Audit: District 68 Needs Communications Director

 needs more consistency and follow-through in its communication and should have a dedicated staff person to tackle its communication and marketing needs, according to an audit commissioned by the district. 

Karen Kleinz, associate director from the National School Public Relations Association, conducted the audit and presented her findings to the District 68 board of education. 

"There's really no planned communication effort," Kleinz said. "There are no allocated staff members or resources to make that effort happen." 

Big challenges facing the district: changing demographics and the need to communicate in multiple languages, the improvement and upkeep of websites, crisis response and communication regarding the Common Core Standards. 

While Kleinz recommended a full-time communications director to be filled, board employees requested more options to fill the gaps without adding to the payroll. 

Completing the audit under its communications goal to "provide consistent and effective communication to all community stakeholders."

Staffing recommendations 

and Downers Grove School District 58 each have a communication director. 

Woodridge School District 68 should have one, too, Kleinz said. 

"If you don't, it's very hard to position yourself as a progressive and innovative district," Kleinz said. "You're surrounded by districts doing some pretty sophisticated things...Today's parents are communicating about everything and they expect us to be communicating and instantly responsive to them." 

There are some other options, including some contract services to fill some gaps and to ask members of the staff and community to assist. 

"But I think when you look at the big picture, you need to begin to at least do some planning for adding communication function down the road," Kleinz said. 

Expecting other administrators to assume specific communications, marketing and engagement functions is "rarely successful," she said. 

The recommendation was met with a lukewarm reaction from the board. Board Member Leslie Pollack said Superintendent Cathy Skinner spends much of her time representing the district at community functions and having someone else do so would be a "cost-effectiveness ratio." 

District's strengths and weaknesses 

The district needs a three-pronged approach, Kleinz said. The first is the basic communication information piece, to get the district's story out there. The second is engagement -- to actively involve people. The third is the marketing and branding piece. 

District 68 is perceived as a competent, progressive system that is "friendly, caring and kid-centered," Kleinz said. Its staff members are praised for being committee, hard-working and responsible to student needs. 

Other strenghts are the district's AlertNow system, school newsletters and the Coffee with the Principal event at Jefferson Jr. High School. 

But the district lacks consistency in communication protocals and procedures from school to school and between departments, Kleinz said. 

Where do people get news about the district? Word-of-mouth, Patch (it was on the slide!), district e-mail and meetings. 

The district website was deemed difficult to navigate and not user-friendly, she said. An updated website is in the works. 

Parents want more substanstive information about learning and district operations. Staff wants to be apprised of progress, involved in dialogue about challenges and want to assist in developing solutions. 

Recommendations 

Revamp district newsletters

The district should change the "Spirit of 68" newsletter to three times a year instead of its current six times a year. "By the time people receive it, it's really old news," Kleinz said. 

Instead, the district should repurpose it as marketing material for the district in a back-to-school issue, a mid-year annual report and end-of-year issue. 

The district should pair the "Spirit of 68" with an e-news update that residents and parents can sign up to receive. 

Start using social media 

"At some point, you're going to have to use it," Kleinz said. "You have to meet people where they're at."

Involve the community 

Invite empty-nesters to be mentors or tutors, she said. "They have a lot of expertise and widsom to offer," Kleinz said. "Tap into it. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised." 

Focus on strategic, proactive communication

• Develop a formal communication plan
• Develop a clear communication vision
• Establish guidelines and expectations
• Communication ratione and report outcomes
• Communicate key messages internally first
• Conduct regular research on communication efforts

Identify and frame issues for clear, consistent messaging

• Ask – how will we communicate
• Share key messages and talking points
• Create a communications advisory council
• Create issue fact sheets

Improve internal communications systems

• More face-to-face communication
• Message timeliness and consistency
• Regular updates on issues and response
• Profile strategic goals
• Develop use of e-communication
• Keep administrative assistants “in the loop”
• Gather staff input on job-related decisions
• Express appreciation

Continue to improve district and school websites

Develop branding/marketing efforts

• Develop a stronger web/e-mail presence
• Develop a new logo and tagline
• Info/marketing
• School tours
• Real estate agents
• Develop exit surveys for families leaving district and entrance surveys: why are they coming, why are they leaving

Develop a key communicator network

Develop and expand public engagement/outreach strategies

• Hold “board listening sessions”
• Create a business/civic advisory council
• Increase opportunities for public input
• Expand connections to new families
• Implement a “principal shadow day”
• Engage parents as “learners”

Expand communication with non-English speaking families

• Incorporate bilingual component into communication plan
• Hold meetings with parents
• Expand involvement opportunities
• Diversity council
• Partner with ehnic agencies
• Opinion leaders on councils, commniitees, key communicator networks
• Professionally translate documents

Strengthen communitment to visible leadership

Provide communication training for staff

Develop a “points of pride” campaign

• Communicate successes clearly, consistently and frequently
• Involve staff in identifying points of pride
• Post points on websites and highlight in publications
• Feature points at board meetings
• Develop a presentation to share with community groups
• Create a wall of fame at district office and in schools