Because the Baldwinsville Central School District is committed to candid communications with community members, the district has established the Key Communicators’ Network.
Key communicators are community members, parents, staff members, representatives from local businesses and organizations, and representatives from local government.
They have volunteered their time to aid the district in improving and enhancing communication in the community by acting as a conduit between the district and the community. Key communicators actively share information with community members to dispel rumors. They keep Superintendent Jeanne Dangle informed of questions, concerns and rumors they have heard in the community.
The goals of the group are:
- To bridge the connection between the district and the community;
To communicate student and staff accomplishments;
To provide an opportunity for key communicators to share community concerns, questions and ideas with the superintendent;
To provide key communicators with accurate information regarding district programs and initiatives that they share with other community members; and
To proactively manage issues, particularly rumors and misinformation circulating in the community.
The Key Communicators’ Network met for the first time on Sept. 14. You can find the minutes from this meeting on the Key Communicators’ page on the district’s web site, bville.org. Follow the link to “District Information” on the left side of the homepage. On the District Information page, click on the link to “Key Communicators’ Network.” Here you will find the minutes as well as an overview of the group.
The superintendent is posting a Question and Answer on this page on a regular basis to provide district residents with the most accurate information on issues of concern to them.
At the first meeting, the group discussed how community members get information about the district. Many members mentioned the district newsletter, the Messenger, friends and the PTA newsletters.
Superintendent Dangle showed the group data from a community perception survey that the district conducted in January 2008 in conjunction with Research & Marketing Strategies, Inc. (RMS). According to the survey, 81 percent of respondents agreed that the district communicates well with the community and 77 percent said they receive their information about the district from the district newsletter, “The Beecon.”
Superintendent Dangle discussed the boundaries that constrain the district when disseminating information. These boundaries are:
- Cost — Is the method of communication cost-effective?
Legal — There are instances when the district cannot release information to the public for legal reasons;
Contracts — There are clauses in staff contracts that prohibit the district from releasing certain information until a specified time;
Personnel issues — There are certain issues that the district does not have the right to share with the community;
Student privacy; and
Board of Education action — The district cannot release information until the Board of Education has acted on an item or issue.
The group broke into five smaller groups to discuss the following questions:
- 1. What are currently the most relevant issues in the community?
2. How can the district get accurate information out to the community?
The groups named issues such as the H1N1 virus, safety and security. They also cited making the district’s web site more user-friendly and creating more interactive communication, such as community meetings, as the top two methods to provide the community with information. All of the groups’ responses to the two questions can be found in the meeting minutes on the web site.
The group will meet again in January.
If you’re interested in becoming a member of the Key Communicators’ Network, please contact Kelly Cary, school information officer, at [email protected] or 638-6180.
