We often hear from stakeholders that communication is something we can improve on. I think we must first recognize what people really mean by communication. Modern communication means more than just delivering information. I believe we deliver a lot of information by putting it out in one form or another. This includes the school website, multiple school-related Facebook pages, OneCall, Class Dojo, District Newsletter, PowerSchool, Google Classroom, Remind, and many other platforms that individual teachers use.
From listening to stakeholders, the problem is that there are so many different ways and sites to find information and it is too time-consuming to search for things. It needs to be delivered directly on our smartphones or computers and it has to be more direct or individualized to get people’s attention. This is similar to what modern education is today. We don’t need to deliver information to our students in the form of notes or textbooks because the information is readily available for them on the internet or other modern devices. As educators, we are expected to engage, differentiate, and motivate the students to use and apply the information to learn. We are no longer just “deliverers” of information.
With that being said, as a district, we are looking for ways to meet the communication needs and wants of our stakeholders. We would all probably agree the best way to communicate is face-to-face on a daily basis, but we know that is simply not possible with the number of stakeholders involved. The link is a tool that the administration has recently investigated to involve all staff in directly engaging stakeholders in a timely and efficient manner to get the information that stakeholders need or want. We encourage you to watch the video link and share any feedback on how you think this may or may not help us improve communications. Locally, Centerburg and Coshocton are using the platform at this time.
Thanks for your continued support!