“Putting Your District in the Spotlight” will be presented on Saturday, June 12th in San Antonio at the Texas Association of School Boards Summer Leadership Institute South in San Antonio and on June 19th at TASB SLI North in Fort Worth.

1. Putting
Your District
In The Spotlight!
Brad Domitrovich
PR Zealot, Speaker, Educator

2. If you would like a copy of today’s presentation ...

3. The Challenge
• School districts face many challenges.
• The job of an effective school board is even
more difficult when faced with issues that
divide your community.
• Bonds, boundary changes, school closings,
standardized dress codes, curriculum, school
finance, football, cheerleaders, etc.

4. Importance
of Communications
• Gets your message out to parents,
community, and employees.
• Allows you to clarify your goals and
objectives.
• Provides a vehicle to dispel rumors.

5. Public Relations
Public Relations plays
an important role in
creating a positive buzz
about your school
district with every one
of your stakeholders.

6. Who are your stakeholders?
• Students
• Parents
• Taxpayers
• Employees

7. What makes the news?
• Something controversial.
• Something that is timely.
• Something that involves a lot of people.
• Something that’s important for the
public to know.
• Something that is a first.

8. Believe It Or Not!
Members of the media:
• Are very competitive.
• Not always out to get you.
• Can get the “truth” from
somebody else.
• Are human beings.

9. What does the media do?
• Influence concern about key issues.
• Increase public awareness.
• Increase public knowledge.
• Help the community form an opinion.
• Make school districts accountable for
their actions or decisions.

10. What do schools want?
• Keep community
confidence level high.
• Avoid negative publicity.
• Deliver a positive
message.
• Make their district stand
out from the rest.

11. What does the media want?
• An exclusive story.
• An interview with key
individuals - not always the
schlep.
• Something controversial
because it sells!
• To be helpful.

12. Is it possible to build a
relationship with the media?
• The best time to build a relationship is when
their is no major story brewing.
• Stay current with names and contacts.
• Be proactive - don’t wait for bad news to
begin developing relationships with the
media.

13. Important things to do ...
• Don’t treat the media as if they
were the enemy.
• Be cooperative.
• Respond in a timely manner.
• It’s OK to tell them if they
misquoted you in the past or
misrepresented you.

14. School district news ...
• Poor test results
• Great test results
• A divided school • A school board
board
working together
• Poor financial • Excellent financial
management
management
• Lousy facilities
• Great facilities
• Teacher doing • Teacher doing
something wrong
something right

15. Interviewing Tip #1
• If you are not the
spokesperson for the
district, politely tell the
reporter you will have
someone promptly
return their call.

16. Preparing for an interview ...
• Know the facts.
• Anticipate questions.
• Set the ground rules.
• Rehearse your message.
• Avoid personal opinions.

17. Responding to the media
• Communicate first with your heart.
• Your first words create an image.
• How are you perceived?
• Listen with your face.
• It’s all about the kids.
• Keep your message simple.

18. Guidelines to remember
• Keep the energy up.
• Remember your audience.
• Remember your message.
• Create a sound bite.
• Always restate your
message.
• Never say “no comment”.

19. One last interviewing tip ...
There is no
such thing as
off the record.

20. Interpersonal Communications
• Chamber of Commerce
• Ministerial Alliances
• Convention/Visitors Bureau
• Campus PTO Meetings
• Advisory Meetings
• Exhibits/Shows

21. Media and News Releases
• Simple, factual, and innovative.
• Timeliness and connection to major
issues/controversies.
• Get your side out first.
• Factual, simple when it comes to Board
Meeting recaps.

22. Website Marketing
• Primary marketing tool.
• Evolving website - nothing worse than a
static site.
• Train your audience to go there.
• Promote your website always.

23. Electronic Communications
• Fast, timely, cost effective.
• Build
your database through parent
sign-ups, on-line forms, etc.
• Some examples:
Electronic Newsletters, Updates, Board
Briefings, Emergency News, etc.

24. Social Media
Social Media
is empowering
parents,
students,
and schools.

25. Schools and Social Media
• Social media is more than just using
social networking sites.
• Social networking is about sharing
and building communities.
• Currently it is being used as an
adjunct to school district marketing.

26. Parents and Social Media
Parents are using social media to:
• See what other parents are saying
about their school and its staff.
• Get support and insight into
educational and parenting issues.
• Build awareness about an issue or a
cause.

28. Importance
of Communications
• Gets your message out to parents,
community, and employees.
• Allows you to clarify your goals and
objectives.
• Provides a vehicle to dispel rumors.

29. Public Relations
Public Relations plays
an important role in
creating a positive buzz
about your school
district with every one
of your stakeholders.

30. Questions?

31. If you would like a copy of today’s presentation ...

32. www.domitrovich.com

33. Putting
Your District
In The Spotlight!
Brad Domitrovich
PR Zealot, Speaker, Educator