August 2017

Life's too short to waste time trying to convert your "committed negative" patrons

At the risk of sounding like some sort of whacked-out successories® poster or coffee mug, you should approach this school year with a clear sense of the following: Some people will never like, trust or support your school district, and nothing you can do will change that.

Not your typical motivational message, is it? As public education professionals who do know what’s best, do manage money effectively, do care about your students’ success and so on, it’s hard to accept you aren’t just missing that one fact, story or tidbit that will change the minds of the “committed negative” patrons. It’s natural to want to correct misinformation that paints an unfair picture of you or your district.

But if there is one thing we at Patron Insight have learned from 25 years of conducting research on behalf of school districts – large, small and in between – it’s that your district has three segments of patrons.

• Ten to 20 percent love everything you do, every program you start and every email you send out. They are like one giant smiling emoji.
• Ten to 20 percent criticize everything you do, every decision you make, and take the opportunity to do the same old song and dance at each Board meeting.
• The rest – somewhere between 60 and 80 percent – pay attention here and there. They may default to the positive or to the negative, but that default doesn’t have the same passion as it does in the other two groups. These are the ones who most need to know, “What does this mean to me?” 

In the hundreds of studies we’ve completed, the one thing that stands out is the committed negative patrons. They are more likely to be negative (with an occasional non-committal response) to everything, no matter what the subject.

What’s the lesson from this data? Be respectful to these individuals, state the facts, don’t argue and don’t waste a lot of time thinking you can change their minds. 

Will some negative folks become more positive over time? Of course. You’ll have an issue where they were impressed with how you handled it, and things will change. By the same token, the positive segment will have some folks who go negative over time, because a situation has surfaced that gets under their skin.

The issue is to stop making that be your goal. Focus, instead, on presenting benefit-driven information that makes those in the middle (the “situationally apathetic”) pay more attention. You do that by using research to pinpoint what they are most interested in hearing more about and then stepping up your messaging in that area.

This is human nature. Talk to me about something I’m interested in, and I’m much more likely to pay attention and to feel a stronger connection with your school district.

Ready to learn what you patrons are interested in? Contact Ken DeSieghardt to get Patron Insight started on a research project for your district.

Rising star administrators in western Missouri: Project Lighthouse is about to launch

If you are a superintendent, assistant superintendent or a member of the cabinet looking for a unique skill-building opportunity that also helps build your network with a small, select group of peers, check out Project Lighthouse.

Dr. Daniel Clemons, superintendent of North Kansas City Schools and a Project Lighthouse “alum,” had this to say about his experience: “Project Lighthouse was an outstanding opportunity for me as an aspiring superintendent. There were many scenarios and guest speakers who provided me with the background I needed to become a successful superintendent.”

Led by Dr. Dennis Fisher, former superintendent at the Park Hill School District in the Kansas City area, the regularly scheduled, half-day meetings blend information that will help you expand your talents. There is also an opportunity to share concerns and get advice from your peers, as well as from Dr. Fisher. Participants meet four to six times during the school year. 

Dr. Marc Snow, superintendent of the Grain Valley (Mo.) School District, appreciated the chance to build his network through this unique program.

“My time with Project Lighthouse allowed me the opportunity to network with some other professionals," he said. "It also gave our group a chance to discuss, in depth, some very relevant topics in education.”

The introductory meeting for this year’s Kansas City group is August 29, but there’s still time to sign up (and jump in on the next meeting). To find out more, please contact Dr. Dennis Fisher at dennis@patroninsight.com.

Note: A potential Project Lighthouse group for the St. Louis area is currently being reviewed. 

K-12 technology outsourcing becoming more commonplace

Food service. Transportation. Custodial services. For years, K-12 school districts have contracted out these needs to cut costs and improve efficiencies. Today, outsourcing technology also is gaining significant traction, according to k12itc, a Kansas City-based company that provides services to school districts across the country.

“Outsourcing lets us focus on what matters most – using technology to transform student learning experiences in a 24/7 digital environment,” said Doug Abend, technology director, Rich Hill (Mo.) R-IV School District.

A technology solutions provider for K-12 school districts, k12itc has found up to 92 percent of all technology issues can be solved remotely in most school districts. And when issues are managed remotely, they take a shorter amount of time to be resolved, which increases efficiencies and can cut costs by up to 15 percent. 

Distance no longer matters. Speaking about his district’s experience with k12itc, Keith Arndt, technology director, Seacrest County Day School in Naples, Fla. said, “There’s 1,400 miles between us and it feels like they’re in our own backyard.”

For more information about this growing trend and to see if it might be a good fit with your school district’s needs, visit www.k12itc.com.