NSPRA's Communication Audit Report - Harford County Public ...

• They want to help, yet run into obstacles at the district and some schools. Teachers feel
threatened by Huntington’s free workshops.
• One wanted to partner with the district and had a program put together, but legal counsel
had issues.
• Hard to get inside. Some are trying to give money and even that’s hard.
• Drive parents to information about scholarships. Hard for parents to find out how to get
that information.
• This group very much wants to help kids.
Web site
■ Individual comments included:
• “I use it all the time for information.”
• Very confusing, dead ends, education “mumbo jumbo.” Need to target-market it to
audience. Full of information, but it’s still hard to navigate. One participant noted
spending 45 minutes to find the school year calendar, then couldn’t open it. Most didn’t
know there is a different way to access the calendar.
• E-mail calendar to parents.
• Advise people that new information is out; pop up for MRSA etc.
Opportunities for involvement/engagement
■ Opportunities are there at every level.
■ What’s offered to parents sometimes needs to change. Instead of “getting” from parents,
district needs to “give” to parents (workshops for helping kids, etc). High school – offer
resources, ways to talk about kids who’ll be driving soon etc. Just because child is in high
schools, doesn’t mean they are ready to be on their own.
■ Needs to be a better mix of PR and marketing – “what’s in it for me.” Not enough marketing
now.
■ Workshop on how to get scholarships for kids.
■ Parent mentors.
Input into decisions
■ Board listens but doesn’t communicate fully about why they can’t respond.
■ Individual comments included:
• “They [Board and administration] listen but are so focused on what they believe to be the
right path, that they aren’t open to other ideas. They dismissed concerns about kids who
aren’t going to college (“We deal with that in elementary school”). Hate feeling that ‘if
you don’t go to college, you’re not worth it.’”
• District does a horrible job promoting Harford Technical School.
• Help parents understand that there are options.
• System has an attitude of “If you don’t go to college, you’re nothing.”
Greatest challenges facing the district
■ Growth.
■ Funding. Have to do so much with so little. Not enough resources to do what’s mandated.
■ Staff.
■ Individual comments included:
NSPRA Communication Audit 62 Harford County Public Schools