effective communication skills for cpf members. effective communication purpose: to improve the...
TRANSCRIPT
Effective Communication
Purpose:
To improve the effectiveness of parent
communications with educators, school
trustees and school board staff.
Why are you here?
“The brain starts working the moment you are born….
and never stops until you stand up and speak in public.”
-Anonymous
“Easy reading is damned hard writing.” -Anonymous
Do We Have Issues?
• Think about the issues we commonly face with FSL learning
• We’ll build the issues list today
One Leg At A Time!
• Complex issues need to be approached in a logical fashion.
• You must know how the issue inter-relates to the ‘whole’
• Taking on the octopus is done - one leg at a time
School Board 101
• School boards in Ontario are governed by the Education Act
• Staff and trustee roles are also defined in legislation
• You need to determine the sphere of influence
• You also need to influence both the political and the administrative sides of the table
School Board StructureDirector of Education/Secretary to the Board
of Education
School Board Chair
School Trustees
Associate Director
Superintendant of Program
Superintendant of Schools
Superintendant of Operations
Managers of Plant & Finance
Co-ordinators and Curriculum Consultants
School Principals
Vice Principals/Heads of
Department
Teachers
School Trustees• Elected every four years• Member of the School Board• Looks to Board staff for advice• Represents the public interest• Accountable to the Ministry of Education under the Ontario Public School Boards Act and the Education Act
Director of Education
•The connection between the administration and political levels•Secretary to the School Board (does not vote) and also a member of staff•Ensures that School Board follows Ministry procedures
Superintendents
•Board employee•Executive staff member•Represent a group of schools and/or a number of Board program areas•Program, Operational or School Superintendents
Principals•Managerial level•Immediate supervisor of teaching staff at their school•Responsible for budget, hiring, health & safety, implementing policy, behaviour and liability•All certified teachers•Report directly to their superintendent of schools
Curriculum Consultants
•Board employee•Responsible for delivery of curriculum•Teachers/union members•Provide training and direct support to teachers•Have a budget for their program
School Councils
• Parent representatives of individual schools
• Can make motions to School Boards which must be responded to
• Vary in effectiveness, cohesion
French ImmersionAdvisory Committees
• Important means of exchanging ideas
• Board staff, principals, teachers, students, parents & special interest groups
• Meet regularly and pass concerns onto other Board departments and trustees
• Influence policy and make recommendations to the Board
The Sphere of InfluenceClassroom TeacherGroup of TeachersLead TeacherProgram ParentsSchool Principal/VPRelated SchoolsSuperintendent SchoolsLocal Trustee(s)Superintendent ProgramFLACBoard of EducationMinistry of Education
The Sphere of InfluenceMany people in this sphere can be very helpful.
Understanding how to get the support you need from the right person or group is a key to success.
Advocacy Exercise
• Identify key facts you need to find
• Identify key questions you need to answer.
• Brainstorm ideas to obtain these answers.
• Who to contact
• Where to look
• How to generate additional data
Setting the Groundwork• Consensus among Chapters• Networking: get to know your trustees and
school staff at meetings and other opportunities
• “Do Time”: attend board meetings and workshops to build relationships
• Collect info: read newspapers, read web sites
Research
• Plan out things you believe you will need such as numbers, trends or policies
• Divide up expertise so that each person becomes the source of information for each topic
• Resources: CPF web sites, Ministry of Education, local library, city hall, board web site, even other provincial web sites
Interviews & Surveys
• Talk to people and document what you find
• Interview: trustee, superintendent, parents, board staff, students
• Survey: students, parents
• Surveys need to be fairly large (200+) and carefully prepared
Visuals
• Can be very useful
• Create simple, large, high impact visuals if they can make your point more clear
• Graphs, charts, etc need to be easy to read
Petitions
• Can be a dangerous tool
• Sets a tone of negativity, which may not be necessary
• Use with caution
Written Submissions
• Acknowledge past support positively
• Outline the problem and use real examples of consequences
• Always present a solution
Tips
• Be concise and factual
• Don’t be emotional
• Make sure written communication is perfect – have someone else proof it
School Board Meetings
• Getting on the agenda
• What happens at a meeting
• Rules of procedure
• Role of a delegation
Presentations
• It’s all in the preparation!
• Pick one or two key points and make sure they are clearly expressed
• Think of questions and concerns in advance and try to address them up-front
Strength in Numbers
• Communicate through websites, (CPF/school), email, newsletters
• Stronger turn-outs at Board meetings get better results
• Use visual tactics (colours, stickers, etc.) to identify your supporters
Avoiding Sweaty Palms
• Practice
• Dress the part
• Body language, eye contact
• Voice modulation, speed
• Fielding questions