Question – The Cognos IBM tool available on the USOE site is great for transparency. It has illustrated that the charter schools are not succeeding at the rate the parents think they are. Unfortunately, as an STS who was trained on the program I can “filter out” the special populations of our schools. When I look at the neighborhood schools compared to the charter schools the neighborhood schools are succeeding at a far better rate than assumed with and without those filters. When schools do not make AYP sometimes it is due to special ed, attendance or high mobility populations. Is there a method in which we can make the message “that involved parents have successful students” more available? Every school I go to I see involved parents with extremely successful students.
When I talk to parents who have sent their children to charter schools they seem to emphasize that these charter schools emphasize arts and science more and have a smaller student to teacher ratio. My frustration is that all the resources are being pulled from the district schools to make these charter schools happen. How did the parents become so disenfranchised that instead of investing in our schools they prefer to create whole new buildings and systems? I applaud the tax hike last year to accommodate all the physical educators but maybe all these parents that moved their students would prefer to invest more in the schools but are not sure how to. How can we involve these parents so that they can help us to create the schools they want instead of going elsewhere?
Lastly, I think the size of our district enables us to do great things that other districts can not. We have great programs in place and great resources. It would be nice to see our students reflect on the great things in our district and their local schools. I know the PTA does a reflections assembly and the US forest service used to do a tree poster contest. Can we as a district do something like this to emphasis how great we are. We have certified dedicated teachers, great new schools being built, technology specialists, PE specialists……let’s have students clelebrate these things.
In closing I know these ideas are not foreign. PTA is suppose to be the conduit for change and dialogue and teacher of the year awards are to celebrate our district strengths but they are not. We need to change our image, our schools are succeeding in many ways, yet the news is full of depressing statistics. Thank you for your time.
Response – You bring up a number of great points that are currently being addressed by me and my staff. We have communicated with principals directly, the importance of ascertaining if students are leaving to go to charter schools. And we encourage them to take steps to shore up their programs to prevent or stop the loss! Our Communications Department continues to work to highlight programs and school successes for the media and our legislators to ensure that information is getting out to the parents who ultimately make these decisions. We continue to work to identify these successes in our schools and could use any tips for programs or individual successes that should be recognized and publicized. Anyone can submit ideas tocommunications@graniteschools.org.
Lastly, we continue to work on other plausible marketing techniques to raise the profile of Granite District. Look for some of these to be implemented over the next year. While we don’t want to give anything away, they will be noticeable and draw significant attention to the efforts our great educators are making in our classrooms everyday.
Please know however, at the end of the day the very best advocate for our schools are the people who work and volunteer in them – we have thousands of “marketing agents” who have personal access to their neighbors. Just think of the power if all of our employees and volunteers committed to share just one great thing they see happening with three people each day who don’t work or volunteer at their school!
Thanks for all you do – including eating “neatly” at your desk!
Beth says
I’ve noticed that sometimes school office staff aren’t as friendly or responsive as they could be. I think improvement in that area could go a long way in terms of PR.
Sup's Staff says
Beth » We have a customer service initiative where we ask patrons and employees to recognize quality customer service and let us know when we have need of improvement. If you have identified a specific problem, please email customerservice@graniteschools.org so we can address it. Thanks,
RaChelle says
My 7th grade daughter just talked to her counselor about changing math teachers. She is struggling, because no books have been passed out. She told her couselor this and he told her that she could get a math book in the library. The entire 7th grade math students have not been assigned the books that we “paid” for with our school fees. With about 5 weeks of school left, my daughter finally feels like she will be able to pass math with an A that she has had throughout elementary. I am irritated that lazy teachers don’t seem to give a dang about explaining math especially if there are books available. My daughter has been working on printed papers all year long. She now finally understands the printout that was given to her last night. By the way, I am considering a Charter school, just because of this lack of concern for my daughters questions that have NOT been answered and IGNORED by very incompetent math teacher. The teacher is never available to help her, and basically ignores the class and their questions. I’m not happy, and especially with paying fees for books that were NOT passed out. I think a refund for the math book that was not passed out is in order.
Sup's Staff says
RaChelle » Thanks for the comment. The superintendent will respond to you directly. Thanks again for letting us know about your concerns.
sandy says
My husband is an employee at Deer Valley for 17 years and they have an employee motto “Be the Deer Valley Difference”. This motto is ingrained into them the minute they are hired and becomes a part of their character and how they do everything from the way they treat customers to the way they treat each other. If GSD had a motto like this that is simple and a constant reminder I think it could be very effective in the classroom, with parents, in offices and with all other people we encounter. This could be part of a huge PR campaign and should not be a fly by night motto, but something that is truly believed in and enforced. When someone at DV is “being the DV difference” it is brought to their attention.
Sup's Staff says
Great Suggestion!