With the current state of public mistrust in the media, and journalism in general, the words “public relations” often don’t inspire feelings of confidence today. But let’s look a bit deeper at the real intention of this thing we all call PR and find out what it is and how it works (or should work).
Public Relations, or PR for short, is simply a strategic process to help position your school in a positive light with your publics. My favorite explanation to help schools understand where public relations fits in the scheme of things is:
“When you pay others to tell parents how awesome your school is, that is advertising. When you tell parents why your school is awesome and show them how your school can help them achieve their goals, that is marketing. When someone else tells parents how awesome your school is, that is PR.”
School public relations carries more clout than advertising or marketing—and it’s often less expensive. Done right, that means your strengths are highlighted, your positive stories are shared, and your heroes are applauded. Everyone can root for the winners and is happy to be a part of the winning team (school), which turns into trust, loyalty, and pride.
Why does PR matter for your school?
Public relations, especially in our digital age, is a critical aspect of school communications. Or, to quote Rudyard Kipling, “Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind.”
If your school doesn’t select the words and the stories you share, someone else will. But, you may not like the result. PR is all about choosing how to present your school. It should be done with a strategy in mind. In a perfect world, you promote your competencies and successes while continuing to work on and strengthen your weaknesses.
Typical school public relations goals are to help your customers (parents, students, staff, community members, and alumni) to feel proud that they are associated with your school and to trust in your expertise and experience. You want their support, and they want to be a part of a school where great things are happening. However, the only way they will know about those great things is if you provide them that information.
Publicity is absolutely critical. A good PR story is infinitely more effective than a front page ad. - Richard Branson
Effective school public relations establishes trust, builds a respected brand, and establishes your school’s expertise. It is a powerful tool in your marketing and communications arsenal, so put it to work for your school.
The challenge for most schools is that they seldom have the staff to dedicate to the tasks required to create or manage a PR plan. However, we’ll show you how to start gradually by creating a plan and implementing those strategies over time until, before you know it, you have a solid school public relations plan that makes a difference.If you care about your relationships with the public, then school PR matters. It includes all the interactions you or your school staff have with the public (in any capacity). It begins with every interaction, including those first visits to the website, phone calls, or the first office visit. It is an ongoing project and part of effective communications. Public relations should be a major focus for every school leader.
Developing a PR plan
There are several steps to getting started, so let’s jump right in.
Step #1: Define your school’s mission
Take a look at your school’s mission statement. Is it still relevant? Does every single one of your staff members know what it is and what their role is in making that mission a reality? It should clearly describe what your school stands for and its values. It should be the guide for the behaviors demonstrated daily by your staff and students.
This may require that you involve staff, students, and parents in developing your mission statement (if yours needs some work). Avoid jargon. Write it so your goals and culture are clear. Here are some ideas for developing an effective, sincere mission statement. Where is your school going?, ASCD Developing a vision and mission, 5 keys to an effective school mission.
Step #2: Select initial goals
There are a lot of options for public relations and communications goals, but if this is your first attempt at a strategic plan, then be sure your goals are important to your school at this time (something that will provide immediate benefits). Select goals that are realistic and quantifiable. We recommend creating SMART goals that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic (and results-based), and time-bound. Some examples of common PR goals that produce noticeable, positive results include: