School Board Public Engagement and Communications Plan

2013-2014 SCHOOL BOARD PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS PLAN
Tools Available: In-person conversations, public office hours, phone calls, emails, e-newsletters, website, BoardDocs, public hearings, public meetings, “expert”
hearings, stakeholder forums, summits, study circles, KIT, pre-action advance notices, post-action summary document, “myth-busters” Q & As, FAQs, surveys,
autodialing recorded messages, school-based “suggestion boxes”, webinars, podcasts, social media postings.
Stakeholders are: Students, parents, FCPS staff, employee groups, public officials, County residents, community leaders and community groups.
*Denotes lead role or coordination responsibility with other parties.
Time
Period
Issue Outcomes Sought Board or Committee Actions/Engagements Parties Board
Review
1 Ongoing Communications School Board determines
September
Process with communications adequacy
Work
Stakeholders and satisfaction levels of
Session
stakeholders.
• Committee to review results of
communications process from past year and
determine if specific outreach activities
should occur with specific groups or the
community in general, which may include:
employees, business persons, community
members, parents, students and/or groups
representing types of individuals.
• Board to modify Communications Plan
accordingly.
Public
Engagement
Committee
(PEC)*, DCCO,
School Board,
Advisory
Committees,
Stakeholders
Status
On-going
2 April –
September
3 March-
November
Annual Plan
Development
Education Summit
Development of a
comprehensive public
engagement and
communications plan that will
meet the needs of County
stakeholders.
Provide a community forum
to inform and discuss
educational issues.
Committee to:
• Review prior year plan.
• Identify current and potential key issues
based upon discussions with staff, SBMs and
stakeholders.
• Share draft with School Board and
stakeholders and modify as needed.
School Board (Board) to:
• Approve Plan.
Committee to:
• Review prior year’s summit +/-, decide on
and secure location.
• Share 2-3 potential topics with School Board
and stakeholders in March/April
• Consider holding community budget
dialogues in conjunction with conference
• Finalize topic by May Work Session.
• Finalize speaker(s) & sponsor(s)/partners by
2 nd July Board meeting.
• Finalize summit publicity plan in September.
• Summit preparation details; publicity,
invitations, attendance interest, summit
format and materials, pre-meeting
distributions, etc.
PEC*, DCCO,
School Board,
Stakeholders
PEC*, DCCO,
School Board,
Stakeholders
September
Work
Session
September
Work
Session
approval,
November
Work
Session post
action
assessment
All Board and Committee engagements will comply with legal requirements Last revision 10-21-13
1

Time
Period
Issue Outcomes Sought Board or Committee Actions/Engagements Parties Board
Review
Board to:
• Host of summit.
• Post-summit assessment.
Status
4 June- Nov
(odd
numbered
years only)
School Bonds
Board to:
● Make appointments to Bond Committee
● Individual Board member advocacy
School Board,
Chamber of
Commerce,
Stakeholders
5 July
December
Budget
Development/
Community
Engagement
• Stakeholders and the
public understand FCPS
budget process, priorities,
forecasting, and revisions;
• Stakeholders and public
are aware of the projected
outlook for next fiscal
year’s budget.
• SBMs and staff gain a
better understanding of
stakeholder priorities and
concerns.
• Board determines if community dialogues or
other dialogues are appropriate/needed.
• Staff sets up community dialogues and at
least 1-2 SBMs attend each dialogue
• Feedback shared at fall work sessions.
• SAC dialogue.
• Each SBM meets with PTAs/community
groups, BOS and General Assembly
members Oct. thru Dec. as needed
• Consider including a budget dialogue with
education summit
• Use social media, newsletters, survey
Budget Liaison/
PEC*, School
Board*, Financial
Services, School
Board Members,
Advisory
Committees,
Stakeholders
Review of
input
received
during
December
Work
Session
budget
discussions
6 September-
June
Student
Engagement
• Board members and
Student Rep understand
student priorities and
concerns.
• Support Student
Achievement Goal 3.
• Create Student
Leadership Development
Group
Student Representative to:
• Regularly report activities to SAC.
• Present student issues to Board.
• SAC presentation to School Board
Board to:
• Appoint Student Leaders
• Consider and respond formally to broad
issues and concerns.
• Work with SAC to hold regional engagement
meetings with SBMs.
Student Rep.*,
PEC, School
Board, Board
Committees,
students
Regular
meetings,
WS
7 November-
February
Facilities Planning
Adv. Council
(FPAC) & Capital
Improvement Plan
(CIP) Dialogues
with Stakeholders
• Community understanding
of FPAC and CIP.
• Community support for
FPAC and approved CIP.
• Staff to educate the public and stakeholders
about FPAC and CIP.
• Board to listen to stakeholders input, through
emails, phone calls, public hearings
(January), and modify or adjust CIP as
appropriate.
CPDC,*,
DCCO/FTS,
School Board,
Stakeholders
November
Work
Session;
post action
assessment/
update (at
mid-winter
retreat)
All Board and Committee engagements will comply with legal requirements Last revision 10-21-13
2

Time
Period
8 January-
June
Issue Outcomes Sought Board or Committee Actions/Engagements Parties Board
Review
Budget Adoption • SBMs and staff gain better • Staff to develop key message points and School Board, Integrated
Dialogues with understanding of
strategic advocacy plans.
PEC, Budget within
Stakeholders stakeholder priorities and • Budget Tool Kit
Liaison, Financial Budget
concerns.
Services, DCCO, process,
• Broad-based community Board:
Advisory
June Work
support for needs-based • Forum or Round Table Stakeholder Dialogue Committees, Session post
budget, sufficient funding • Public Hearings-January.
Stakeholders action
by all funding sources. • Each SBM meets with Community groups
assessment
• Community understanding February thru April.
of the final adopted
budget.
• Public Hearings-May.
Status
9 September
– July
Attendance Area
Adjustments
Engagement Plan
10 ONGOING Connect with the
community on the
Board’s governing
process, revised
mission, vision,
and goals
Meaningful broad-based
community engagement
concerning the proposed
attendance area adjustment;
stakeholders feel part of the
solution.
Community/ understanding of
the Board’s governing
process, and revised
mission, vision, and goals
• Board to coordinate with staff on community
engagement issues.
• Educate stakeholders about the Board’s
governing principles and process and the
Board’s revised mission, vision, and goals.
CPDC*, FPAC,
DCCO/FTS,
School Board,
Stakeholders
Governance
Committee*,
School Board,
Candidates for
School Board,
Stakeholders
September
Work
Session
review, July
Work
Session post
action
assessment
As needed
Ongoing
11 May-
October
School Board
Advisory
Committees
Enhanced relationship
between School Board and
its Advisory Committees.
PENDING BOARD’S
ACTION ON GOVERNANCE
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Board to meet with Advisory Committees at
year end to receive annual reports, discuss
needs, changes and recommendations.
• Board to identify committee overlaps and
synergies.
• SBM Liaison facilitates the relationship with
the Board
• SBM liaison leads Board and staff follow-up
discussions and action determinations for
report response.
• Board to receive written response to report.
School Board*,
Advisory
Committees, staff
May/June
report
presentation,
July WS
discussions
Ongoing
All Board and Committee engagements will comply with legal requirements Last revision 10-21-13
3

Time
Period
Issue Outcomes Sought Board or Committee Actions/Engagements Parties Board
Review
12 On-Going FCPS
Embedded in the culture and • Board Annual Plan includes a regular, PEC*, School As Needed
Communications governance process are systematic means for engaging with
Board, Board
& Transparency clear, broad-based, timely, stakeholders.
Committees,
and transparent
• Key stakeholders receive regular
DCCO
communications between communications about FCPS and local
stakeholders and School school issues, challenges, and successes.
Board.
• SBMs regularly communicate with
stakeholders and coordinate staff assistance
where appropriate.
• Board and staff outreach to elected officials
on key school events (e.g., graduations) and
staff and program changes.
• Regular combined meetings with Board of
Supervisors and other public bodies.
• Legislative Briefing
• Improved School Board member outreach to
stakeholders
Status
On-going
13 On-Going Governance
Process
Understanding
Stakeholders sufficiently
understand FCPS’s
governance process to be
able to navigate and secure
the information and
resources needed to answer
questions, address concerns,
or advocate for issues.
Board to
• Issue a statement of principles for
governance process.
• Provide “how-to” guides for: Advisory
Committees, advocacy, boundaries, budget,
CIP, employees, etc.
• Training sessions on governance process for
all stakeholders.
• On-line tutorial/training sessions on
governance process for all stakeholders.
School Board*,
PEC, DCCO
Goal &
Monitoring
Report
notices to
stakeholders
and
responses
On-going
All Board and Committee engagements will comply with legal requirements Last revision 10-21-13
4