Montana Catholic Schools Weekly
October 19, 2014
Marketing is Everyone's Job
An inescapable part of all our jobs is public relations. We’re all in the business of marketing our superior schools so that people truly understand who we are and why we believe our Catholic schools are the best choice for their students and are worth the financial sacrifice. We form students in a family environment that emphasizes excellent academics, high moral standards, and religious truth.
Now is the time to gather data such as surveys, focus groups, or interviews in order to figure out why people enroll, why other families do not, and why/when families leave. It’s time to plan for our next enrollment cycle in order to get our pastors, advisory councils, faculties, staffs, and current parents behind these new ideas.
Engage your current parents:
1. Is someone keeping your website up to date? Parents need to know where to look for schedules, announcements, calendar, etc.
2. Is someone engaging your parents on Facebook? Twitter? Instagram? These are all good ways to show the good things happening in your school. Parents love to see pictures of field trips, art projects, PE classes, etc. Your teachers can provide the content. Can you post one thing a day?
3. We seem to have forgotten our dads. Have you thought about a “Dads and Doughnuts” day to get the dads together? Or a Kindergarten “reading with Dad” day?
4. At your major events like Christmas programs, do you honor your parents with a badge saying “Proud Parent”?
5. Are there real opportunities for parents to help out at school? Are you posting what you need in the newsletter or on Social Media?
6. Are you giving parents some content in your weekly newsletter? Are you explaining accreditation, your SLE’s, your testing cycle, your homework policy, your expectations, etc?
7. Have you thought about an incentive for recruiting new families such as a free month of tuition for current parents? By adopting this, you are sending the message that you value their role as recruiters.
8. Is your door (or email inbox) open for parents to share their concerns?
Attract new parents:
1. Is your website up to date and inviting? This is the first place prospective parents go. Is there a portal/special menu to welcome them?
2. Are you having a variety of open houses at different times of year and different times?
3. Are you having specific information nights for pre-K and/or Kindergarten?
4. Do you have someone designated to give tours? Do you make a point to meet all new parents?
5. Do you thank prospective parents for coming in with a thank you note? Do you keep a database of all prospective parents? Do you follow up with them to answer any questions?
6. Do you have an outreach to local parishes to reach the families in each parish? Have you invited local pastors to visit?
If you take the lead in marketing and recruiting, surely your faculty, staff, parents, and advisory council will follow. The Good News will spread.
Dr. Tim Uhl
Billings Marian U class
Great Falls Marian U class
Missoula Marian U class
The Week Ahead
Sunday: Helena (St. Andrew reception)
Monday: Helena (office day)Tuesday: Great Falls (chancery meetings)
Wednesday: Helena (St. Andrew's WCEA visit) & travel to Billings
Thursday: Billings (St. Labre Board meeting)
Friday: Bozeman (visit to Divine Mercy Academy & meeting with Greg Gianforte)
This week: 710 miles
Last week: 1046 miles
This year: 8239 miles
Montana Catholic Schools
Email: superintendent@montanacc.org
Website: montanacatholicschools.org
Location: 1313 11th Avenue, Helena, MT, United States
Phone: (406) 442-5761
Twitter: @tduhl
Upcoming Events
St. Andrew WCEA Accreditation visit Oct 19-22. Thanks to Kathy Harris (Marketing Director, Billings Catholic Schools), Rhonda Hawkins (teacher at St. Matthew's in Kalispell), Kerrie Hellyer (principal of Butte Central Elementary), and Chris Read (principal of St. Francis Intermediate in Billings) for volunteering their time to be on the accreditation team.
Regional principal meetings in November: Nov 18th (Missoula), Nov 19 (Great Falls), Nov 20 (Billings). Topics will include pre-K and school policies..