How Superintendents and Administrators Can Leverage a Non-compliance Scenario to Garner Community Support
In K-12, we rely on our federal government to ensure equal access to public education for all students. Yet, according to the most recent numbers, federal funding makes up a meager eight percent of local school funding through various grants, acts, and programs. It’s important to note that while the federal government may pass widespread legislation and educational policies, in theory, they don’t “have the authority to set unfunded mandates for local schools” - Public School Review. In fact, in some cases, local districts may choose to opt out of those mandates and forfeit monies if they are not in the best interests of the local community.
Because the federal government provides such a small amount of funding and oversight for local districts, the majority of K-12 funding (about 90 percent) requires a steady flow of funding from local and state governments.
Locally, state governments were designed to act as a go-between to create and mete out policies that reflect the wishes of local citizens. But, unfortunately, while local policies, regulations, and laws may or may not be in the best interest of the children, the system often allows for state governments to pass unfunded and unrealistic legislation, putting the community at odds with their local school districts and placing the blame squarely on superintendents, principals and administrators when they don’t have room in the budget or enough local resources to comply.
While it may seem as though the odds are stacked against you when compliance is impossible, keep reading to understand how you can respond to negative media coverage and community outrage in a positive way that actually garners community support and solidarity rather than divisiveness and lack of trust through:
Transparency
Leveraging media coverage to rally the community to take action in your favor
Continuing to demonstrate excellence by providing a consistent brand experience
When Your School District Can’t Comply
For administrators and superintendents alike, there is a delicate balance between community support and community outrage. On the one hand, a community can be outraged over negligence when a crisis takes place. On the other hand, a community can be outraged because of state and federal mandates that ask more of the school district than it can realistically provide.
As a school leader, you have two jobs: ensure that you’ve done everything you can to meet students’ educational, social and emotional needs and defend against potential threats to your students’ safety.
But when you’ve done all you can due to budget and staffing limitations, the next step toward maintaining good community relations is to be transparent.
Leander, ISD: A Local Case Study
School leaders across the country will relate to the situation many Texas superintendents find themselves in this fall. Recently the Texas Legislature passed Texas House Bill 3 requiring “every district to place an armed guard on every campus” and establish other security measures to ensure student safety. However, the general consensus is that the funds provided by the state government won’t cover the costs of those security measures and staffing needed for compliance. Many Texas schools are applying for exemptions citing a lack of funding and “lack of personnel” as reasons for their non-compliance by the deadline of September 1st.
Leander Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Bruce Gearing used media coverage to provide the community transparency and a clear picture of the situation as it stands due to funding and staffing challenges:
We have no funding for this, the state did not provide funding for it. And nor will we be able to hire enough even if we had the funding immediately. We’re working with our local agencies who provide our school resource officers right now. Currently, we have SROs at all of our high schools and we will continue that practice. And we are working on the rest. - Dr. Bruce Gearing
By shining a light on the situation as it pertains to funding and by laying out the school district’s plan to work toward compliance, Dr. Gearing has the potential to sway community support in the district’s favor and spur citizens to take action by petitioning lawmakers to provide more funding or more time for the district to comply.
And, when he touches on the district’s strategic plan and its community-based accountability system, he demonstrates the consistency of Leander’s brand and school leaders’ dedication to listening to the community as they continue to make improvements to school facilities and provide solutions to the uneven distribution of the student population.
Transparency Breeds Solidarity
When district leaders find themselves facing an unfunded mandate or lack of resources, the best first step is to be transparent with the community, stakeholders and parents.
How?
Notify your community that there is a new requirement and you’re working toward being in compliance
Lay out the state of the budget. Explain how current funds are being used.
Give your reasons clearly and precisely why you will not be in compliance by the deadline.
Media Coverage Isn’t All Bad
Many school leaders are so concerned about negative media coverage that they fail to consider it may be in their favor to spread the word far and wide. The more school districts that are facing the same roadblocks to compliance, the better chance you have at demonstrating your position that the fulfillment of the law is unrealistic, whether that’s due to lack of funds, limited access to candidates, narrow time frame or something else.
That being said, it’s always in a school district's best interest to maintain positive relationships with local media and approach the situation with positivity. Superintendents and administrators are the front and center faces of the district. When you can present your case in a positive light and outline the details of your attempt to be in compliance, it’s easy to wrangle community members who will turn into advocates on your behalf.
If possible, encourage your community to reach out to lawmakers to have conversations about what they can do to change the law or provide adequate state funding so your district can comply.
Branding is Key
With every media interaction, there’s a great opportunity to set the tone for who you are as a district. Your promise is our brand and your brand is our promise to your community. A clearly defined district brand lets the community know who you are and what you’re all about. Tell them where they can find the guiding documents, the district’s mission, vision, and strategic plan, and how they can get involved. When community members know they can tap a button and review the measurements you have put into place, you can strategically develop trust, solidarity, and good community relations.
Conclusion
Funding is primarily a state-level issue that has the potential to place barriers in the way of your district’s attempt to maintain a positive reputation and relationship to the community. However, when your district is facing a potentially embarrassing non-compliance scenario (by no fault of their own), by practicing transparency, leveraging media coverage, and reinforcing your brand, you can rally the community in support of your schools rather than against them.
Looking for more personalized advice and strategic thought-partnering? Send me an email at veronica@veronicavsopher.com to ask about my monthly ad hoc communications support or to receive crisis communications support now.