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In last month’s issue, Joe Williams’ article outlined some of the problems caused by many people in the country not knowing enough about charter schools…what they are, how they operate, the advantages & disadvantages, etc. Following is part 2 of his article.
Here are a few ideas on how charter school leaders can seize the issue:
Remember that “public relations” involves relating to the public. I’m not trying to be cute, or condescending with this point. It is easily forgotten. Reporters, editors, and columnists (more on these guys later) are an important part of relaying your message to the public, but they aren’t the only ones. Real estate agents, bartenders, religious leaders, local business owners, neighbors, etc. have the ability to help make your case about why being a charter school matters. Even those people who write blogs in their pajamas can help you relate to the public. Get these people involved in your school community. Let them see that you, your staff, and your families are trying to save public education, not destroy it.
Don’t just tell the public that your school is great – tell them how being a charter school makes it great. Even better, regularly point out what parts of your greatness would be unattainable in the traditional, status quo schooling scenario. Even people who care and have been paying attention for the last few years and have heard us talk about how charter schools are free to operate outside of many of the bureaucratic regulations of the traditional system—don’t know what this means. One reason this is so unclear is because the charter school world has done a poor job articulating what “free from regulation” means. The reality is that this not only fails to get your message across, it makes charter schools more vulnerable to new forms of “bureaucratic creep” and interference from educrats who dream at night about wrapping you up with red tape.
Build relationships with reporters, editors, and columnists. Don’t shoot for quick-hit stories that do little to advance your education reform cause. Get them to your school; prove to them that you are an expert and that you can help them with their stories. Reporters like to deal with people who know things. They traffic in information, so let them know you’ve got it. If lame press releases won’t get them in, how about a call and a plea to grab a coffee someday? Don’t seek a commitment to write a story, just offer a chance to develop a potential source. Since the public largely misunderstands charter schools, make it a goal over time to get your local education reporters to understand you and your schools. Remember that “why” is one of the W’s that reporters like to discover when they tell stories. Explain why having a charter matters in your attempts to provide a superior education to your kids. Take your time and let these relationships build.
Getting politicians in to see your schools, including your parents, is crucial. Create and present awards to your elected officials so that they will come in and receive them. (This is especially important for politicians who don’t support charter schools! Give them a “Friend of the Environment” award or something.) Take some student artwork and put it in a frame with your school logo on it. Invite them to hang the award in their office, where they will see it every day. Remind them that your charter school law allows you to do the special things that you do. Thank them for coming and for supporting your families (even if they haven’t). Thank them again. Send them more student artwork. Make them proud to be caught in your school’s web.
If reporters call and the questions aren’t good (i.e. the you-know-what is hitting the fan), remember that it is a chance for you to explain why your school does what it does. And if even that sounds too good to be true, remember that if you don’t define yourself when times are tough, someone else will. If you’ve done your job of “relating to the public” correctly, there will be no shortage of people lining up to speak lovingly on your school’s behalf.
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Joe Williams is executive director of the New York-based group Democrats for Education Reform. A former newspaper journalist, he is the author of the book Cheating our Kids: How Politics and Greed Ruin Education. He also is a board member of the New York Charter Schools Association.
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