Thanks for a great year!

Dear KYSPRA Members:

It has been an honor to serve as President of the Kentucky School Public Relations Association for the 2014-15 school year. I have enjoyed working with you as colleagues and friends across the Commonwealth as well as with those in the National School Public Relations Association. I hope KYSPRA has been and will continue to be a valuable resource for leaders in Kentucky schools.

I now pass the KYSPRA gavel to Cindy Williams of Henderson County. The Executive Board and Board of Directors have great things planned for the 2015-16 school year!

I look forward to seeing everyone at future professional development events as well as around the world of Twitter (@LeslieAMcCoy).

Thanks for a great year!

Leslie

Leslie McCoy

Public Relations Coordinator

Bowling Green Independent Schools

Congratulations KYSPRA! 2015 Exemplary Chapter

Dear KYSPRA Colleagues:

I’m excited to share that KYSPRA has received a 2015 Mark of Distinction Award and has been named an Exemplary Chapter by the National School Public Relations Association. The award is based on the Special Focus Area: Professional Development/PR Skill Building and a focus on value-added membership.

The official letter from NSPRA Executive Director Rich Bagin, APR states, “The judges were impressed with the comprehensive year-long program and KYSPRA’s continued efforts to provide quality professional development and support for members that is timely and relevant, and that addresses a variety of communication topics.”

As recipients of this honor, KYSPRA will receive the following incentives:

• A $200 discount certificate for one 2016 Chicago Seminar registration;
• One PR Power Hour in 2015-16;
• And a copy of NSPRA’s Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures benchmarking resource.

In addition, KYSPRA may now use the “Mark of Distinction” logo on its website, letterhead and other chapter publications.

KYSPRA will receive the Mark of Distinction, Exemplary Chapter certificates at the Nashville Seminar on Sunday, July 12, at 1:00 p.m. during the Annual Meeting & Celebration of Achievement.

I’d like to say a special thank you to the Board of Directors for all of their work throughout the year planning and leading professional development sessions, attending and brainstorming at meetings, assisting with membership surveys and sharing information on the KYSPRA blog and Twitter. I would also like to thank all members for participating in KYSPRA activities and events, sharing great work and projects, and for providing feedback to add value to the organization.

Congratulations to all for a GREAT 2014-15 year in Kentucky school public relations!

Leslie McCoy

KYSPRA President, 2014-15

Listening Lessons from Kentucky’s Largest Local Board of Education

By Brad Hughes
KSBA Director of Member Support/Communications Services

Over time, when we have an article in this magazine about a program in the Jefferson County Public Schools, a not-uncommon reaction is, “Well, that’s Jefferson County. They have the resources.” Or “Well, that’s Jefferson County. They have enough students who need such a program.” Or “Well, that’s Jefferson County. They can do it/have to do it because the district is so huge.”

That may be a fair observation on many topics. However, a long-standing JCPS board exercise represents a large-district practice that could benefit any local board in the Commonwealth, regardless of the numbers of students, staff, buildings or buses.

Called Community Conversations, these sessions by board members, and district and school staff, have gone on for years. But the current version incorporates a variety of ways for district leaders to share information, while engaging others face to face in an informal atmosphere.

As I live in Louisville, the Jefferson County Board of Education is my local board. I’ve attended several of these sessions over the years, witnessing the evolution of the process. So I attended one late-winter and one early spring “conversation” to get a sense of how the sessions are being conducted these days.

Structured pitching, unstructured listening
Each JCPS board member conducts two sessions over the course of the school year, meeting not at the central office but rather in a school in her or his district. The meetings start at 6 p.m. and run for between 75 and 90 minutes; light refreshments are provided.

Every session follows a basic format:

The building principal briefly shares the good things happening in the school, followed by an also-brief commentary by the superintendent, and an equally brief self-introductory “perspective” by the board member. This whole section takes 15-20 minutes at most.

The bulk of the time becomes a question-and-answer, open-floor period for parents and school staff. Some of the inquiries are fielded by the superintendent and/or the board member; other times, an attending central office staffer with responsibilities related to the issue may be asked to chime in.
For the two “conversations” I attended this year, the first drew perhaps 40 participants; the second more than 60. Both groups were a mix of teachers and parents as well as teachers who were parents of children in other JCPS schools.

The Q&A period mirrored many issues which, perhaps not surprisingly, had made local news stories during the year: how the district allows/restricts school choice, rules on purchases of school supplies, communications to parents, tight budgets, staffing, calendar issues and others.

A few things that struck me as best practices for anyone trying to replicate these “conversations:”

• You don’t need to answer every question on the spot. Answer those that you can, but resist the desire to come up with a response when you aren’t certain. Promise to look into it and get back with the correct information.

• Be a visible listener. Superintendent Donna Hargens was especially noticeable taking notes, recording inquiries and identifying common hot-button issues after the meeting concluded.

• Board members came prepared to talk about specific things, and didn’t go on the defensive when a tough plea was put on the floor. They calmly explained how the board made its decisions, and some of the factors involved, acknowledging choices often were difficult.

• When both sessions were over, the board members and the superintendent hung around for individual talks – some brief, some extended – which created a controlled opportunity for attendees who wanted a more personal exchange.

The Last Word
One obvious observation is that those who turned out for the Jefferson County Community Conversations are the already engaged.

They cared enough to come to a night meeting to complain or to seek answers. They are among parents and staff who can best share good news, and also be able to rebut claims by others that the board and superintendent don’t care, and won’t listen, and just come to the central office every month and make choices some folks disagree with.

In other words, they are opinion makers and these sessions can help put their opinions in a new light.

And that’s a message worth getting out.

Written for the KSBA Kentucky School Advocate, May 2015. Published with permission.

How to Embed Video Content to School Webpage or Blog

Kentucky Educational Television has a new feature for online content, with the ability to embed their videos onto school or blog sites. Therefore, sharing video directly from the school site. The following steps will demonstrate how to share a KET video, as well as share KET's most recent Education Matters show, "Reading by Third Grade."

First, from the website with the episode, click SHARE VIDEO in the upper left corner of the video.

Next, copy the text listed as "Embed code."

On the school website, teacher page or blog, locate the option to insert the code. This will be listed as HTML or Source <> or something similar. Toggle or click then paste the embed code. Two examples:

Blogspot HTML

CMS Source with embedded video

Toggle back to Compose or click Source again and save the page with the code embedded.

Education Matters, "Reading by Third Grade"

Summer Professional Development Opportunities

Below is a list of professional development opportunities offered throughout the summer that have sessions or topics related to school communication, public relations, and school leadership. In order by date of event.

Graves Co. Schools Communication Classes: June 1

Earn three hours of EILA credit free-of-charge from either or both of two relevant communication classes. District community relations director Paul Schaumburg, an adjunct college communication instructor, will lead the classes.

1. “PR 101: Communicating Your Message by All Means” addresses news writing, interviewing, and photography tips to maximize publicity. Specific categories include “Committing to Communication,” “Mixing with the Media,” “Partnering with Internal Publics,” and “Reaching Out to External Publics.” Sub-categories include “Meet the Press: Conveying Your Message,” “Get the Picture: Focused Photography,” “Nimble Newswriting,” “Illuminating Interviews,” “Effective Events,” and “Crisis Communication.” The class will be held in the Central Elementary School Library from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Monday, June 1.

 2. “Everyday Communication: Understanding and Being Understood” addresses effective interpersonal communication principles for professional educators and others by understanding other people, expressing yourself, and creating climate and culture conducive to clear communication. Sub-categories include communication overview, effective language, nonverbal, perception, listening, climate, culture, conflict, and personality typing. The class will take place in the Central Elementary School Library from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, June 1.

To register, specify the class(es) you will attend. Email Paul.schaumburg@graves.kyschools.us.

KY Safe Schools & Communities Conference:
June 15 – 17, Marriott Louisville East

A wide variety of school safety topics will be addressed in the Kentucky Safe Schools and Communities Conference. Law enforcement officers have again teamed with school personnel to produce comprehensive school safety training sessions that address issues such as human trafficking, natural disaster response, bomb threat management, social media, bullying, suicide prevention, law updates, and much more.

https://goo.gl/7KW886 

KSBA Summer Leadership Institute:
July 10-11, Marriott Griffin Gate, Lexington

(Agenda not yet finalized, however could be communications or engagement related sessions.)

http://www.ksba.org/SummerLeadershipInstitute.aspx

National School Public Relations Association Annual Seminar:
July 12 – 15, Nashville, TN

Raising Our Voices for Educational Excellence

http://nspra.org/national-seminar

KASA Leadership Institute:
July 15 – 17, Louisville Galt House

Trifecta: Living. Learning. Leading.

Featured Speakers and links to more information: http://server.kasa.org/KASA/KASAMember/Leadership_Development/Leadership_Institute/Featured_Speakers.aspx 

Additional opportunity:

Outstanding Achievement in School Information Services: Entries due July 3

More information: http://www.ksba.org/2015OASISProgram.aspx. This page includes the instructions, Call for Entries and the official Entry form. There are major changes including a completely online entry submission process!

Details for OASIS 2015: Deadline July 3

We are most pleased to invite your participation in the 2015 OASIS (Outstanding Achievement in School Information Services) Professional Development Program for KYSPRA members and school personnel in districts with a KYSPRA member.

All of the information you’ll need is right here: http://www.ksba.org/2015OASISProgram.aspx. This page includes the instructions, Call for Entries and the official Entry form.

There are major changes in the program this year – this biggest being that the entry submission process is completely online this year. We’ve been studying programs operated by other associations and have taken their processes, done some tweaking, and surveyed the KYSPRA Board of Directors to craft what we hope will be a most beneficial process for your participation.

New to OASIS 2015:

• All entries will be made either via email of the entry saved as a Word or PDF, or via link to a video, online product or very large product saved to your district website.
• Several category changes have been made to reflect suggestions as well as to eliminate categories of little participation in past years.
• An email address for questions as well as the submissions has been created – oasis@ksba.org.
• The entry fee this year has been reduced to $45 for each entry.
• No POs or checks are to be submitted. We will invoice the KYSPRA member with a final total once all of your entries are received and recorded.
• Engraved awards will be made for any entry/entries earning a Distinguished or Proficient rating by the panel of professional communications judges; the previous honorable mention category will be recognized with a framed Certificate of Achievement. The awards ceremony will continue to be at the KYSPRA Annual Conference this fall.

We hope that the online participation process will be easier for you to participate, to gain the comments and insights of the judges and to earn well-deserved recognition by your peers and in your home district.

The entry deadline is July 3, so now is the time to start thinking about the best of your work this year and products you’d like some peer reviews to make improvements for the future.

Brad Hughes
KSBA Member Support/Communications Services

Do board members have a role in telling school success stories? Absolutely!

By Brad Hughes
KSBA Director of Member Support/Communications Services

Quick quiz: What song from the Tony-winning Broadway musical and Oscar-winning motion picture, The Music Man, has leadership lessons for board members and superintendents? (Hint: It’s not “Shipoopi.”)

Answer: “76 Trombones.” The song clearly puts the title character, Professor Harold Hill, out front. However, that role would be meaningless without the following of “a hundred and ten cornets” and assorted other musicians in the show-ending parade.

When it comes to educating a community about what’s going on within its public school system, the superintendent has the role of the “Music Man.” And every school board member is a key player in the district’s band, orchestra or chorus. Each has both solo and ensemble performances that are vital to reaching staff, parents and other taxpaying citizens about the district’s goals and objectives.

During a couple of workshops at this year’s KSBA Annual Conference, participants posed questions tied to this subject.

Seeking opportunities
One question was pretty easy: “Is it OK for a board member to retweet (on Twitter) a district announcement that school has been called off for bad weather?”

Forwarding district-produced information to constituents should be a regular function of board members. And it shouldn’t be limited to social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter.

Over time, some board members have created email distribution lists of people keenly interested in a school or in districtwide issues. It’s almost a certainty that redistributing district announcements would reach people in your more personal audience bases who might have been missed by the central office communications efforts.

Others board members are themselves members of civic groups like the Rotary, Lions, Civitan and BPW. Some of these organizations have member newsletters, and most newsletter editors are in search of content. The same option applies to the program chairmen who have to fill an organization’s speaker slot at the monthly meeting. They can be easy pitch recipients for board members once a year.

Another question was a bit more complex: “Should board members be putting out their own ‘take’ on an issue when that differs from a recommendation by the superintendent?”

Giving the public all sides of a pending board decision is smart. Superintendents frequently spell out the pros and cons when making their cases for a recommended board action. Board members seeking public input must be conduits to constituents – and that should mean sharing all the factors, not just those that favor or oppose one point of view.

However, attacking an administration proposal seldom serves children in the classroom. A board member stating his or her reasons for favoring one direction is doing the job he or she was elected to. Not all votes will be 5-0 on a typical Kentucky school board. The public deserves an exploration of differences, but not to the point that criticisms undermine the credibility of fellow board members or the superintendent.

Bottom line? Creating an engaged community requires a team – or, if you will, a band – to spread the word. The superintendent, aka the band director, isn’t always going to get perfect pitch from the trumpet section, but it often takes a good brass corps to really sell the tune to the audience.

The Last Word
Another test for your imagination.

Michael Jordan may be the greatest player in the history of the National Basketball Association, but without the other Chicago Bulls players, he wouldn’t have six NBA championship rings.

Sir Paul McCartney has had an incredible career as a solo artist, but does anyone really think he would be so revered if he hadn’t started as a member of the Beatles?

One staple in the speeches by Kentucky’s outstanding superintendents and school board members at the KSBA conference is the reference to the importance of the other members of the district leadership team. They don’t differentiate between director or a player. They share a common theme of working together to produce a symphony of support for teachers and students in the classroom.

And that’s a message worth getting out.

Written for the KSBA Kentucky School Advocate, April 2015. Published with permission.

Summary of April 23 KYSPRA Board Meeting

The KYSPRA Board of Directors met on April 23, 2015 in Bardstown. The following is a summary of discussion and action taken.

KYSPRA Reports:
Linda Salyer, the KYSPRA Association Manager, reported a total fund balance of $23,167.35 and 102 members with all dues paid. Invoices have been sent to districts with payment due. (This is also a gentle reminder if you’ve received an invoice.)

Organizational Reports:

• Todd Piccirilli of KET shared that of 100 PBS Digital Innovators recognized this year, 4 were from Kentucky and a Lead Digital Innovator was recognized from Madison County.
• Also good news: KET Programs are now offering embed codes for videos so districts may share KET videos directly on their websites.
• Madelynn Coldiron of KSBA shared upcoming changes for the OASIS Professional Development Program. Watch your inbox, more information will be coming to members soon.
• The entries are going paperless! (No more binders!) 
• The cost of entries will be $45 ($10 less!)
• Lisa Deffendall, KYSPRA representative for KASA shared information about the upcoming annual conference which will be held July 15-17. at the Galt House in Louisville: (Click here for details.) She also shared how discussion and concerns among KASA members has been about the teacher retirement fund future, “pension spiking” and sick leave, and also the amount of administrator time being spent on PGES. 

New Business:

Tracy Green,
2015-16 Treasurer

• Election of a treasurer and introducing 2015-16 Officers: 
• After an online election, Tracy Green of Oldham County Schools has been elected KYSPRA Treasurer for 2015-16.
• Per the bylaws, upon election of the new officer, Cindy Williams becomes President for 2015-16, Tom Dekle will serve as President-Elect, and Wayne Walden, Secretary.
• Purchase of a computer & software for Association Manager:
• The Board voted to replace the computer used by Linda Salyer for KYSPRA records.
• It was approved for Linda to purchase a computer, printer, extended warranty, software, and carrying case for no more than $2,500. 
• The computer will be the property of KYSPRA for four years, and all financial and membership records are to be stored in an online file accessible by members of the Executive Committee.
• Beginning in July the Association will budget $500 per year as a savings plan to replace equipment in approximately 5 years.
• Association Manager Stipend:
• The Board of Directors voted to increase the Association Manager stipend by $100 per month for a total of $300 per month for her work with membership and financial records. The increase will begin with the new chapter year in 2015-16.
• Potential Collaboration with NSPRA Mid-East Chapters: 
• Plans are being discussed to collaborate with NSPRA-Affiliate Chapters in our NSPRA Region to provide professional development and networking. Chapter Presidents and Board Members from Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, and the Chesapeake Chapter (Virginia, West Virginia, Washington, D.C. and Maryland) are planning to meet at the NSPRA seminar in July to discuss opportunities.
• Fall Conference 2015:
• Tom Dekle is planning the fall conference to be held in Bardstown in early November. Look for “Save the Date” information from him soon!

Old Business:

• Website Redesign: No report was presented and therefore discussion tabled for the first fall meeting.
• KYSPRA Scholarship:
• Beginning next fall, the Board of Directors plans to offer a new professional scholarship to the fall conference, including registration and a travel stipend for an individual to attend their first KYSPRA conference. This could be for an individual new to school PR or in a district considering adding a PR position. The scholarship will funded using revenue from the annual silent auction held at the fall conference. More discussion and details to follow.
• Spring Professional Development:
• “KYSPRA Connect” mini-conferences are coming up with opportunities to network and attend with limited travel and cost to districts. John Wright will host the first on May 5, in Elizabethtown at the Hardin Co. Schools Early College and Career Center. Wayne Walden and Paducah Public Schools will host on May 6. Plans are being made for a third session to be held in Lexington in June.
• For more info about the session in Elizabethtown, contact John Wright: john.wright@hardin.kyschools.us
• For more about the session in Paducah, contact Wayne Walden: wayne.walden@paducah.kyschools.us.
• KYSPRA Social Media:
• Click here to view a handout regarding statistics from the KYSPRA Twitter account and blog. The Association has doubled the number of Twitter followers since July and added 46 blog posts! 

I hope everyone has a great rest of the school year!

Thanks,

Leslie McCoy
KYSPRA President, 2014-15

Ideas for Celebrating and Recognizing on Administrative Professonals Day

By Tracy Green
Oldham County Schools

Administrative Professionals Day may be a Hallmark Holiday, but it is still a reminder that our administrative professionals — secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, etc. — support us every day. Without them, most of our districts would be an absolute disaster!

In Oldham County, we presented each of our admin pros with a token of appreciation — bags of Goldfish crackers with cheesy sayings on them. (Photo) That idea came from a great book called “100+ Ways to Recognize and Reward Your School Staff.” Many of our directors supplemented this small treat with their own gift, but we liked ensuring a sense of equity by making sure everyone received the same gift, too, and that nobody was left out.

I also make it a habit to remind principals to recognize their admin pros, and I email all of our office managers to tell them thanks, too. 

Some other fun ideas from across the state:

At Owensboro Independent, KSYPRA Board member Dave Kirk assembled district-themed pens and notes during the Final Four tournament (photo).

 In Bowling Green Independent, the leadership team shared the cost of providing lunch for their central office assistants. “They almost never get to enjoy something catered unless it’s leftovers from another meeting,” said KYSPRA president Leslie McCoy. And those same staff are usually tasked with ordering, setting up and cleaning up. An administrator also worked the reception desk through lunch — set up the room for lunch and the leadership team took care of clean up.

And, at KSBA HQ, our own Brad Hughes manned the phones while support staff had a pizza party.

KYSPRA Board of Directors: Meeting Agenda April 23, 2015

Kentucky School Public Relations Association
Board of Directors

April 23, 2015
11:00 a.m. Eastern Time
Mammy’s Kitchen, 116 W. Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown, Kentucky

Call Meeting to Order

Approve Minutes of KYSPRA Board of Directors meeting, February 6, 2015

Reports:

1.       Financial, Linda Salyer

2.       Membership, Linda Salyer

3.       Regional Reports

4.       Organizational Reports

New Business:

1.       Election of a Treasurer for 2015-16 (voting ends April 22)

2.       Purchase of KYSPRA computer & software for Association Manager: Information provided by Linda Salyer

3.       Potential Collaboration with Mid-East Regional Chapters, Leslie McCoy

4.       Fall Conference 2015, Tom Dekle

Old Business:

1.       Website Redesign

2.       KYSPRA Scholarship Discussion

3.       Spring Professional Development Report

Adjourn

JCPS Shares Dropout Prevention Images

Jefferson County Public Schools are using a multi-faceted approach to raise awareness about the new compulsory attendance policy, which takes effect next school year. Eleven different posters and image designs by Dodie Wrocklage-Harp are circulating Louisville, and soon the Commonwealth of Kentucky, because JCPS has graciously shared their work with KYSPRA for use in all schools!

Background info: Kentucky’s new compulsory attendance policy will begin next year. In the spring of 2013, Senate Bill 97 raised the attendance age to 18, and the policy was voluntary until 55% of districts adopted the policy. After 55% was reached, the statute mandated all district adopt the policy within two years. As of January 14, 2015, all 173 districts adopted the policy to raise the attendance age to 18.

What does this mean? Students that have already or are planning to drop out out under the current law (at age 16 with parent/guardian permission) will be required to re-enroll in school next year and attend until they are at least 18 years of age.

The task: communicating the new law and preventing dropouts in all Kentucky schools.

The JCPS posters and images target teens that are at-risk of dropping out of school and feature retro-characters and blunt truths that are noticeably different than most school campaigns. Prior to launching, JCPS spent two days working with focus groups, including twenty teens that had dropped out of school, gauging the effectiveness of the images. The unique characters and honest “wake-up calls” were popular among teens in the target audience.

Three copies of each of the poster have been printed and shared with all middle and high schools in JCPS. Images have also been shared with community-based non-profit organizations that work closely with at-risk teens, and are being shared on social media, with hopes of generating a more teen-initiated viral campaign.
Click here to access all images and if your district would like images with a higher resolution, please contact Mandy Simpson at mandy.simpson@jefferson.kyschools.us.
A special thanks to Mandy Simpson (mandy.simpson@jefferson.kyschools.us) and Dodie Wrocklage-Harp (dodie.wrocklage-harp@jefferson.kyschools.us) for sharing their work with Kentucky public schools!

Courier-Journal story with more info on the campaign.

Next Month: Regional Professional Development Opportunities

Please mark your calendars for our KYSPRA regional half day conferences that will be offered in May. The conferences will offer an excellent opportunity to network with colleagues and sharpen your skills without investing a lot of time and money.

You'll find details for the West and Central conferences below. 

***Specifics for the east regional conference will be forthcoming soon.*** 

Central Region
The central region conference date is Tuesday, May 5, 2015 at the Hardin County Schools Early College & Career Center (200 University Dr., Elizabethtown, KY). It will run from 11 am until 2 pm EASTERN time.

The Schedule:

• 11 am -- Kenny Rambo (VP/Heartland Communications) will discuss marketing strategies for your district - Steps you can take to make sure people know the tune of the horn you are blowing. He will also discuss consistent messaging strategies. 
• 11:40 -- Lunch 
• Noon -- Sherry Murphy (Director, Elizabethtown Tourism) will discuss marketing your area of Kentucky - How do you make your community/area of Kentucky marketable to families/young teachers? 
• 12:40 -- Break 
• 12:45 -- Ben Sheroan (Editor-in-Chief, The News-Enterprise) will discuss strategies on working with media - Creating beneficial and positive relationships with members of the media. 

For more information, contact John Wright at john.wright@hardin.kyschools.us

West Region
The west region conference will be held Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at the Paducah Public Schools Central Office, 800 Caldwell St., Paducah, KY) It will begin at 11:00 a.m. (CST) and conclude at 3:00 p.m.

The Schedule:

• 11:00 a.m. Lunch catered by Midtown Market 
• 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Jonas Neihoff, President, Socially Present, “Using Social Media to Tell Your District’s Story” 
• 12: 45 – 1:45 Laura Schaumburg, Marketing Director, Paducah Convention and Visitors Bureau, “Making Your District A Destination”. 
• 2:00 – 3:00 Monica Bilak, Paducah Public Schools, Transitional and Strategic Planning Coordinator, “Tools for Listening to Your Stakeholders” 

For more information, contact Wayne Walden at wayne.walden@paducah.kyschools.us

Sample Response to Opt-Out Requests

The Kentucky Department of Education has provided information to school districts regarding a campaign against the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and standardized testing. Groups against the initiative are urging parents to sign an opt-out form and submit it to their child’s school. In Kentucky, schools and districts are not permitted to honor a parent’s request to opt-out of CCSS or statewide testing.

In the Monday, March 30 Superintendent's email, guidance stated that students may only be excused from statewide assessments upon completion and approval of the Medical Non-participation Form or Extraordinary Circumstances Non-participation Form. Both forms can be found at: http://education.ky.gov/AA/distsupp/Pages/Forms.aspx.

The Kentucky School Boards Association shared information about the opt-out campaign and Kentucky schools in an article in the Headline Service on March 31: http://www.ksba.org/protected/ArticleView.aspx?iid=6GB33IB&dasi=3G32.

Proactive Response from Oldham County:

Oldham County Schools has received opt-out requests from parents and as a proactive response, the district shared a sample letter for schools to customize and send to parents.

In the letter shared with KYSRPA by Tracy Green, the school/district states, "We have received your correspondence regarding your desire to have your child “opt-out” of state-wide assessment. We appreciate your position on that matter and acknowledge your desire to have your child “opt-out” based on the concerns you specified in your correspondence to us. However, the Kentucky Department of Education has advised that the implementation of the Common Core State Standards and standardized state testing are not optional in Kentucky public schools."

The letter goes on to explain the authority by which testing is required and further states that no alternative assignments will be given to students during testing, nor absences excused on testing days as an alternative of opting out.

Click here to read the full letter.

Letter shared by Tracy Green: 

tracy.green@oldham.kyschools.us; https://twitter.com/OldhamCoSchools.

2015 General Assembly: Status of School-Related Bills

The 2015 Kentucky General Assembly adjourned at 3:20 a.m. on Wednesday March 25, 2015. School-related issues discussed during the session included the $14 billion unfunded liability in the Kentucky Teachers Retirement System, child abuse & neglect prevention training for school employees, transgender students use of school bathrooms and locker rooms, the voluntary expression of religious or political views by students, student representatives serving on district superintendent screening committees, and flexibility for snow days due to the harsh winter.

• SB 119 PASSED which requires the Kentucky Department of Education to develop training on child abuse and neglect prevention for school employees that must be completed either through web-based or in-person sessions by January 31, 2017, with additional training every two years thereafter. SB 119 also included an amendment for schools to have snow day flexibility:
• Schools have until June 5, 2015 to complete 1,062 instructional hours, but without exceeding a 7-hour school day or holding school on Saturday. Additional instructional hours needed by school districts will be waived.
• No agreement was reached on the $14 billion unfunded liability in the Kentucky Teacher Retirement System.
• No agreement was reached on HB 236 which would allow students to serve as a representative on a school district’s superintendent screening committee. The Senate attached amendments to the bill including the controversial transgender bathroom bill and an amendment for voluntary expression of religious or political viewpoints. Both amendments were separate bills that had failed in the House. The Senate also attached an amendment to make the students non-voting members of the committee. At the conclusion of the session, the Senate removed the “bathroom amendment” but passed the bill 29-7 with the religious/political expression amendment and non-voting amendments in place. The House did not discuss HB 236 on Tuesday night, leaving the bill to fail.

Another bill that passed that could indirectly impact schools is HB 8 which expands civil protective orders to include victims of dating violence, sexual abuse and stalking.

More info about the General Assembly action from 2015 may be found in the Legislative News Releases: http://www.lrc.ky.gov/pubinfo/release.htm#2015.

A PINTEREST-ing KYSPRA Board

Pinterest is something I use quite often in my personal life. I search and pin recipes, project ideas, gardening tips and fitness tips; I've even used it for planning events and vacations. I browse Pinterest like I would flip through a magazine, looking at pictures and captions and choosing which links to click.

Several months ago, I started a board on my personal account as a place to collect various school pr "stuff," and I've also shared some of the links on the KYSPRA Twitter account and on this blog. The pins cover general, broad topics and there are also several infographics and education-related quotes. Feel free to take a look and/or follow my KYSPRA Board linked below:

Follow Leslie's board KYSPRA on Pinterest.

Leslie McCoy
KYSPRA President, 2014-15

Techie Tuesday: Ten Tech Tools for School Public Relations

The Kentucky Society for Technology in Education or KySTE held their annual conference March 4-6 in Louisville. Using Twitter, I shared the KySTE conference hashtag #kyste15 and mentioned how school technology and school public relations departments work together a lot. This is especially true in my house because I recently married a school technology resource teacher! So linking the techie and PR worlds together, here is a quick list of 10 apps and tools to check out.

Please feel free to share additional apps or tools in the comments below!!

1. Google- Much more than a search engine, I use Google Drive every day. Drive allows online files to be accessed on multiple devices, as well as the ability to share and collaborate or link to the files online. Within the drive, I use Google Docs for word processing, Sheets for spreadsheets, Forms to create surveys or collect information, and Slides for presentations. I also use goo.gl to shorten URL links and create QR codes for when I need to share links on Twitter.

2. Tweetdeck- Tweetdeck is also a tool I use every day for both Bowling Green City Schools and KYSPRA. Tweetdeck.twitter.com offers a more organized view of Twitter activity. I have created several columns to see timelines, notifications, mentions, and also hashtag activity. Tweetdeck also has a scheduling feature to schedule tweets in advance.

3. Animoto- An oldie but goodie, and very popular among teachers, Animoto lets users choose a video style, then upload photos and short video clips, choose music, and seconds later, produce a photo/video slideshow. The video then may be shared through a link or embedded to a website.(Below is a sample Animoto from Opening Day in Bowling Green City Schools. Employees sent in vacation photos throughout the summer wearing BG gear and this video was shared at the district's kickoff to the school year.)

4. Pixlr- https://pixlr.com/ If you’re looking to a free alternative to photoshop, Pixler is a great! A lot of advanced tools and options. There is also an app!

5. Today’s Meet- https://todaysmeet.com/ Today’s Meet can be used as an online text/chat room or back channel for classrooms with devices or in community forums with parents. View this link to see 20 ways to use Today’s Meet in Schools: (http://ditchthattextbook.com/2014/01/30/20-useful-ways-to-use-todaysmeet-in-schools/)

6. Tubechop- http://www.tubechop.com/ Have you ever found a YouTube video and needed only a few seconds from a long video? Use Tubechop! Add the link to the YouTube video and use a sliding bar to “chop” the piece you would like to use.

7. Prezi- http://prezi.com/ Another oldie: Free online presentation software that is more interesting than PowerPoint. Add, drag and drop text, import photos and videos, and then set the path for the presentation. When complete, present, share the link or embed the presentation. There’s also an app for Prezi. (Sample Prezi that was prepared for Bowling Green Independent School District Superintendent Joe Tinius.)

8. Evernote- Tracy Green shared information about using Evernote after the Fall Conference. Evernote is a cross-platform tool to organize resources. Read more: http://kyspra.blogspot.com/2014/11/using-evernote-additional-info-from.html

Business cards: Canva.com

9. Canva- I love Canva and shared a quick preview of Canva on the blog a few months ago: http://kyspra.blogspot.com/2014/12/preview-of-canvacom.html. Cavna is a quick, free online design tool. It also has a lot of free shapes, and custom layouts.


10. Bill Watch- Bill Watch is free and allows unlimited tracking of legislation during the session. Read more: http://kyspra.blogspot.com/2015/01/the-2015-legislative-session-school-pr.html

Additional resources:

• Ohio County Schools Educational Apps (Daniel McCoy): http://ohioapps.wikispaces.com/
• BGISD Technology Resource Teacher Apps for Administrators (Allen Martin): http://www.bgreen.kyschools.us/olc/page.aspx?id=25513&s=991
• Leslie Fisher, a presenter at KySTE, and a link I saw on Twitter. Her presentation handouts are for those of us who would like to learn tools for K-12 or University settings: http://lesliefisher.com/resources/presentation-handouts/

Leslie McCoy
KYSPRA President, 2014-15

KYSPRA members, this incentive is for you!

Expand your PR knowledge and resource repertoire by joining the National School Public Relations Association today! KYSPRA Members joining NSPRA before May 15th, will pay $160, a $100 savings off the regular cost of membership.

Click here to learn more!

This discount is available only to new NSPRA members of the chapter.

TELL KENTUCKY Survey Information and Helpful Links

The TELL KENTUCKY Survey is open March 2 – 31, 2015 to certified, school-based educators. Very few if any KYSPRA members will participate in the survey, however, if administrators or the local media would like to view participation rates, the specific questions, or other resources included in the administration of the 2015 TELL KENTUCKY Survey, all are available on the www.tellkentucky.org website.

The 2015 TELL KENTUCKY Survey Questions: educator and principal-only.

Additional resources for your information include the poster, sample letters, statement of partners and a schedule of events available here: http://www.tellkentucky.org/resources

More details:

• The survey is accessed through a generated access code. Each school’s Kentucky Educators Association representative or point of contact should have received a packed of letters, including the codes to participate. The codes are anonymous but assigned to determine schools and district participation. Each code may only be used once.
• Educators will complete the survey online by visiting http://www.tellkentucky.org/. The survey will take approximately 30 minutes to complete and must be finished in one session.
• Survey data will be available approximately five weeks following the close of the survey for schools with more than 50% participation, with a minimum of five participants. State results will be reported in the fall.
• School survey results are used in the new Principal Professional Growth and Effectiveness System. Principals must show how the school is utilizing data for school improvement.

School Calendar Law & Make Up Days

KYSPRA members should have received the following information in the Fast Five on Friday, February 20, 2015, from the Kentucky Department of Education. Summarizing and reposting the information as a reference for the coming days and weeks. If you have not received questions about make up days, you will soon.

Under HB 211 (2014), the "Student instructional year" means at least 1,062 hours of instructional time for students delivered on not less than 170 student attendance days. If a local board of education amends its school calendar after its adoption due to an emergency such as inclement weather, it may lengthen or shorten any remaining student attendance days by 30 minutes or more, as it deems necessary, provided the amended calendar complies with the requirements of a student instructional year. No student attendance day shall contain more than seven hours of instructional time unless the district submitted and received approval from the commissioner of education for an innovative alternative calendar.

Delays? A district shall not be required to make up a total of five hours missed as a result of shortened days due to emergency.

Emergency days? Waivers shall not be granted unless the district has missed more than 20 regular student days and demonstrated extreme hardship. The district shall make up at least the first 20 regular attendance days by adding equivalent hours into the school calendar. Waivers must be requested by local boards of education and approved by the commissioner.

More information about School Calendars can be found on the KDE website at http://education.ky.gov/districts/enrol/Pages/School-Calendar.aspx.

For questions, please contact Cheri Meadows, cheri.meadows@education.ky.gov, in the Division of District Support.

Creative Snow Day Announcements in Kentucky

I hope all of my KYSPRA colleagues are staying safe and warm during these LONG dreary winter days. Snow days are some of my least favorite days to work in school PR, as I am sure many can relate. So many experts, opinions, and social media really seems to bring out the best in folks. (Yes, that was sarcasm.) And while I can without a doubt say my Superintendent is not signing up to do any snow day sing-song announcements, I did find a few creative efforts on the Twitterverse from Kentucky superintendents.

Superintendent Benny Lile sings Walk Softly because there is no school in Metcalfe County:



Green County Schools have a few creative videos on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/greencoschools/timeline.

Ohio County School District's Superintendent Scott Lewis with his version of a snow day rhyme to call all students, faculty and staff:



And Lyon County is having a "school closing" parody video contest with videos to be submitted by 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday. We'll check back to see what the Lyon Co. Lyons create.

If I have missed any other unique announcements, please share links in the comment box!

Stay warm!

Leslie

Leslie McCoy
KYSPRA President 2014-15

Summary of February 6 KYSPRA Board Meeting

The KYSPRA Board of Directors met on Friday, February 6, 2015 for the third quarterly meeting of the school year. In an effort to keep KYSPRA members informed on action from the Board of Directors, below is a summary of information discussed at the meeting. This should not be considered official meeting minutes.

Linda Salyer reported that invoices for membership dues have been sent to current members. Linda also provided a summary report from the 2014 Fall Conference, sharing there were 36 conference registrations and nine one-day registrations, which included four students from Campbellsville University. Twenty-three additional tickets for the OASIS banquet were purchased. After expenses, the Association earned $3,233.42 in revenue from the Conference.

Organizational Reports:

·         Nancy Rodriguez of the Kentucky Department of Education shared information about the Kentucky Rising initiative that is still being discussed. (Click here to download a draft Fact Sheet from KDE). In summary, Kentucky Rising is a program to take Kentucky’s College & Career Readiness efforts to the next level. More details will be shared from KDE in the future. Nancy also mentioned that there will soon be an open position for Editor of the Kentucky Teacher publication. Interested applicants should check the KDE website for more info.

·         Madelynn Coldiron of the Kentucky School Board Association informed the Board of upcoming pre-conference professional development for Board of Education members, including sessions on The Perfect Interview, School Crisis Management, and Ethics. Madelynn also led discussion to gather feedback on the OASIS Professional Development Program which is coordinated by Brad Hughes of KSBA. The Board will work with Brad to brainstorm all suggestions and will share changes with the requests for entries that will be sent to members later this year.

·         Tom Martin attended the Board of Directors meeting on behalf of Kentucky Educational Television. He talked about the recent Financial Aid call in show on Education Matters, as well as an upcoming show regarding the Core Academic Standards, airing first on KET Monday, February 23 at 9:00 pm EST. Also, KET is currently accepting submissions for the 2015 KET Young Writers contest, a statewide competition designed to improve the advancement of children’s literacy skills through hands-on, active learning. Students in grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade are invited to submit entries to KET’s Young Writers Illustrated Story Contest. Students in 4th and 5th grades are invited to submit entries to KET’s Young Writers Short Story Contest. Entries must be received by April 11. More info on the contest: http://www.ket.org/pressroom/2013/11/youngwriters2015.html. And last, Tom said if KYSPRA members would like to be added to a distribution list from KET for notice of shows or programming, contact him via email at tmartin@ket.org.

Old Business:

·         Tracy Green reported that she has been working with Susie Hart and a small committee to update and redesign the KYSPRA website with the goal to make the site more interactive, linking several resources to the page, as well as adding more features to recognize distinguished OASIS projects.

·         The blog and Twitter account are being utilized to share day-to-day information with members and members are encouraged to share posts with KYSPRA to keep the blog updated and active. Kyspra.blogspot.com and @kyschoolpr on Twitter.

New Business:

·         Spring Professional Development: Wayne Walden led discussion about upcoming professional development opportunities. Based on feedback from the post-conference survey in the fall, it seems many members would prefer more regionally-based opportunities to limit travel time and costs. Wayne will be working to organize three to five one-day meetings with similar agendas to be held in areas across the Commonwealth. More details will follow regarding specific opportunities and registration.

Thanks to each of you for all you do for Kentucky schools.

Leslie McCoy

KYSPRA President, 2014-15

Board of Directors Agenda: February 6, 2015

Kentucky School Public Relations Association

Board of Directors

February 6, 2015, 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time

Roux Restaurant: Louisville, KY

1. Call Meeting to Order

2. Approve Minutes from November 12, 2014

3. Reports:

• Financial, Linda Salyer, Association Manager
• Membership, Linda Salyer, Association Manager
• Regional, Board Representatives
• Organizational (KDE, KSBA, KET)

4. Old Business:

• Fall Conference Wrap-Up, Cindy Williams & Linda Salyer
• Blog, Twitter Stats and Post Commitments, Leslie McCoy
• Redesign KYSPRA Website, Susie Hart & Committee

5. New Business:

• Spring Professional Development, Wayne Walden

6. Adjourn

Links: Kentucky Immunization Laws and Regulations

Vaccination requirements and parental choice are making local and national headlines. In Kentucky, immunizations are required for children enrolled in child care and schools, however the requirements do provide exemptions for medical or religious reasons.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services website lists the most current certificates, schedules and requirements: http://chfs.ky.gov/dph/epi/School+and+Childcare.htm as well as a "cheat sheet" for quick reference.

The Kentucky Department of Education also provides immunization resources specifically directed to public schools. By law, current immunization certificates for all students should be on file at the school within the first two weeks of enrollment.

WE DAY Kentucky – The Movement of Our Time

On April 17th 2015 the third annual “mini-WE DAY KENTUCKY” will take place in Whitney Hall at the Kentucky Center For the Performing Arts, from 9:30-1:30. We anticipate hosting 1500 students and educators from over 100 schools. 2015 speakers and performers are expected to include Kentucky Education Commissioner Dr. Terry Holliday, Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer, global WE DAY speakers Spencer West and Molly Burke, and renowned area musicians Harry Pickens, Ben Sollee, Justin Lewis, kRi and Hettie, among others. This event is free of charge – lunch will be provided.

What is WE DAY? Youth coming together to make the world a better place is the global movement of our time. Young people today need a starting point and WE DAY is that starting point.

WE DAY brings together inspiring speakers and performers with youth to celebrate a year of service, action and leadership. You can’t buy a ticket to WE DAY—you earn it through service - by leading one local and one global service action.

More than a one-day event, WE DAY helps young people turn the day’s inspiration into sustained action. WE DAY inspires young people to find their spark in order to create the positive change they want to see. Together, WE DAY and student-led service projects provide a blueprint to support the next generation to become active citizens.

WE DAY was created in 2006 by Free The Children, founded by Craig & Marc Kielburger - a Canadian non-profit organization dedicated to empowering a generation to shift the world from “Me” to “We”, from a focus on the individual to the power of community. With a focus on education and empowerment in both local and global communities, Free The Children is revolutionizing how we help young people fulfill their potential as active citizens and leaders, to help make the world a better place.

Today WE DAY takes place in 14 major cities across three countries. First introduced to the U.S. in 2013, WE DAY is now a growing platform in Washington, California, Minnesota, and will soon expand to Illinois and beyond.

Why WE DAY? Every young person has the potential and the power to positively change the world. We believe in supporting this potential by connecting today’s students to the greatest local and global issues of our time, and connecting them with each other. We believe in celebrating the actions of young people and inspiring them to redefine what is possible.

Why is WE DAY important for Kentucky? We believe that Kentucky and Kentucky’s youth need WE DAY! We all understand education is vital to successful, engaged citizenship. Data show that students who have participated in the WE DAY movement are more likely to graduate, feel more self-confident, volunteer, make philanthropic donations and vote at twice the national average. In short, they are more likely to become active citizens, committed to making a positive change. Educators who have participated report feeling a renewed sense of purpose. And the requirement to participate in one international service project helps students focus on building their global competence outside of the classroom.

To make this movement truly statewide, we would appreciate your help to reach more schools in Kentucky with passionate students and educators who might wish to get involved and earn their tickets to “mini-WE DAY KENTUCKY”. Please email your recommendations and referrals to Wendy@WeDay.com. And thank you for all that you do every day to support, educate and empower Kentucky’s youth.

Submitted to KYSPRA by
Wendy and Kris Sirchio, We Day Ambassadors