea of blue. Everyone in American Falls—from teachers to parents to business owners, from toddlers to retirees—wears their ReadTalkPlay T-shirts. Our community visibly shows their support for one of our most treasured resources: our children and their opportunities to read, talk and play with their families.

The American Falls School District serves a diverse student body of about 1,600 students in southern Idaho. A significant portion of our families face economic challenges; about 65% of our students are eligible for free lunch. Additionally, 52% of our students are Hispanic, 5% are Native American and 30% are English Language Learners. This diversity enriches our community and underscores the importance of building initiatives that cater to the needs of all students and families.

In 2019, we launched the ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative with a simple yet powerful mission: to encourage families to read, talk and play with their children daily. This initiative, though spearheaded by our district, quickly evolved into a communitywide movement that brought together businesses, civic organizations and families. In a time when division seems prevalent in many communities, the ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative has not only supported early childhood development but also fostered a sense of unity and collective purpose in American Falls.

The roots of this initiative, though, took hold long before 2017. It

The Joy of Playing Every Day

started with my mother and continued with my own experience

Play is a vital aspect of a child’s development, contributing to

as a father and grandfather. When I was a child, my mother spent

physical, emotional and social well-being. Through play, children

a lot of time making sure I had individualized attention. While

learn to solve problems, develop motor skills and navigate social

this started when I was young, she didn’t give up once I entered

interactions. The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes

adolescence. I remember that even when I came in late, my

that play is essential for healthy brain development and should be

parents would be waiting for me, ready to engage with me and

a fundamental part of every child’s daily routine.

learn about what I was going through. As a superintendent, when I looked at students’ needs in my own community, I realized that

The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative encourages families to

they need the same things I did. They need ReadTalkPlay.

prioritize playtime, whether through structured activities like

The Power of Reading Every Day

sports and games or unstructured free play. Research has shown that play promotes creativity, resilience and emotional regulation.

Reading is a cornerstone of childhood development, and our

Families have embraced the joy of playing together, creating

initiative emphasizes the importance of daily reading. According

lasting memories and stronger family bonds.

to a study published in the journal Pediatrics, children who are read to from a young age exhibit more advanced literacy skills by

“ReadTalkPlay has become an integral part of our daily routine,”

the time they enter school than their peers. In fact, the American

says Shawna Teichert, a parent in our community. “It has

Academy of Pediatrics recommends reading aloud to children

strengthened our family bonds and created so many wonderful

from infancy, highlighting the impact this practice has on cognitive

memories. My children look forward to our reading and playtime

and emotional development.

every day, and I’ve seen significant improvements in their language skills and confidence.”

In our community, we have seen these benefits firsthand. Families report that their children are more enthusiastic about books and show greater curiosity about the world around them. Our schools have also noted improvements in students’ reading levels and overall academic performance. By fostering a culture of reading, we are laying a strong foundation for lifelong learning and success.

The Importance of Talking Every Day Engaging in daily conversations with children is equally important.

Talking helps children develop critical communication skills, enhances their understanding of language and builds their confidence in expressing themselves. According to University of Kansas researchers Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley, the number of words a child hears in their early years significantly impacts their language development and IQ later in life. This finding underscores the importance of rich verbal interactions between parents and children.

Our initiative encourages families to make the most of everyday moments by talking with their children about their experiences, thoughts and feelings. This practice not only boosts language skills but also strengthens the parent-child bond. Families in our community have shared stories of how simple conversations— during meals, car rides or playtime—have led to deeper connections and a better understanding of their children’s perspectives. This focus on communication has cultivated a supportive and nurturing environment where children feel heard and valued.

Engaging Families A key component of the ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative has been our family engagement nights, which offer diverse activities designed to bring families together while promoting reading, talking and playing. These events have been incredibly popular, fostering a sense of community and shared purpose. Events have included activities themed around gardening, exploring different cultures, family STEM activities and more.

These events not only provide educational benefits but also strengthen the bonds within families and between community members. The excellent attendance at these activities demonstrates the community’s commitment to supporting each child’s development. “ReadTalkPlay has changed the way families inter-

The Power of a Logo

act in our community,” says Whitney Lankford, co-creator of the

The ReadTalkPlay logo, designed by a former stu-

ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative. “It has brought parents and chil-

dent, has become a powerful symbol recognized by

dren closer together, fostering deeper connections and a stronger

all ages in our community. This simple yet impactful

sense of support.”

design encapsulates the essence of our initiative and serves as a constant reminder of our shared

One of the most remarkable outcomes of this initiative has been

commitment.

the unity it has brought to our community. In an era where many communities face division, American Falls stands out as an example of what can be achieved when everyone rallies around a common goal. Many of our local businesses have joined as

One particularly memorable event was the ReadTalkPlay Ball

community partners, promoting the initiative in various ways. From

Game hosted by a Minor League baseball team in a neighboring

billboards and painted windows to logos on statements, invoices

community. The event featured special T-shirts for kids, and

and letters, the message of ReadTalkPlay is ubiquitous.

players read books to children before the game. This creative integration of ReadTalkPlay into a beloved community activity highlights the initiative’s far-reaching impact.

The success of the ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative can be attributed to the collaborative effort of our entire community.

Civic organizations, government entities and service groups have all played a role in promoting and supporting the initiative. This widespread involvement has not only amplified the reach of our message but also fostered a sense of pride and belonging among residents. The initiative has become a source of community identity, highlighting the values we hold dear and our commitment to our children’s future.

“The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative has been a cornerstone in bringing our community together,” says American Falls Mayor Rebekah Sorenson. “In times of division, it has provided a common goal that everyone can rally behind, creating a sense of unity and shared purpose.”

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Impact on Educational Outcomes The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative has yielded impressive results in educational outcomes. Our spring kindergarten reading proficiency scores have improved dramatically, rising from under 50% (far below the state average) to over 80% (far above the state average). This remarkable progress reflects the effectiveness of our initiative in preparing children for academic success.

The initiative has also led to the development of a successful community-based preschool collaborative. Preschool enrollment has increased from 30% to 70%, ensuring that more children have access to early learning opportunities. Attendance at “READY! for Kindergarten” parenting classes, where families learn to use play to support their children’s development, has increased by over 500%. These classes empower parents to succeed in their roles as their children’s first and most important teachers.

Amplifying Impact The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative has transformed the American Falls community in many ways. By focusing on the simple yet impactful practices of reading, talking and playing with our children every day, we have seen significant benefits in their development. The initiative has brought our community closer together, creating a unified and supportive environment for all.

The success of the initiative has not been confined to American Falls. Our model has inspired many other communities to adopt similar initiatives. We are proud to share our ideas and the ReadTalkPlay logo with any community interested in fostering early childhood development and community unity. By collaborating and sharing resources, we can amplify the positive impact on children and families far beyond our own district.

As school administrators, we understand the critical role that early childhood development plays in shaping future success. The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative serves as a powerful example

“The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative has been a cornerstone in bringing our community together.

In times of division, it has provided a common goal that everyone can rally behind.”

of how a community can come together to support its youngest members. I encourage other districts to consider similar initiatives, fostering not only the development of their students but also the unity and strength of their communities.

Together, we can create a brighter future for our children, one where they are equipped with the skills, confidence and support they need to thrive. The ReadTalkPlay Every Day Initiative is more than just a program; it is a testament to the power of community and the enduring impact of investing in our children’s growth.

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