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How’s your “boilerplate” working out for you?
1st in a series of 8 Basic Tools for Effective Communication . . . Topic: The Boiler Plate Remember to PATTB!* *Pay Attention to the Basics I enjoyed reading the posts about Jamie Volmer on the SCN homepage. While I agree with Volmer’s conclusion (epiphany?) that we can’t run schools like a business, I would suggest…
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No quick fix . . . but there is a fix
[This value-packed gem was originally posted in 2012.] Schools and businesses share the goal of developing human potential, but educators are often exasperated by “business thinking.” The way to produce more high school graduates who are college-ready is to hold teachers’ feet to the fire and run schools more like a business, business leaders say.…
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Tough questions. Painful answers.
[Good info to know originally posted in 2012.] When I read that 30 percent of 12- to 17-year-olds have sent or received nude or nearly nude pictures over the Internet, I was shocked and suspicious. More than 70 percent of teens are smarter than that – aren’t they? So, I asked my 19-year-old daughter Sierra,…
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Three memorable takeaways from NSPRA 2015
They’re do-able and won’t break your budget. Let’s go! When SCN asked me for a few beneficial takeaways from NSPRA 2015 in Nashville, I jumped at the chance. As a former past president of both NSPRA and MSPRA, my heart is with you and every in-the-trenches school communicator. I appreciate the positive contribution you make in your school district. The first…
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An unusual word of caution preceded one of my first experiences with school surveys
“Don’t mention the Coast Guard.” That’s the parent-teacher conference tip a high school sophomore whispered to me years ago, as she and her mother departed from their conference with a history teacher, and I rushed in to take their place at the table. I had waited in line for an hour for my turn to speak…
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19 tech tools recommended by in-the-trenches communicators
Identifying best practices and new trends are reasons enough to network with others in your field. Networking generates ideas for fresh new ways of doing things, which can result in a competitive edge, as well as a more vibrant and valuable social circle. Because of the nice response to the recent summer reading suggestions sent in by a…
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