NPS tells media, families it will strive to communicate better
NPS tells media, families it will strive to communicate better
Brian D. King, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
Thu, August 31, 2023 at 6:50 PM EDT·3 min read
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Aug. 31—In August's board meeting, Norman Public Schools announced it would improve its relationship with media outlets and parents.
"We are always wanting to make sure we have ongoing transparent easily-accessible communication, not only internally, but externally as well," said Holly Nevels, the associate superintendent and chief human resource officer, at the meeting.
"We want our internal staff, teachers, and students to feel informed, and we certainly want our community to feel informed and connect to our schools," she added.
The district has adjusted language in its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan to bolster its commitment to open communication, said Chelsey Kraft, the director of communications, public relations, and public information officer for the district, in an interview with The Transcript.
Kraft said her office is responsible for social media content, graphic designs, and writing newsletters, in addition to addressing media requests and writing emails to parents during a time of emergency or crisis, such as a school lockdown or last year's data breach.
She said previously the district would wait until it received adequate information to tell a complete story before releasing it. Last year's Hive ransomware attack has made the district reevaluate how it disseminates information.
"Our default was that we needed to wait until we had more information before sharing it," Kraft said. "After having conversations with families, we realize that we need to be quicker, even if we don't know a lot."
Kraft said that communication goes in two-ways, and the district is seeking to improve how it receives information from families.
At the beginning of the year, the district sent a strategic plan survey to parents where they had the opportunity to offer feedback and air grievances.
"We really look at that," she said.
For those with specific concerns, Kraft recommends that families and students first communicate with site administrators. If they are unable to resolve their concerns, they are welcome to talk to the district office.
"If it gets to a point where they need to talk to someone else, call the administrative office. We have different teams that handle different areas, and we'll be able to connect them with the right people," Kraft said.
Nevels said the district does not plan to withhold communication when an unfortunate event takes place.
"We have a commitment to open communication with our successes and our failures, and we continue to improve communication and collaboration with local, county, and state officials and media outlets," she said.
"We know our relationship and partnerships with all those listed, particularly media outlets, is so important to getting our message and our celebration and story out there," she added.
Kraft asked parents, students, and the community to demonstrate some patience with the district, particularly in cases where it can't comment.
"We want to be as transparent as we possibly can. That was a big goal of ours when we developed the strategic plan," she said. "But sometimes there are situations where we just can't share much. For example, if it's a personnel issue, or it's potentially a legal issue, or it falls under FERPA, we sometimes can't say much."
FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, offers students protections wherein schools can't disclose certain information, including academic records without the explicit consent of those it relates to.
Kraft said the district is working to improve communication with as many families as it can, including those that don't speak English.
"We want to improve our communication with our Spanish-speaking families, so we are working with a translator to translate more flyers so we can better connect with all of our families," Kraft said.
Nick Migliorino, NPS superintendent, said he has wanted to grow the district's communication department since he took the job.
"Our goal is to continually improve our communications, especially in an ever-changing environment where information is available in many places, and we want to reach people when and where they want information," he said.
Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at [email protected].
Brian D. King, The Norman Transcript, Okla.
Thu, August 31, 2023 at 6:50 PM EDT·3 min read
0
Aug. 31—In August's board meeting, Norman Public Schools announced it would improve its relationship with media outlets and parents.
"We are always wanting to make sure we have ongoing transparent easily-accessible communication, not only internally, but externally as well," said Holly Nevels, the associate superintendent and chief human resource officer, at the meeting.
"We want our internal staff, teachers, and students to feel informed, and we certainly want our community to feel informed and connect to our schools," she added.
The district has adjusted language in its 2022-2027 Strategic Plan to bolster its commitment to open communication, said Chelsey Kraft, the director of communications, public relations, and public information officer for the district, in an interview with The Transcript.
Kraft said her office is responsible for social media content, graphic designs, and writing newsletters, in addition to addressing media requests and writing emails to parents during a time of emergency or crisis, such as a school lockdown or last year's data breach.
She said previously the district would wait until it received adequate information to tell a complete story before releasing it. Last year's Hive ransomware attack has made the district reevaluate how it disseminates information.
"Our default was that we needed to wait until we had more information before sharing it," Kraft said. "After having conversations with families, we realize that we need to be quicker, even if we don't know a lot."
Kraft said that communication goes in two-ways, and the district is seeking to improve how it receives information from families.
At the beginning of the year, the district sent a strategic plan survey to parents where they had the opportunity to offer feedback and air grievances.
"We really look at that," she said.
For those with specific concerns, Kraft recommends that families and students first communicate with site administrators. If they are unable to resolve their concerns, they are welcome to talk to the district office.
"If it gets to a point where they need to talk to someone else, call the administrative office. We have different teams that handle different areas, and we'll be able to connect them with the right people," Kraft said.
Nevels said the district does not plan to withhold communication when an unfortunate event takes place.
"We have a commitment to open communication with our successes and our failures, and we continue to improve communication and collaboration with local, county, and state officials and media outlets," she said.
"We know our relationship and partnerships with all those listed, particularly media outlets, is so important to getting our message and our celebration and story out there," she added.
Kraft asked parents, students, and the community to demonstrate some patience with the district, particularly in cases where it can't comment.
"We want to be as transparent as we possibly can. That was a big goal of ours when we developed the strategic plan," she said. "But sometimes there are situations where we just can't share much. For example, if it's a personnel issue, or it's potentially a legal issue, or it falls under FERPA, we sometimes can't say much."
FERPA, or the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, offers students protections wherein schools can't disclose certain information, including academic records without the explicit consent of those it relates to.
Kraft said the district is working to improve communication with as many families as it can, including those that don't speak English.
"We want to improve our communication with our Spanish-speaking families, so we are working with a translator to translate more flyers so we can better connect with all of our families," Kraft said.
Nick Migliorino, NPS superintendent, said he has wanted to grow the district's communication department since he took the job.
"Our goal is to continually improve our communications, especially in an ever-changing environment where information is available in many places, and we want to reach people when and where they want information," he said.
Brian King covers education and politics for The Transcript. Reach him at [email protected].
