Public schools in the U.S. have added professional marketing to their back-to-school shopping lists.
Financially struggling urban districts are trying to win back students fleeing to charter schools, private schools and suburban districts that offer open enrollment. Administrators say they are working hard to improve academics — but it can’t hurt to burnish their image as well.
A bus in Washington, D.C., carries an ad for the city’s public schools, which have seen enrollment plunge from nearly 150,000 students in 1970 to less than 50,000 last year. The district spent $100,000 this spring on a campaign that also included radio spots in an effort to win back students who have left public schools. The ads include quotes from students who say they are glad they stayed in public school.
So they are recording radio ads, filming TV infomercials and buying address lists for direct-mail campaigns. Other efforts, by both districts and individual schools, call for catering Mexican dinners for potential students, making sales pitches at churches and hiring branding experts to redesign logos.
“Schools are really getting that they can’t just expect students to show up any more,” said Lisa Relou, who directs marketing efforts for the Denver Public Schools. “They have to go out and recruit.”
Administrators working on the public-relations push say the potential returns are high. State funding for public schools is based on attendance, so each new student brings more money, typically $5,000 to $8,000 per head. In addition, schools with small enrollments are at constant risk of being shuttered in this recession, and full classrooms help.
Some districts also hope a better image will entice more local business sponsorship and persuade voters to support school levies and bond issues
Substance, such as a rigorous curriculum, strong school leadership, extensive education options (languages, arts, science and math, among others) will always be better than simple pr/marketing/advertising efforts. General Motors tried re-brand their business repeatedly over the past few decades.
Ahhhhh, yes. Ye olde putting lipstick on a pig approach. Any thoughts on how it would fly here?
That’s a good question.
I actually think there has been substantive progress on, perhaps the most important issue of all – telling the truth.
Just a few years ago, Lawrie Kobza spent quite a bit of time trying to understand how the School District’s equity, or fund balance declined so dramatically:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2006/11/20062007_madiso_1.php
Or, math curriculum results:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2006/02/madison_and_wis.php
Contrast those two examples with the recent outbound parent survey:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2009/07/madison_school_130.php
and a look at the middle school “standards based” report card implementation:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2009/08/1_year_summary.php
I remember Lawrie commenting on the middle school standards based report card initiative: “this is what we are spending our time and money on – given all of our other problems?”.
Perception will certainly be affected by what occurs after these reports (TAG, Math, Fine Arts, Report Cards, Strategic Plan).
——
What would I do?
It is important to understand that “astroturfing” the public does not work any longer. The “MSM” or mainstream media cannot deliver numbers or influence like they used to.
General (or to some “Government”) Motors recently flew a number of what one would consider “hostile” bloggers to Detroit for a weekend of management discussion and product experience (driving cars):
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/editorial-how-gm-tried-to-win-me-over-pt-1/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/how-gm-tried-to-win-me-over-pt-2/
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/how-gm-tried-to-win-me-over-pt-3/
It may be that the substance of these visits causes problems with their intended message, but, the initiative indicates that someone, at a high level understands that throwing more money at their perception problem will not solve it.
In the case of our public schools, I think that teachers and administrators (particularly Dan Nerad, Arlene and all principals along with the executive team), including the school board, should be active bloggers. This information flow can be commented on and rolled up into periodic email newsletters. (this is not a short term project).
I remember speaking with the late Ted Widerski a few years ago about the need for a MMSD “Knowledge Network”. This is it.
All will argue that they do not have time. I counter that with, they must make the time.
This type of public interaction will, over time create the opportunity to change perception and reality. They may not, similar to General Motors, always like the outcome, but we are in a new world where information is no longer filtered (or cheered on) by the MSM.
http://www.doonesbury.com/strip/dailydose/index.html?uc_full_date=20090816
Background on GM’s disastrous foray into “Brand management”:
http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2009/07/old-gm-threatening-new-gm.html
The public is well versed in dealing with fakery via advertising. I would not waste any money on that. Rather, get them all to blog, frequently. WordPress is simple and free.
In closing, change will take time. I do think, as mentioned here:
http://www.schoolinfosystem.org/archives/2009/08/the_madison_sch_4.php
that the MMSD must focus on a few things and do them very, very well.
Lucy-
There are many of us on the far west side that still are resenting that we were called racist for not wanting to send our children to Toki because of all of the BEHAVIOR problems and wanting a safe environment for our children to learn. Look at all of the families that are requesting open enrollment or just moving because of this decision. I have repeatedly said we need middle and upper middle class families in our schools, because it is good for all children. Look at the demographics, Madison schools are where Milwaukee schools were about 10-15 years ago, we will continue to same trend if we don’t do something to keep these families in our district.
Just to be clear, I am not a fan of dealing with problems as matters of “perception” as opposed to real issues that demand response. Hence my rhetorical question, “Anyone think it would fly here?”
Also, having been told that my concerns were “perceptions” in the past, well, I find it a bit dismissive.
The issues that parents identified in the survey as reasons for deciding to leave the district had to do with a range of safety issues, from bullying to physical assaults. They also mentioned concerns about curricular quality and rigor, and the lack of programming for TAG kids.
The test for ALL of us, superintendent, administrators, board of education, parents, and community, is how we respond. The issues and directions were fairly clear in the strategic planning process and in the survey of people who leave the district. They also resonate with concerns brought forward by people who contact the board.
My personal belief is that we need to get beyond empty and/or typecasting words, and actually do something to change the way that our schools function. When we have achieved changes that align with concerns about schools, we will experience a change in perception. This means enforcing our own codes of conduct and rules on bullying, being able to demonstrate that our much-touted curriculum delivers what we claim, understanding that teaching ALL students means all students (not just the ones who need to bring their WKCE scores up). Now those steps would be the revolutionized education system that the early strategic plan responses called for.
To that, I would add the need for more scrutiny on the extent to which we are allowing district policy and practice to be dictated by School of Education theory and experiments. We don’t talk about it, but the degree that we do things because they fit someone’s research model (vs. demonstrable productive practices), is absolutely frightening. If you don’t believe me, check out the way that people who actually understand math were sidelined in the debate over what our math curriculum should deliver.
Just my cranky two cents on a Saturday morning.
Lucy wrote: “We don’t talk about it, but the degree that we do things because they fit someone’s research model (vs. demonstrable productive practices), is absolutely frightening.”
This is really at the heart of much of the problem, and thank you for saying it.
The field of medicine has moved towards outcome research (demonstrable productive practices). When will education catch up and stop practicing extremes of pedagogy based on philosophy?