- 1. Milwaukee Media Spokesperson Training August 21, 2012
2. 2 Goals of this Media Training Prepare for communicating with
the news media and other external audiences. Know how Rocketship
fits into the broader education reform movement. Know common
misunderstandings of Rocketship and the education reform movement
in general. Know key Rocketship external messaging points that you
can use. 3. 3 Whats Your Story? Lets hear it! 4. 4 Why Does
Rocketship Need to Tell Its Own Story? There is a lack of
understanding of education reform. For Rocketship to be valued by
the Milwaukee community, we must talk about how Rocketship adds
value to the broader community. The more knowledgeable the public,
the better for Rocketship.The public most often gets their
knowledge from the news media. By telling your story to the media,
you influence public opinion. Rocketship will have its critics. Its
important that Rocketship defines itself on its own terms. 5. 5 How
We Do It Seize the initiative. Tell your story first. Always tell
the truth. Tell your story your way. Get all the facts out about
Rocketships successes. 6. 6 Know Who You Want to Reach Who is your
audience? Milwaukee community members School board members
MilwaukeeCommon Council members Community organizations (Schools
that Can Milwaukee) Current and prospective parents Current and
prospective teachers/staff Media Third PartyValidators Your
audience can/will change, but you must always be proactive,
targeted and strategic in order to influence your audience, and
ultimately influence public awareness. 7. 7 Know Common
Misunderstandings About Charter Schools 1. Draining money.
Privatization. Perceived as outsiders. Loss of students. 2. Mixed
student achievement. Poor performance. Charters are on par/behind.
3. Unprepared teachers. Poor working conditions/protection.
Unlicensed teachers. High turnover/low retention. Young and
inexperienced. 4. Creaming. Cherry picking the best students. Not
serving special education kids. Racial isolation in charters.
Weeding out poor performers. 5. No Accountability scandals.
Governance/conflict of interest. Misspending of taxpayer money. 8.
8 Key Rocketship Messages Rocketship Education is a leading
non-profit public school system for low-income elementary students,
eliminating the achievement gap by building a national school
system of K-5 charter schools. Rocketships goal is to eliminate the
achievement gap between low- and high-income communities across the
country, allowing Rocketeers to succeed alongside their more
affluent peers. Rocketship currently serves over 3,700 students, of
whom nearly 90 percent are low-income and 75 percent are English
Language Learners, through seven charter schools in San Jose.
Rocketship is the highest-performing elementary school system in
California serving predominantly low-income students, achieving an
overall score of 868 on the 2011 Academic Performance Index (API)
growth score, with Rocketeers outperforming upper-income
communities in California. Rocketships model focuses on developing
outstanding educators, empowering parents and providing
individualized instruction through technology and tutors to improve
student achievement. 9. 9 Key Rocketship Milwaukee Messages
Rocketships charter was approved by the MilwaukeeCommon Council in
November 2011. Rocketship will begin opening a network of
independent charter schools in Milwaukee in the fall of 2013, with
the intent to eventually enroll up to 4,000 students in eight K-5
charter schools by 2017. Rocketship is a high-quality, proven
successful model thats committed to improving education in
Milwaukee. Rocketship is committed to opening new schools only if
existing schools are high performing and meeting exceptionally high
academic benchmarks. Milwaukee will be Rocketships first expansion
city. 10. 10 Rocketships Three Pillars of Success Individualized
Learning Rocketship combines traditional classroom learning with
individualized instruction through its Learning Lab, in which
students spend one-on-one time with computers utilizing online
technology and participate in intensive tutor-led small groups to
master reading and math skills. Parent and Community Engagement
Rocketship empowers parents to take a leadership role in their
community. By empowering parents to seek better solutions,
Rocketship is equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary
to change the public education system and help to eliminate the
achievement gap in our lifetime. High-Quality Teacher and
Leadership Development Rocketship cultivates the skills and talents
of exceptional teachers and school leaders, while offering them
career pathways within the organization. 11. 11 How You Get the
Rocketship Message Out Talking with parents and community members.
Commenting on news articles or blog posts. Speaking at board
meetings. Writing letters to the editor or op-eds. Helping us tell
the Rocketship story to the press. Once you know your audience,
your message, what vulnerabilities you may need to pre-empt with
your messaging, who will be speaking, and the media channel to
utilize.You are ready to reach out! 12. 12 What Story Do You Tell?
The best stories are often the ones not told People will care what
you have to say! What is Rocketship doing for children in Milwaukee
that no one else is? What does it feel like to be a member of the
Rocketship community? 13. 13 Consistent Messaging = Desired
Perceptions When speaking to the broader public, it is important to
convey what is first, best, most or unique about Rocketship. First:
Rocketship has developed a uniquely scalable public school system,
striving to be the first national school system. Rocketship aims to
open ten schools per year in partner cities, demonstrating its
ability to close the achievement gap within a decade in each city.
Best: Rocketship is the highest-performing elementary school system
in California serving predominantly low-income students. Unique:
Rocketship combines traditional classroom learning with its
Learning Lab, in which students spend 1:1 time with computers and
intensive tutor-led small groups to master reading and math skills.
Through this approach, approximately 90 percent of Rocketships
lowest-performing students move out of the bottom quartile within a
year and the majority of Rocketeers achieve three years of academic
growth for every two years in school. 14. 14 Tips for Communicating
with the Media Preparation: General Rules ofThumb Try to anticipate
the reporters questions. Tell your story this is an opportunity for
you to frame your position before critics tell your story for you.
Create a personal sound bite. Write down talking points. Practice.
15. 15 Tips for Communicating with the Media Basic Dos & Donts:
Ask the reporter as much as you can prior to the interview. Know
your key message points. Turn negatives into positives. Stay on
message!The public usually only hears your answers and not their
questions. Avoid making the 5 most common mistakes. 16. 16 Mistake
#1: Displaying Anger 17. 17 The Correct Response Dont get your
emotions get the best of you it will rarely work in your favor.
Focus on your demeanor. Its always best to relax. And smile! 18. 18
Mistake #2: Evasiveness 19. 19 The Correct Response Preparation is
key! Know your messages. Answer the question! Know when youve said
enough and stop there. Avoid the siege mentality. Exercise:What
lessons can Rocketship supporters take from Sarah Palins interview?
20. 20 Mistake #3: Lack of Empathy/ Out of Touch/Insensitive 21. 21
Mistake #3: Lack of Empathy/ Out of Touch/Insensitive 22. 22 The
Correct Response Display sensitivity. The public needs to know that
you can understand and relate to them. Remain consistent
throughout. Dont suddenly change your tone after youve been
rattled. Never complain.The public wont be sympathetic to your
plight. 23. 23 Mistake #4: Stonewalling/Defensiveness 24. 24 The
Correct Response Be prepared. Know what you are going to say and
exactly how you are going to say it. Be aware of current events and
incorporate that into your messaging. Never underestimate the power
of an apology. Stay away from hostile media interviews. 25. 25
Mistake #5: Repeating the Negative 26. 26 The Correct Response Dont
repeat the negative.This one statement helped define Nixons
presidency. Develop messaging that focuses on the positive.
Remember that in many interviews, viewers hear the answer, not the
question. Exercise:What lessons can Rocketship supporters take from
Nixons interview? 27. 27 Be Prepared You Might Not Always Be This
Lucky 28. 28 Tips for Communicating with the Media Dont be afraid
to admit that you dont know the answer to a question instead offer
to find the answer and get back to them. Dont respond to questions
based on unfamiliar facts. Dont repeat negatives and dont use
negative buzz words. Focus on good body language. Smile. Maintain a
relaxed demeanor. Dress for success Avoid busy patterns and white.
Public speaking. Speak slowly and enunciate. Avoid Ums. Choosing a
location Good lighting, either in a well-lit room or outside in the
sunshine. Strategically place your logo or sign in the background
for additional publicity. Prepare for a Skype interview. 29. 29
What to Do In a Crisis Examples of Crisis: False or real
allegations of cheating Potential employee misconduct School or
community violence Steps to Consider: Take immediate action on
behalf of the safety and security of staff and students and work
with your Area Superintendent. Work with Rocketship Home
Office/Larson Communications to identify next steps for internal
and external communications and other support efforts where
necessary. Assemble Crisis Response Team and relieve members of
routine responsibilities. Contact parent(s) or family member of
involved persons to obtain: accurate information about the crisis,
what information can be shared, appropriate responses to family
members and key community stakeholders, etc. Be open and available.
Recognize that no comment is a comment. Streamline communication by
selecting one spokesperson. 30. 30 Who To Contact In Case of Crisis
Rocketships Regional Director of Development, Jessica Garcia-Kohl
[email protected] Larson Communications Account Executive, Ida
Linden [email protected] 31. 31 Tell Your Story ItsYourTurn!
