TSI ConferenceTSI ConferenceSchool-Community RelationsSchool-Community Relations

It’s Their School, Their Kids, It’s Their School, Their Kids, and Their Moneyand Their Money

School-Community RelationsSchool-Community Relations

• Gene Sheets, Supt. Gene Sheets, Supt. • Muleshoe ISDMuleshoe ISD • Region 17 (Lubbock)Region 17 (Lubbock)• 1520 students1520 students• 82% Economic 82% Economic

Disadvantaged Disadvantaged • 81% Hispanic, 81% Hispanic,

18% White 18% White • 15% LEP15% LEP

School-Community RelationsSchool-Community Relations

WHAT…is it?WHAT…is it?

HOW…do we do it?HOW…do we do it?

WHY…do we do it?WHY…do we do it?

WHO…does it?WHO…does it?

School-Community RelationsSchool-Community Relations

It’s their It’s their schoolschool, their , their kidskids, and their , and their moneymoney..

School-Community RelationsSchool-Community Relations

It’s It’s ourour school, school, ourour kids, and kids, and ourour money.money.

WhyWhy is it important to have good is it important to have good school-community relations?school-community relations?

• Accountability to Accountability to

one’s one’s publicspublics• More choices More choices

available to available to parentsparents• More households do More households do

not have children of not have children of school school age than any age than any other timeother time

• Changing Changing demographicsdemographics of students of students

WhoWho is Responsible? is Responsible?

• Principal must get all members of a school community involved.

• Principal sets the tone for the school.• Changes are easier with principal who is in

touch with community• Management by Walking

Around (Peters & Waterman, 2004)

Metropolitan Life SurveyMetropolitan Life Survey20032003

Metropolitan Life Survey on the American Teacher 2003: An Examination of School Leadership

Principal Teachers Parents StudentsRelationships

Principal/Teacher relationship is open, collaborative 84% 50%Principal encourages students to achieve 59% 35% 34%Principal respects people in the school 78% 36% 34%

Sec principals satisfied with relationship with students 97% 60%Principals satisfied with relationship with parents 93% 64%

EnvironmentSchool is welcoming to parents 89% 61%Principal has excellent visibility in school 67% 38% 42%School is safe 89% 67% 57% 46%

CommunicationPrincipal is a good listener 53% 30% 27%School has open communication 91% 58% 58%

Metropolitan Life SurveyMetropolitan Life Survey20032003

Disconnect between

principal…school…community

X

WhatWhat is School-Community is School-Community Relations?Relations?

• Building public Building public supportsupport and confidence and confidence in the schoolin the school

• Establishing Establishing trusttrust between the school between the school and the communityand the community

• Preventing Preventing

misunderstandingsmisunderstandings • HumanizingHumanizing the the

schoolschool

Communications with Communications with Whom?Whom?

Internal Publics

Why Communicate with Internal Why Communicate with Internal Publics?Publics?

1.1. Most Most believablebelievable sources of sources of informationinformation

2.2. InterpretersInterpreters of the school’s of the school’s policypolicy

3.3. Internal publics can Internal publics can make or make or breakbreak you you

4.4. External communication plan External communication plan cannot exist without cannot exist without

internalinternal plan plan

Who is the Most Believable Who is the Most Believable Employee?Employee?

Who is the Most Believable Who is the Most Believable Employee?Employee?

1. Custodian2. Bus driver3. Cafeteria workers4. Secretaries5. Teachers6. Principal

Why Communicate with Why Communicate with Students?Students?

• Students are the most influential messengers of a school’s internal publics.

• Students WILL communicate their feelings about the school to others in the community.

• Students can be a conduitfor good news to listening ears.

EXTERNAL PUBLICSEXTERNAL PUBLICS

Why Communicate with External Why Communicate with External Publics?Publics?

• Opinions about a school come from Opinions about a school come from members of the members of the internalinternal publics. publics.

• ParentalParental involvement is an indicator of involvement is an indicator of an effective school.an effective school.

• Key communicatorsKey communicators keep members of keep members of the external publics informed the external publics informed

• Non-parentsNon-parents need to be informed need to be informed

How do we Involve Parents and How do we Involve Parents and Community?Community?

How do we Involve the MediaHow do we Involve the Media

• Important channel for communication in the community.

• Share information, clear up misunderstandings, clarify situations

• They will come to your school

• You can’t fight a barrel of ink.

CONCLUSIONCONCLUSION

Open, Honest, Two-way Communication

Learning is the shared responsibility of all school employees, students, home, media, and community

It’s Our School, Our Kids, and It’s Our School, Our Kids, and Our MoneyOur Money

Gene Sheets, Ed.D.Gene Sheets, Ed.D.

806-272-7400806-272-7400

gsheets@muleshoeisd.netgsheets@muleshoeisd.net