Some schools may have a communications team in place, while in smaller schools the communication may be the responsibility of a few key staff members.
Creating a compelling, engaging, and consistent school communication plan is essential regardless of the team size (or even if it is just you!). The plan should include details on who is responsible for communication and the timelines and schedules the team agrees on. Once the strategy is in place, follow up with your community on any details and expectations. Here are some key points to get you started.
#1: Set Areas of Responsibility
Check carefully that all aspects regarding the school communication needs are covered and that there are clear expectations and responsibility sharing on who is in charge of any specific aspect of communication.
- Who will be responsible for announcing events?
- Who communicates the school’s and the community’s values?
- Who will conduct surveys for effective decision-making?
- Who will answer feedback and questions from parents?
- Who will announce important news that needs to reach out to the community as soon as possible, for instance, a school closure due to bad weather?
In SchoolSignals, you can divide responsibilities by audience or a feature, such as a feed post vs. an event announcement.
#2: Set a Schedule
Set expectations on the school communication frequency, the weekday, and times when specific communication goes out. For instance, it would be recommended to always send out the newsletter at the same time each week so that the community knows to anticipate it, look for it, and take any needed action. In SchoolSignals, you can schedule posts to go out at a selected date and time or create a recurring post and select the times.
Set also rules on how quickly questions or comments should be responded to. For instance, you may create a 24-hour rule and adhere the entire community to this rule. A parent who contacts the school should not have to worry about when they will receive a response but should rely on the knowledge that all inquiries and comments are always responded to promptly, regardless of who you contact.
#3: Be Consistent in the Messaging Style
Together with your team, make sure that your team uses the tone and style that reflects your school’s values. For instance, you may decide how parents are greeted and how the school communication should be signed. Consistent email signatures and consistent use of the school’s identity collateral belong to this category, too. In School Signals, you can create custom templates to guide the communication style.
#4: Reach Out Effectively
Consider different communication methods and pros and cons. Is the communication tracked? Can you measure the results? How will you reach most of the parents? Will they miss an email or a note? Do they prefer to use an app on their phone? Why not ask the audience itself? “How do you want to be reached?” In School Signals, you can create custom online forms and collect the information. The form results are visualized for you.
#5: Share The Plan How the School Communicates with Your Community
Once the school communication plan is formed, why not share it with your community so that all community members know when to expect communication, where to find it, and what to look for?
For instance, if you send out a newsletter, tell your community when to expect it and what information it will include. If you use an events calendar, let your users know about it and how to use it. If the community needs to be reminded of an important happening, set an expectation that it will be done promptly.
Set expectations to assure your members that communication will happen in specified intervals and that it will address the community’s information and engagement needs. Why not create an informative post and share it school-wide? Let your community comment on the plan, too, and let you know their needs.
#6: Always Be Consistent with the Follow-Through
Check that all team members follow through with the communication plan, and that information and engagement go out as agreed. Sometimes, our plans may be too ambitious. Be ready to adjust your strategies when needed. Remember that consistency is the key to building trust with your community.
#7: Double Check for Accuracy
It is always a good idea to double-check any to-be-shared information for accuracy. Consider establishing a process where one or two team members first approve any vital information scheduled to go out. While mistakes happen, having to correct and follow up on an outgoing communication immediately after it has been sent out does not create the optimal first impression on the receiver’s side.
#8: Encourage Community Feedback
Collecting and gathering feedback is not a formality but an essential building block in adjusting your communication if it is not working as intended. Make sure that your community can reach you and your team quickly. For instance, parents should know how to reach you and your team optimally and be comfortable with the method. Just stating, “Reach me anytime,” does keep the door open but may still keep the bar too high. Custom online forms tailored to collect feedback of various types can encourage communication for those parents who do not prefer to email directly or engage in conversation on a social forum. In School Signals, these forms are easy to publish and announce for the community.
#9: Foster an Active and Engaged Community
Set parents on a positive communication path by listening and interacting with them. Positive communication and social interaction should be encouraged to build a solid and thriving community. Adverse incidents may happen, but the overall umbrella of positivity should protect your community. Resolving issues makes your community more robust and more resilient.
In his essay, 4 Ways to Flip School Culture, Michael Niehoff looks for ways into creating a positive school culture. Niehoff writes,
“Yes, we have to communicate dates, deadlines, and even rules. But if our communication focused more on opportunities, learning, celebrations, innovation, and more? Maybe these communication efforts are seen as more valuable and useful by parents, students, and stakeholders.”
Ready to Get Started?
Check out School Signals communication tools when creating a communication plan for your school. School Signals has a Communication Library and Online Template Forms that set your school on a quick communication path. The Social Feed posts reach the audience accurately and timely. The School Feed can be an engaging social forum to discuss and engage school topics. Posting is never anonymous, and it can always be tracked. Messaging tools are in place to support one-on-one communication. And don’t forget events calendars, RSVP attendee lists, and volunteer signup tools.
In the School Signals system, parents can use desktop, mobile, and app as they prefer and set their notification preferences. Important messages from the school are notified with text messages. Detail delivery reports give you complete visibility on how messages and notifications reach the receiver. Most importantly, parents can be lifted from being information receivers to participating subjects who positively contribute to and build a positive school culture and community.
- Unlocking Parent Feedback: Best Practices for School Feedback Forms - November 6, 2024
- Time of Change? Reaching Buy-In by Communicating Proactively - September 12, 2024
- 7 Key Takeaways from Research on the Parent-Teacher Conference Experience - September 7, 2024
