Browsing Tag charter schools
Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome: How to Improve School Reputation for Private Schools
Shared by Reputation Simple‘s Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome
It’s important to know how to improve school reputation, especially if you run a private or charter school in which parents are making a conscious choice when enrolling their children. Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome notes that a private school’s reputation is the sum of many parts. It reflects the quality of what happens within the walls of a school but also how the school is perceived by the community outside those walls. When we think about how to improve school reputation, Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome reminds us that we need to remember that a private school’s reputation is largely based on its students’ academic performance and its graduates’ success in college and beyond.
According to Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, author of Secrets of Reputation Management for Educators, there are other factors to reputation management for schools as well:
What does your school’s online presence say about it?
How well does a school serve students with special needs or who are learning English as a second language?
What kind of extracurricular activities do students get involved with? How involved are parents with their children’s education?
Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome knows there are a lot of things to consider.
The ABCs of how to improve school reputation
A private school’s reputation is extremely important. It can make or break the school and greatly influence new enrollment numbers. Therefore, it’s important for private schools and charter schools to work hard to improve their reputations when necessary.
Image credit: Geralt
Here are some ways a private school or school district can do this:
A – Act quickly
This is one of the keys to reputation management for schools, according to Deborah Frye’s most recent eBook. Private schools need to monitor their reputation and act quickly. If you do see a negative review, don’t ignore it or respond negatively. Instead, respond to the parent and try to fix the issue as quickly as possible. If there is something that can be done about the situation, then do so right away.
One of the best ways to do this is by being honest and transparent. Avoiding the issue will only make things worse. If there are problems, acknowledge them and be ready to explain why you took certain actions.
You don’t want parents of potential students thinking that their opinion won’t matter to you because this could possibly lead them away from your school in search of another option.
B – Be proactive
To reduce negative exposure for private schools, the pros at Reputation Simple suggest being proactive and responsive. Parents want to know that they can reach you and that their concerns are being heard. If they don’t hear back from you within 24 hours, then this could lead them to believe that their opinion isn’t important or that something is wrong with your school.
Here are some of the online reputation management steps to take:
- Create and maintain a website that is current, informative, and easy to navigate. Make sure the information on your website is accurate.
- Regularly post news and information about your school and school district so that the right information is getting out there and you’re the one controlling it.
- Use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to promote a positive message along with your school’s activities. Stay involved on that social media and interact positively with the larger school community.
– Create a hashtag for your private or charter school so people can follow its progress.
– Engage with prospective students, parents, and alumni.
– Share interesting content that’s relevant to your audience.
- Encourage parents of current students to write reviews on platforms like Yelp.
- If a problem arises, communicate clearly with parents and staff
- Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, author of Secrets of Reputation Management for Educators: A Field Guide for Protecting Your Academic Reputation Online, also recommends being proactive in sharing information about new initiatives that have been implemented to improve performance.
C – Complete the picture
Bad cannot be entirely eliminated. According to Reputation Simple, the best course of action when it comes to how to improve school reputation is always to overwhelm it with the good.
- Ensure that teachers have up-to-date credentials.
- Provide students with a well-rounded education.
- Recruit the best teachers. In a competitive market, parents are more likely to choose private schools that have excellent teachers and an established reputation for academic excellence.
- Develop programs that enhance the learning experience for all students. Students learn best when they are engaged in activities that interest them and when their learning is connected to real-world experiences.
Image credit: Klimkin
What if a school’s reputation has already been damaged?
What if the private or charter school has a reputation for academic failure, low-test scores, or bad reviews online? You can still turn things around. Reputation management for schools can be done at any stage, according to the author of the Field Guide for Protecting Your Academic Reputation Online.
.
The first thing you need to do is look at the school’s reputation from a parent’s perspective.
Start by engaging parents in a discussion about what they want their child’s educational experience to be like. Find out what they expect from the school, and make sure that teachers know those expectations as well.
Then develop an action plan that includes strategies for improving instruction and student achievement. In most cases, there is still hope. All it takes is a concerted effort to make the necessary changes and improvements. This includes hiring new teachers who are committed to excellence, updating the curriculum and classroom materials, creating an environment that fosters learning, strengthening school districts, and more.
Invest in your school
At Reputation Simple, Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome has found that parents want to know that you care about their children as much as they do. By investing in your school and making sure that it’s up-to-date and well-maintained, you will show parents that you are dedicated to providing the best possible learning environment for their kids.
You could start by considering these questions:
- Are teachers qualified and certified?
- Does the school offer adequate support services such as tutoring and counseling?
- How much time do students spend in class compared with other activities like sports and clubs?
- What kind of curriculum does the school use?
Invest in your school community
There are ways to repair the damage and rebuild your school’s reputation. Here are some tips:
- Communicate with parents, students, and staff regularly
- Share information about initiatives that have been implemented to improve performance
- Solicit input from stakeholders
- Focus on improving academic achievement
- Take action quickly when problems arise
There isn’t just one solution for how to improve school reputation. There are several parts that need to be considered, from the online presence of private schools, to changes in how a school does things, all the way to being openly responsive to parent concerns.
Image credit: Geralt
Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome: Tips For Increasing Enrollment in Private Schools
Shared by Reputation Simple‘s Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome
Increasing enrollment in private schools and school districts is important, according to Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, especially if it is your school! Private schools are a great choice for parents who want their children to get a high-quality education, but there can be many reasons why those same parents choose not to enroll their children in one. Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome notes that if you run a private school and would like to work on increasing enrollment in private schools, here are some tips from Reputation Simple that may help you with the marketing efforts for your own school:
Image credit: PourquoiPas
Enhancing Your online presence – Reputation management for schools
There are many ways to improve the online presence of a school district, charter school, or private school and make it more appealing to families. According to Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, author of Secrets of Reputation Management for Educators, you can use social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to increase awareness about your school and provide useful information for parents who are looking for private schools in their area.
Create a website or improve your current one
School websites are always essential, but according to Reputation Simple, they are even more important for increasing enrollment in private schools and charter schools. Parents will use the internet to search for private schools near them and will often visit websites before they make any decisions about enrolling their children.
If your school doesn’t have a website yet, or if it’s getting a little outdated or not getting your school the attention it should, consider hiring an expert in web design, such as Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome and the other pros at Reputation Simple, to help you create one that will attract parents who are looking for schools like yours.
Going the extra mile:
- Try to make your website fun and interesting but keep it simple enough that parents can easily find the information they need.
- Ask teachers to write up short descriptions of their classes and post them on the website, so parents know what they are getting into when they enroll their child at your school. This is a great way to work on reputation management for schools.
Go beyond standard school accreditation to increase enrollment in private schools
This is a big one, as parents want to know that the school they are sending their kids to has been reviewed by a third party and meets certain standards. Most schools meet the standards. See about going above and beyond that mark.
Schools and school districts should seek awards and recognition, not just for being good enough but for excelling above the rest.
Image credit: Geralt
Have frequent open-house days
Your private school or charter school should have regular open-house days when parents of potential students can come and meet with the teachers, administrators, and other parents in your community. These are great opportunities to get people interested in your school and to help parents get a better idea of what your school is like so that they will enroll their children.
Use your current parents as a resource
Find out what it was that made them choose to enroll their children in your private or charter school. This is essential for reputation management for schools. You can use the information to help market your school. For example, if you find that most of the parents who enrolled their children in your school were looking for a place that is small and friendly, then you can use those adjectives when describing your school to potential students and parents.
Share your school’s values and strengths
Increasing enrollment in private schools can be a challenge. You will want to make sure to highlight your school’s strengths in your marketing efforts so parents know why they should send their kids to your school over others.
Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome, author of Secrets of Reputation Management for Educators: A Field Guide for Protecting Your Academic Reputation Online, highly recommends using your values to market your school and school district. For example, if you pride yourself on creating a safe environment for children where they are able to learn and grow, then you can promote this fact in all of your marketing materials.
At Reputation Simple, we recommend including your school’s mission statement in your marketing materials, including brochures, websites, social media, and eBooks. Share how these values are reflected in the day-to-day operations of your school and what makes it unique compared to others.
Make it personal, have your message come from the heart
One of the best ways to work on reputation management for schools is by creating a personal message. Make it clear that you are talking directly to parents and that they are the ones who can make a difference in their child’s education by sending them to your school.
Image credit: Klimkin
You can do this by using personal anecdotes from teachers and staff members about how much they love working at your institution.
It can be tempting to market your school as a generic brand with no personality. However, Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome has found that this is not the best way to go about Increasing enrollment in private schools. Instead, try to appeal to the emotions of parents by telling stories about what makes your private or charter school special and unique compared to others.
Let the parents know why you started this school and what makes it special. If you can relate your story to theirs, then they will be more likely to trust in your ability to provide quality education for their children.
The best message is one that is genuine and comes from the heart. Let parents know that their children aren’t just enrolling in your school. They are about to benefit from becoming vital members of your school’s family.
To learn more about the secrets of reputation management for educators, you can download the most recent eBook by Deborah Frye Queen of Awesome.
