This is Personal - an Update

Personal Passion Fuels My Work With Schools 

Recently, I went back and looked at my very first blog posting - FIVE years ago.  My company had been working with schools long enough to create a formula for helping them engage community members for the purpose of securing resources (students, money, partnerships, volunteers) needed to achieve their goals.  I had served as a founding board member of a brand new charter school not only getting it off the ground but helping to raise more than a quarter of a million dollars halfway through our first school year.  At the same time, my son, who was in third grade at the time, had already paid a heavy price for being "different" and "difficult."

I've learned so much since that first blog posting, and I could not have anticipated how both my personal and professional lives would intersect and lead me to pursue the path I'm about to jump onto.  I'll tell you more about that in a little bit.

What I've Learned About Schools and Education 

I have been blessed to have the opportunity to work with more than twenty schools and school districts all over Wisconsin in the past few years.  I've worked with private religious schools participating in the parental choice program, charter schools that were completely independent of a school district and charter schools that were instrumentalities of a school district, and entire school districts who were creatively using charter dollars to create programs that would benefit all students in the district.

Through my work over the years with these schools, I've become inspired and dismayed by:

• How real innovation and commitment to serve ALL students is happening, especially in small communities that are faced with real resource shortages and high rates of poverty.  The Montello School District (click here to visit their website) puts education in the context of overall health of the entire community.  Not only that, by simply being willing to reach out to people who home school their children and ask them how Montello Schools could be a resource, they created a program to fill in the gaps for more than 20 home school families.  It wasn't about getting dollars back; it was about genuinely figuring out how to be a resource to these families.  

• The fact that all the research already exists to tell us how children learn best, and that there also already exists models that align with this research.  We know that children learn best when they are engaged and learning is relevant to them.  We also know that children learn best through movement and hands-on opportunities.  Once you see Sir Ken Robinson's 12 minute RSA video on YouTube (he's a global thought leader on creativity), it will become so clear that most schools are still teaching according to a manufacturing model that pumps out graduates that follow the rules.  Click here to see the video.  It will blow your mind.  The bells, the rows of seats, the teacher seen as dumper of knowledge, the intolerance for being different, the response to children's rebelliousness (suspensions and detentions - that research proves doesn't work and actually harms children), are I believe a reflection of the fear by school leaders of letting go of control and being open to seeing their roles differently.   

• It doesn't seem right that schools in wealthy high performing districts take the credit for student performance when they have zero poverty, two-parent college-educated households, disproportionately high incomes and parents who are willing to spend whatever it takes on tutoring and supplemental education programs.  Would these school leaders and teachers be able to get the same performance in a low-income inner city?  I'm guessing not.  I'm so glad that this traditional model works for a majority of students, but I feel the real test of a school is how they deal with the children who are more difficult to teach or who don't fit in.  Unfortunately, my son has been that test, and his schools have failed the test.  

• I've learned that rigor without love and genuine belief in what children can achieve makes the difference.  Eastbrook Academy in Milwaukee is a religious school that has just been ranked #1 in Wisconsin in the High School Challenge Index and #10 in the nation.  Half of their senior class of 16 students this year got accepted into pre-med programs, and each year their high school graduating class of about 16 is awarded $1 million in grants and scholarhsips.  Quick!  Close your eyes and try to picture what the student body of Eastbrook Academy looks like.  I guarantee you're wrong.  One-third of students are low income, 58% are private pay, two-thirds are African American, 25% are white and 10% are Hispanic.    

What's Next for alinea 

So over the years, I've become knowledgeable about how schools are funded, what resources are available to them, research on how children learn best, what the 21st Century economy wants, the education models that already exist that truly engage students, and that many schools are NOT adapting and hurting some students in the process.  With all this knowledge, passion and personal experience, I have not been able to help my own son's schools understand how figuring out how to meet his needs is an opportunity to better serve ALL students in our community.  The teachers may not know exactly how to do this, but genuine desire and openness goes a long way.  

Well, those of you who know me know I'm inspired by having a positive impact on the world by helping people look at things differently and achieve more than they think possible.  I know my son is not alone.  Right now, I'm in the process of hopefully being accepted to Pacifica Gradaute Institute to secure a M.A./PhD in Depth Psychology.  I'm curious about what holds school leaders back from jumping on the chance to be more innovative and effective.  They say that people don't change until the pain of not changing is worse than the pain of changing.  In the case of my son's schools, there is enough demand for the school, and enough students who do well in that model, that there's not much motivation for figuring out a more effective way to work with children who don't fit in (except by putting them in special ed).  The only motivation would be love and genuine caring for children as individual human beings.  

“. . . we need to stop trying to address poor behaviors in the classroom, 

and instead address the root cause of the disruptive behaviors. 

Many active learners may be acting out of boredom or from being lost. 

Recognizing the gift of the active learner and meeting them with actively 

challenging lessons will surely go a long way in creating the optimal learning environment” 

(Clapper, T. C. (2009). 

Moving away from teaching and becoming a facilitator of learning. 

PAILAL, 2(2).

As part of my application process, I had to do a research paper.  I researched how children have been changing, how schools and others have been responding (suspensions, detentions, over diagnosing ADHD), the negative impact of these responses, and the research available on how children learn best and the models that are already available to implement.  I propose that it's fear that holds these schools back - fear of changing the assumptions we make about children and fear of letting go of control and changing the role of the teacher.  I would like to figure out how to help schools embrace the change that will help children feel accepted and blossom no matter who they are.  Can we create an educational environment that celebrates this kind of diversity?  If you're interested in reading my paper, just send me an email at deborah@alineaconnect.com and I'd be happy to hear what you think.  

As always, I love hearing success stories and other feedback.  

Deb

FOR SCHOOLS - It's Enrollment Time

As I mentioned in my last blog posting, I want to give you a taste of what you will learn at my upcoming seminar.  Today, I'm writing about a topic that causes lots of stress for many schools - ENROLLMENT.

This week I also have a SPECIAL OFFER FOR MY UPCOMING SEMINAR:

PAY WHAT YOU CAN 

OR

MAKE A DOWN PAYMENT 

Really, I mean it.  You don't really know what you're going to get unless you've already attended one of my seminars.  I'm literally taking 10 years of what I've learned and documented and sharing it. 

Plus, I love helping small organizations, and I don't want money to be a barrier to getting all that I'm offering.  When you're raking in the dough later on, you can send me another check if you want.  

WHEN YOU ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE WHAT I HAVE PLANNED, I trust you will think it's one of the best workshops you've ever attended.  I know, because that's what many attendees have told me in the past.  

To find out more or to register and take advantage of this special offer, click on the following: 

www.alineaconnect.com

www.deblukovich.blogspot.com

My YouTube Channel 

Now, on to today's topic! 

It's That Time of Year Again - STUDENT ENROLLMENT 

The most requested item my school clients ask for help with is STUDENT ENROLLMENT.

• Charter schools that are getting off the ground spend a lot of time developing their curriculum, but without enough students, they won't have the budget they need to fully implement their unique approach.  Often times, the new charter school is seen as a threat to the existing public schools, so being strategic is very important.  In addition, the whole concept of a charter school is confusing and sometimes carries a lot of negative baggage.  When my clients hire me, I can pretty much guarantee that if they use my approach, they will not only achieve their enrollment goal; they will achieve it ahead of schedule. 

• Public schools that are losing students to other districts or voucher schools are not used to having to promote their schools and woo families.  There was a time when students just showed up to the local public school for kindergarten and didn't leave until they graduated from high school.  Student enrollment can be very competitive, especially in urban areas where there is a lot of expertimentation happening with different types of schools 

• Private and Religious schools have been losing students over the past decade or so due to changing demographics and economics.  Some religious and private schools have tried to fill in the gap by participating in the school choice program, which means low-income families are allowed to attend their school and a portion of the money that the public school recieves to educate that child goes to the private or religious school.  While this is a good option for some families, these schools have had to redefine who they are and how they will meet the needs of a more diverse student population.  They struggle with communicating their mission and approach to the wider community.  

Key to Achieving Enrollment Goals - Two-Part Formula 

The key to achieving your enrollment goal is two-fold.  

The FIRST STEP is actually alinea's formula for effective community engagement = STORY + DIRECTION = RELATIONSHIPS.  You must NOT panic and use the "spray and pray" approach.  The more you are clear on which students are most likely to succeed at your school, the more effective you will be in attracting those students.  It doesn't feel intuitive, but the smaller and more defined your niche, the more prospects you will attract, because you are speaking directly to them instead of to everybody.  Hopefully, you've developed a professional case statement so you're clear on how to communicate your story. 

The SECOND STEP is to understand the formula for an effective student enrollment strategy = OUTREACH + CONSTANT FOLLOWUP UNTIL YOU GET A YES OR NO + RELATIONSHIP CULTIVATION.  

While it's tempting to want to spend what little resources you have on things like billboards, advertising, fancy videos and other expensive marketing items (you will actually be encouraged to do so), you will not get as big of return as with good old fashioned grassroots organizing - connecting with people on a personal basis.

I know this personally.  I was the first founding board member of a charter school in urban Milwaukee.  When we developed our enrollment plan, we assumed we'd have to GO TO WHERE THE PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS ARE.  It's kind of arrogant to assume that when you're opening a new school students will just find you.  Those families don't know you.  We held block parties and offered food, beverages, kids' games.  The founder and a group of volunteers stood outside gas stations and grocery stores.  We even borrowed an ice cream truck, and gave away popsicles just to get attention.  We'd talk to the kids, tell them about the school and why we thought it was cool and then we asked where they lived.  Then the enrollment team (lots of volunteers and our early family enrollees) went door to door, asking to talk with parents about the  new school.  It was really hard work, but that's what it took.  IT WILL ALWAYS REQUIRE MORE OUTREACH THAN YOU THINK! 

I've helped all kinds of schools (public, charter, choice, private, religious) in all kinds of settings (urban, suburban, rural) with enrollment.  The formula is ALWAYS THE SAME.   

Step #1 - Set a Goal and Determine Activities Needed to Achieve Goal 

Before you put my formula to work, you must have a goal.  Attracting and enrolling students is an activity-driven task.  You cannot control whether people say YES or No to coming to your school.  So you need to focus on what you can control - # OF OUTREACH ACTIVITIES AND # OF FOLLOWUP ACTIVITIES.  

Let's use a real example.  My client Tomorrow River Community School is a charter school in Amherst, WI.  They are in the middle of their first year and currently have 52 students.  Their goal is to recruit 25 new students, mostly in the kindergarten class, add an additional kindergarten class and expand their 1st grade by another class.  

They give preference to the siblings of current students, and they have identified that probably 8 new students will come from siblings of current students.  They are reaching out to those families right now.  That leaves 17 new students.  The director of the school does about one tour per week with interested families that have learned about the school and pretty much 100% of those families enroll a student.  With their enrollment period ending at the end of April, that means that probably about 10 new students will come from tours (they have done a great job of spreading the word - see my blog on creating ambassadors).  That leaves about 7 additional students they need to recruit.  They should plan on doing enough outreach to get at least three times that number interested in the school.  This school's strategy is holding monthly information meetings targeted toward current and prospective parents.  

My other client Granton School District has a goal of recruiting 75 new students for next fall.  When I started working with them two years ago, they said they'd be thrilled to add 10 new families.  With my guidance, they did that.  As I continued to work with them and build their confidence and skills in outreach, they recruited in excess of 25 new families during this current year.  Having a specific goal will allow you to determine how many prospects you need and how many outreach activities are needed to generate those prospects.

How did they do it?  The answer lies in Step #2. 

Step #2 - Outreach Activities that Generate Prospective Students 

  This is the hard work.  Well, it's not really hard, it's just where my clients get nervous because they're a little shy when it comes to doing outreach.  Outreach activities are any activity that can lead to connecting with prospective families and students.  

Here's another real example.  My current client, Nova Tech, the 5th school to be opened by TransCenter for Youth in Milwaukee, needs 100 students by this fall.  Their #1 outreach opportunity is students at one of their current schools who are interested in an education that focuses on technical and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) careers.  We estimate that there may be 20 students from that one source.  So, that's where we're focusing our efforts first.  And because one of our goals is to have at least one-third of the students be girls, we have different outreach plans for girls and boys.  Because we also know that girls have a hard time seeing themselves in this type of career because they lack role models, we've recruited about seven young, primarly women of color who work in technical and STEM careers.  We just held our first information session just for girls at TransCenter's other school and it was a wild success.  

So, the first thing is to strategize who your prospects are and where the biggest number of them hang out.  Here are the top two outreach strategies in my experience: 

• Information sessions - These are sessions for prospective families and/or students who might be a good match for your school.  You want to hold the sessions at locations where your prospects hang out or at your school.  For example, if you're trying to recruit students for a high school, then holding information sessions at middle schools would be a good strategy.  Start with the middle schools where you have a good relationship with the principal or guidance counselor.  Ask them if you can hold a session there.  They might say yes or they might say no - remember I said you can't control who says yes or no.  Some will definitely say YES.  Another good venue for information sessions are organizations that serve kids like Boys and Girls Clubs or the YMCA or community centers.  Often, these organizations are proud to offer another resource to their own constiuents.  

• Tabling at events - Tabling is one of those old-fashioned grassroots strategies.  When you go to a neighborhood block party or community festival or county fair, you will see "tables" with volunteers trying to connect with potential customers or asking for signatures on referendums, etc.  This is tabling.  Many of my rural school clients have volunteers working at "tables" at these types of events.  I provide them with the training, scripts and materials to maximize the number of interactions they have with folks who could be or lead to prospective families and students.  Anywhere there is a gathering of people who might be your prospects is a tabling opportunity. 

Step #3 - Put EVERY PROSPECT into a tracking document and follow up immediately and consistently until you get a YES or NO.  

Just because you made a good impression on someone and they expressed interest, doesn't mean they'll take the next step.  Rarely does that happen.  People are busy.  But if you were lucky enough to connect with someone who expessed an interest in your school, your job has just began.  You must follow up with your prospects and offer them whatever they need to make a decision YES or NO.  Here are possible next steps: 

• Tour of the school - You ideally want your prospect to come to your school so they can touch and feel the magic of what their child will experience.  If I haven't written a blog about how to conduct a compelling tour, then go to my website and sign up to receive my handout on Developing a Compelling Tour.  Don't let them just walk out the door after the tour.  Sit down and ask them what they think and what they need to know or do in order to come to a decision.  Then let their feedback guide your next steps. 

• Packet of Information - For some people, a personal tour feels too risky; they're not ready to be pressed for a decision.  They might just want to start with more information.  You should be ready to send a packet that includes your case statement, a school calendar, a newsletter if you have one, and some references if your're an existing school.  You will also want to offer educational pieces about your unique approach, like project based learning, Waldorf or Montessori philosophy, how awesome your athletic program is, your internship program - anything that helps them touch and feel your unique approach. 

• Application or Enrollment Paperwork - If you get a YES, don't look at it as a done deal.  This is an opportunity to really cultivate a relationship with a new family that might become a new active ambassador for your school.  In addition, think carefully about what information you could gather in the application that will enlighten you about the family and their child.  If you're a project based learning school, finding out about the new student's interests could help you determine what kinds of community partnerships you need.  If you get a NO, do not waste that opportunity either.  Ask the prospects who end up saying NO why they made that decision so you can use it as a learning opportunity.  Ask them if they know others who might be a match - this could result in new prospects. 

If you use this approach, I guarantee you will achieve your enrollment goal.  Personal outreach is a great way to get current families involved in your school or to put volunteers to work.  You'll need to do a little training and provide them with tools, but volunteers are your most effective ambassadors.  

My caution though is not to take your families and students for granted once you've enrolled them.  See this as only the beginning of relationship cultivation.  

Good luck this enrollment season!  Feel free to respond to my blog with a question or share a success story.  You'll inspire others and build awarness of your school and community.  

YOU'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT 

ENROLLMENT STRATEGIES

PLUS RECEIVE 

ALL THE TEMPLATES AND TOOLS YOU NEED 

AT MY UPCOMING SEMINAR 

Register right here on my blog!

Deb 

Is your child a casualty of our out-of-date 19th Century education system?

WATCH THIS VIDEO!

Does your son or daughter say things like?

•    I hate school

•    My teacher makes me feel stupid

•    I learn more by watching National Geographic than I do in school

•    My teacher walks by me when I raise my hand

•    My teacher pretends to care about me, but she really cares more about teaching the other kids in the class

•    I hate my life, and I don’t want to live anymore

Do you get calls from school that sound like this?

•    I have 20 other kids to teach

•    Your child is disruptive to the other kids in class

•    Your child is “making poor choices”

•    Your child doesn’t complete assignments and can’t focus for very long

Is your son or daughter . . .

•    Very bright and intense

•    Insatiably curious about how things work

•    Can’t stop talking about what he knows and asking questions about what would happen if

•    Creative with things like scotch tape, binder clips, stickers, paper, rubber bands and items like this?

•    Verbal, able to participate in conversations with adults

•    Make strange noises, break out in song walking through the house, spin, jump and just can’t sit still unless he’s rally engaged in something

•    Love to go deep into topics

•    Wants to feel normal, fit in and have friends so badly, but just can’t seem to do this successfully

•    Easily embarrassed


I’m tired of making excuses for teachers, principals, superintendents and school board members for why my son hated school and didn’t want to live anymore because going to school caused him so much anxiety, not to mention the stigma he lived with as he became a target for other children in his classroom and adults in the school building.

I could go on and on about how my son’s schools failed him, but I want to focus on inspiring and empowering people who find themselves in the same situation.  

You’re Not Alone!

1.    Always trust your instincts!  I used to give the benefit of the doubt to the teacher or principal over my son.   If you have a feeling that something isn’t right, you are most likely right. 

2.    Always advocate for your child!  Being polite and respectful, doesn’t mean going along with what the teacher says.  Keep the focus on what your child needs in order to thrive in school.  Do your homework and work with the teacher to identify when your child is engaged and learning and when he/she is not.  The answer about what he needs is in the answers to that question.  The school has promised to meet your child's needs for learning, so the focus needs to be on how to make this happen no matter what. 

3.    Don’t waste time!  Don’t stand for starting over every year with a new teacher who three quarters into the year is absolutely lost about how to meet your child's needs.  I used to give the teacher the benefit of the doubt every single year.  What I was actually doing though is putting the teacher’s need to control the situation and resist making changes above my child's needs.   Every day a child does not feel cared about in school is a tragedy.

4.    Get Involved!  In our country, we could be rushing to rebuild our education system to be the best in the world, but there’s a lot of resistance happening because it’s always hard to change.  Change will not happen without agitators and disruptors.  You’re not alone.  


If you want to learn more about the most innovative education initiatives that could be happening in your child’s school, let us know.  Send us a comment, an email, a tweet.