20 PR TIPS FORADMINISTRATORS

AdministrativeRetreat

August 2010

GEORGETOWN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTDirector of School and Community Relations

TEXAS SCHOOL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATIONPast President

BRADDOMITROVICH

Objectives for today:• Take a look at how school

communications and public relations have changed.

• Review some PR Tips that all administrators need to know to be successful.

• Have a little fun!

How has school PR changed?

• In 1962 - there were only 12 people involved in school PR in Texas.

• In 2010 - there are nearly 2,000 professionals working in school public relations.

• School districts are being held more accountable for their actions.

How has school PR changed?

• The public is questioning schools and administrators more.• Parents are becoming much more

demanding.• The media has discovered that

school districts can provide them with “juicy” stories.

How has school PR changed?

• Non-traditional media outlets and social media are becoming more and more popular.• There is more of a need for

crisis communications due to an increase in instant access media and tools.

• Is everyone on the same page?• What are people expecting to

hear from you?• How can you tell your campus

or department story?

Tip #1:It’s not always easy to communicate!

• Communicate your successes so they can be shared through a variety of channels.• Encourage your staff to share

their news.• There’s a million success stories

in education every day!

Tip #2:Utilize your district’s PR resources.

• Develop a plan at the beginning of the year on how your success story can be told.• Train your staff to use the

guidelines and procedures.• Get everyone to follow your lead!

Tip #3:Communication is a planned effort!

• Pay attention to the way that you are perceived.• You can set the best example.• Work your plan in the best way

possible.• We’ve always done it that way!

Tip #4:It’s not easy getting others to follow your lead!

• Communicate and listen with all of your publics ... remember that listening is the key to great communication

• Always explain the facts.• Immediately implement “control

spin” on controversial issues.• Utilize your district’s PR resources.

Tip #5:Know what it takes to communicate well.

Tip #6:Develop your communication goals.

• Increase awareness of campus and departmental information.• Increase awareness of student

and staff achievement.• Improve faster means of

communicating information during a crisis situation

Tip #7:Keep your boss in the know!

• Nobody likes to be surprised, especially the boss!• Rumors and speculations can

easily get out of control.• Never try to hide bad news. It will

always rear its ugly head.

• Be prepared.• Emergency Operations Plan.• Develop a plan with your boss

and the district’s PR resources.• Have one spokesperson.• Be honest and express concern.• Apologize when appropriate.

Tip #8:Always stay calm in a crisis.

Tip #9:Communicate with your community.

• Tell everyone the good news about your campus/department.• It’s harder to stop an out of

control rumor than it is to spread good news.• Use an inner-circle to assist in

your quest for good spin.

Tip #10:Communicate with all employees.

• Employees are the best sales people a school district can have.• Administrators sometimes forget

to communicate with their own employees.• Communicate the good and the

bad news to keep them informed.

Tip #11:You can’t fix stupid!

• At any given time - there is the possibility that an administrator, a teacher, an employee, a student, a parent, or a contractor - will not use common sense before doing something ... and we’re going to have to explain it.

• We have met the enemy, and it is us!

• Try to contain the message as best as you can.

• Always explain your side of the story in a clear and positive manner.

• Correct any inaccuracies that may be reported.

• Communicate, communicate, and then communicate some more.

Tip #12:The media knows that “juicy stuff” sells!

• Utilize your district’s PR resources.• Know the facts - there is no such thing as

a pleasant surprise from the media.• Try to anticipate questions the reporter

may ask you and determine the best response to each question you envision.

• Set the ground rules - help reporters with background information.

• We don’t have to answer every question.

Tip #13:Always prepare before talking to the media.

• Rehearse your message - know what you want to say and determine how you are going to say it.

• There are two sides to every story - by anticipating viewpoints you can help develop your message and avoid traps.

• Avoid personal opinions at all times ... we represent the district.

Tip #13:Always prepare before talking to the media.

Tip #14:Never lie to the media.

• Utilize your district’s PR resources.• Always tell the truth ... or at least

the truth that you can tell.• It’s much better having the media

as an ally than an enemy. • Building a trust relationship with

the media is important.

Tip #15:Never say no comment.

• Utilize your district’s PR resources.• The media can always get “the

truth” from someone else.• We should always reference policy

or standard operating procedure.• “No comment” can make us look

and sound guilty!

Tip #16:Never talk down to your public.

• Utilize your district’s PR resources.• Always remember that it’s their

children, their schools, and their community.• And in case you forget, always

remember that it’s their children, their schools, and their community.

• Positive stories about kids doing positive things can get you more bang for your buck than a 30 second commercial during the Super Bowl.

Tip #17:Cute kids make a cute story.

• It’s easy to spin a story when it’s all about the kids.• It’s very hard to contradict or

negate something that’s good for the kids.

Tip #18:If it’s good for the kids, it’s good for the district.

• Sometimes, things don’t always work out like they planned.• Shift gears and change course if a

communication tool is not working the way it was supposed to.• It’s better to move on than stay on

a course thats going nowhere.

Tip #19:Change your communication strategy

when it’s not working.

Tip #20:Spelling is always important.

Questions?

Before we leave today ...

What would you do?Five school PR

scenarios to learnsome lessons from.

The Five Scenarios

1. Come on in ... it’s easy to do!2. No bars allowed3. The Sex Offender Substitute4. The Funny Smelling Milk5. Put your best Facebook

forward!

Come on in ... it’s easy to do!It’s 10:00 AM and Fox TV is on their way.

They sent an undercover reporter to one ofyour schools yesterday with a hidden camera.

They have video of the reporter walking all around the campus and into the boy’s bathrooms and

locker rooms.They are doing a story on how easy it is

for “perverts” to get into schools and assault kids.They would like your comments on district

security.What would you do?

No bars allowedA high school student told his parents that the campus administration made him change his

t-shirt because it violated school policy.The boy’s parents own a very popular bar and the

t-shirt he was wearing had the bar’s logo on it.A local reporter already has a picture of the boy

wearing the t-shirt and it will be on the front page.She calls you and wants to know why your district is not supporting businesses in your community.

What would you do?

The Sex Offender SubstituteIt’s 8:05 AM.

Your local CBS affiliate just called and is sendinga reporter over to find out why you have

a sex offender working as a substitute teacher.You discover that an irate ex-wife has falsely

made this allegation about her former husband.She called the media.

The camera crew is on their way. What would you do?

The Funny Smelling MilkA mom picked up her 8th grader late today from the nurse’s office because she started

vomiting.When driving home, the girl told her mother the milk she had at lunch smelled “kind of funny”.

The mom called the principalwho was not on campus that day.

The mom then calls the trouble shooters.The trouble shooters call and want to know why your cafeteria is serving spoiled milk to kids?

Put your best Facebook forwardIt’s summer time and everything is quiet.

One of your teachers calls and says they got invited to another teacher’s Facebook page.

The teacher posted some rather risqué pictures of herself while on summer vacation.

The principal noticed that some students and parents may have seen the pictures on this page.

The phone rings.It’s a reporter from your ABC affiliate who tells you

that a parent just called them and ...What do you do?

Feel free to contact me:Brad Domitrovich

X 1890Direct: 943-1890Cell: 635-2708

DomitrovichB@georgetownisd.org