Working With Your SchoolsWorking With Your Schools

What Do Our What Do Our School Look Like…School Look Like…

• 2357 Public School Buildings

• 521 Private School Buildings

• 1,035,765 Public School Students

• 85,000 Private School Students

• Home School Students– 20,000 Students

• Homeless Students Educated– 22,000 Students

Schools Are Truly PartSchools Are Truly PartOf Our CommunityOf Our Community

• We do more than teach…

• Schools feed 162,000 breakfast each day

• Schools feed 500,000 lunches each day

Schools Face Multiple Emergencies

Schools Prepare For…Schools Prepare For…

Fire Bomb Threat or Explosion Hazardous Materials Release Hostile Intruder Severe Weather Earthquake Suicide

• Family Loss

• Bullying

• Host of other events

Getting Your Message Into Getting Your Message Into SchoolsSchools

• Seems impossible at times

• Administrators and teachers time is at a premium

• Competition for administrators and teaches attention is intense

• Answering machines, voice mail, spam filters, etc. have created a barrier to entry

School Chain of CommandSchool Chain of Command

• Superintendent

• District Office Personnel

• PIO

• Multiple Local School Principals

• Assistant Principals

• Dean of Students

• Classroom Teachers

Work From the Top DownWork From the Top Down

• First stop always…

• The School Superintendent

• This may be nothing more than an informational or courtesy visit or stop, but it is vitally important.

• Never, never, blind side the Superintendent

• Step two…

• Listen to his or her guidance

• Go where you are referred– Could be the Asst. Superintendent– Could be the PIO– Maybe someone else

• Step Three…

• Always, always, contact the building principal before sending any information to the local school

• Follow his or her guidance

• You may get the green light to go directly to the classroom or you may be sent to someone else in the building

• Step four…

• Make certain the information you are about to present has some relevance for the age group you are going to present to

• Seldom will the same materials appeal to elementary, junior and senior high school students

• Give the classroom teacher a good reason to post your materials in their classroom.

• Take a look at classroom walls…it’s a scary sight !!

• You are competing for space and the ability to visually stimulate the students

Materials to ConsiderMaterials to Consider

• Try to think outside the box

• We always think, posters, bookmarks, etc.

• Be original and innovative it will get you into the classroom

• Make your offering “stand out” among the others

• Language diversity is a plus

• More and more of our children are learning, but not yet fluent, in English

• Know the languages represented in the schools you target

More is not Always BetterMore is not Always Better

• Finally, think through what you want to do

• Think about the audience

• Limit the amount of materials you send to schools

• You are more likely to get one piece in the classroom as opposed to several

• After you have sent the materials to the school check with the principal about how well they were received

• If possible check with a classroom teacher at each level for an evaluation of the materials

• This will help you in the future

For More InformationFor More Information

• Barbara Thurman– OSPI– 360-725-6044– 253-861-1640– bthurman20@comcast.net