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Communicating Education Reform At the Local Level

Learn how to effectively communicate and advocate for education reform at the local level, focusing on key topics such as standards, teacher quality, data, and supporting struggling schools. Discover how to translate the four assurances into messages that resonate with your community and mobilize support for change.

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Communicating Education Reform At the Local Level

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  1. Communicating Education Reform At the Local Level

  2. Quick Straw Poll How many have been interviewed by a reporter? What education topics are most frequently covered by your local media? How often are these topics covered? • Standards? testing policies? teacher quality? data?

  3. Historic Moment in Education • Race to the Top, i3 and other competitive federal grants for states and school districts • Common Core Standards Initiative • Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) reauthorization • Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education

  4. Focused Reform -- Four Assurances • Implementing college- and career-ready standards and assessments • Recruiting and retaining effective teachers and principals • Improving collection and use of data • Supporting lowest-performing schools

  5. What Does this Look Like Locally? • Historic opportunity to reform education locally • States must demonstrate commitment to the four assurances • Opportunity to attract and retain teachers • Use data to make informed decisions • States have an opportunity to scale successful programs • Local Chambers and business leaders can be part of the education reform conversation • Provide guidance on the skills needed for your business and community

  6. Message Exercise Translate the 4 Assurances into messages that relate to typical local school issues.

  7. Message Excercise • Implementing college- and career-ready standards and assessments • JOBS & ECONOMY • Recruiting and retaining effective teachers and principals • JOBS & ECONOMY • Improving collection and use of data • JOBS & ECONOMY • Supporting lowest-performing schools • JOBS & ECONOMY

  8. America’s prosperity has always rested on how well we educate our children — but never more so than today. This is true for our workers, when a college graduate earns over 60 percent more in a lifetime than a high school graduate. This is true for our businesses, when, according to one study, six in 10 say they simply can’t find qualified people to fill open positions.” -- President Obama, National Governors Association (yesterday).

  9. Influence Public OpinionInfluence the News • News media inform all target audiences • News media offer the best opportunity to reach the most people at a given moment • Ongoing coverage can reinforce your message, build momentum, mobilize support

  10. Media Outlets Have Four Main Goals Telling YOUR story is your job! • To inform • To advise • To entertain • To make a profit

  11. About Reporters Build Rapport • Always a reporter first – on the job, not your “friend” • They need you… • Just as you need them • Reach out! Maintain friendly and honest relationship, get to know them • Approach with story ideas • Take advantage of other news, offer: • Comment/expertise • Interviews • A fresh angle

  12. Be Familiar with Media Needs • Understand their work environment • Know their deadlines • Know their beat • Track their stories and articles • Be as responsive as possible

  13. What Can Social Media Do for Me?

  14. Strategic partnerships can amplify the volume of your message • Local Companies • Service Organizations • Rotary • Lions Club • Kiwanis • Foundations • School Districts • Superintendent/public information officer • Teachers Unions • Community Colleges • Other Higher Education Institutions • PTA/PTO

  15. Mobilization • Sponsor events and community forums • Secure speaking opportunities • Build a Web presence • Engage and interact with community • Opt-in news from your organization • Enewsletter • Create a blog

  16. www.widmeyer.com Jason Smith Jason.Smith@Widmeyer.com

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