LM March 2024

conference showcase ...continued

Michelle Gay told her personal story and recounted lessons learned on Dec. 14, 2012, in the aftermath of the Sandy Hook School tragedy. She shared the inspiring way she has chosen to help school communities improve school safety in honor of her daughter, Josephine, and in memory of the other 19 school children and six teachers lost that day. Speaker: Michelle Gay, keynote speaker. 1 Training: People in a crisis will default back to the level of training they received. Human brains, in a mo ment of crisis, are not functioning at normal capacity. Schools need to have streamlined steps that are not overly complicated to carry out during a crisis. Practice lockdown drills and other safety procedures. 2 Communications Plan: In the event of a crisis, com munications are incredibly important. Schools need to plan for where media and parents will be stationed if they arrive at the school. In addition, there should be contingency plans if one of the chief communicators is injured during an attack. 3 Locked doors: If part of your district’s safety plan is using a key to lock the classroom door, make sure substitute teachers have access to the key. General Session—School Safety: A Parent’s Perspective This session was designed to help superintendents understand and maximize your impact on communication within your district. As a school superintendent, you play Unleashing Your Potential As the District’s Chief Communicator

a crucial role not only in setting the educational vision but also in effectively communicating that vision to various stakeholders. This session helped leaders discover untapped potential and gain skills and strategies to elevate your communication impact. Panelists : Lesley Bruinton, CEO and President of School Spirit AR; Jason Gaston, Coordinator of Public Relations for Alabaster City Schools. 1 Chief Communicator: According to a veteran search executive, instructional know-how and operational ex pertise have been supplanted as leading factors when school boards consider a superintendent. The No. 1 prerequisite of landing a job is communications. 2 Campaign to Address Bus Driver Shortage: As the 2021–22 school year ended, Charlottesville City Schools learned that only 40 percent of its school bus drivers would return to work in August. The district decided to expand its “walk zones.” Along with the change, the district launched an extensive communi cations plan that included a video of the superinten dent teaching tips for safely walking to school; cute yard signs planted citywide to raise awareness about pedestrian safety (and normalize walking); individual ized messaging and kid-friendly walking maps. 3 Campaign to Engage Senior Citizens: Recognizing data shows that voters 65 and older participate in most elections but do not initially favor school bond referen dums, Garand School District in Texas looked for new ways to reconnect with senior citizens in the commu nity. In August 2019, the district launched a senior citizen VIP pass program, offering free admission to all GISD-hosted athletics and fine arts events.

24 LM March 2024