A Personal Reflection: School Partnerships
School to community communication can be handled in several ways, asserts Kathryn Cantina, a high school administrator who took doctoral course on school-community partnerships in 2007. According to Cantina, school leaders:
Cantina also urges school leaders to remember that public relations is part of the job. "The community needs to see that school leaders care not just about school matters but also those that affect schools, parents, and students,"writes Cantina (2007, para 24). Additionally, being seen and recognized as a member of the community . . . shows parents and students that school leaders care about the same issues that concern them(2007, para 24).
- Send home monthly school newsletters with an opening message from the principal informing parents of current events and issues. This is a great way to reach a large number of parents and community members, Cantina notes.
- Set up and scrupulously maintain a school website. Make sure to provide daily or weekly updates of school events and programs.
- Use an automated phone system to keep parents informed of absences, remind them of special evening programs, report card dates and emergency closings.
Cantina also urges school leaders to remember that public relations is part of the job. "The community needs to see that school leaders care not just about school matters but also those that affect schools, parents, and students,"writes Cantina (2007, para 24). Additionally, being seen and recognized as a member of the community . . . shows parents and students that school leaders care about the same issues that concern them(2007, para 24).
Source: Cantina, K. (2007) A Personal Reflection: School Partnerships. Course module, completed for Virginia Tech course #6924, School Community Partnerships. Retrieved online at http://cnx.org/content/m14591/latest on 05/30/08.