As the third-largest school district in California, Long Beach Unified (LBUSD) serves about 70,000 diverse students across 85 schools. How well has it been communicating with every student, parent, teacher, staff member and the community at large? Okay, but not great, a recent audit found.
The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA)—which seeks to “advance education through responsible communication”—shared results of its audit with the LBUSD Board of Education on April 28 last week.
The review examined LBUSD messages, print and digital publications and its websites. It also conducted 22 focus groups with parents, teachers, administrators and other stakeholders.
According to Lead Auditor Elise Shelton, LBUSD’s strengths include its focus on diversity and equity, student success, support for teachers, high graduation rates, high employee retention, community trust, COVID-19 communication and its Parent University program.
However, LBUSD fared poorly in providing internet connectivity and devices, timely messages, an effective website and translation services for non-English speakers.
“A lot of the translation falls sometimes to the students themselves,” Shelton said. “That puts an undue burden on the students having to translate for their parents.”
The audit also identified other opportunities for improvement, such as consistent messaging, more two-way internal dialogue, improving social-media content and communicating better about board decisions.
Parents want to be involved and engaged, Shelton said, but communication barriers limit that engagement.
Shelton also recommends that LBUSD formulate a “brand” and create a central communications office. For its public communications, LBUSD currently employs “the two Chris’s,” as Board Member Erik Miller described them—Public Information Officer Chris Eftychiou and Marketing & Media Services Assistant Director Christopher Itson.
However, NSPRA advocates that schools nationwide invest in a public relations (PR) department to publicize positive news and be proactive with messaging.
“If there is no positive communication from the school district, the critics’ voices are the only ones that will be heard,” NSPRA says.
The media age has also made PR more complicated and necessary, it notes.
“A school district needs a professional PR person to develop and execute its communication plans through both print [and] electronic media and face-to-face communication, and to handle relations with the multitude of media that call school districts weekly,” it finds.
NSPRA provided LBUSD with 10 recommendations and action steps to make its communications more effective, such as developing a marketing program that highlights student success and target alumni.
It also recommends improving communication within LBUSD by having management listen more to school staff and administrators, expand employee recognition, form an employee communication council and update the LB School Bulletin internal newsletter.
“Expand LBUSD’s inclusive culture for diverse families to its expectations for all communication practices,” the audit suggests. “Make internal communication a priority.”
NSPRA further recommends LBUSD enhance its website, optimize its use of video messaging and get students involved.
“Include students in delivering the LBUSD message,” the NSPRA says. “Offer a student internship in [the] communication office; create student liaisons at high schools.”
The audit also recommends bettering board communication with the public, such as by making meetings more accessible on LBUSD’s website, promptly summarizing them and openly dialoguing with the public.
Currently, due to the pandemic, the board allots one hour during its meetings to hear public comments left by voice message. During public comment over the past year, parents and others have criticized LBUSD communication regarding schools closing, resources for online learning and reopening logistics.
After hearing Shelton’s NSPRA audit summary and recommendations, the board expressed willingness to rethink and restructure LBUSD’s communications strategy accordingly.
Board Member Megan Kerr said centralizing LBUSD communications would allow teachers and principals to focus on students instead of crafting messages. It would also increase parent engagement, she added, which is critical to student success.
“At the end of the day, our job is to educate students,” Kerr said.
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