Driving Strong Attendance and Enrollment Recap

We know that this enrollment period will be like none other. Schools and districts are feeling the pain of maintaining a high quality educational experience and strong funding streams. Now, more than ever, it’s important to consider how you can drive strong attendance and enrollment through your culture, messaging, and intentionality. That’s why we hosted Driving Strong Attendance and Enrollment, our second Possip PARTNER POWER CONNECT event.

Here are some of our favorite takeaways as a CX Team:

“Branding is the foundation. It’s the why.”

Monchiere’ Holmes-Jones, the CEO and Founder of MOJO Marketing + PR taught that branding isn’t simply about selecting a color scheme. It’s about centering your school and organization around a particular vision and goals that can shine through no matter the color scheme. Having a strong brand as a foundation will enable you to keep what you share consistent. We learned that because our brands are foundational, they go hand-in-hand with our missions. Monchiere told us, “If the mission is strong, it should always be a part of your message, and when someone can repeat it, they care enough to stay.” A strong mission reflects the culture, and therefore, the brand of an organization.

“Culture begets brand.”

Monchiere emphasized the importance of creating an authentic culture in order to create an authentic brand. It’s one thing to say certain values are a part of your brand, it’s another to live those values and let your brand speak for itself. She reminded us that demographics do not equal community. Authentic community and culture arise when people are presented with opportunities to express and celebrate themselves. For example, schools can take intentional time to celebrate months that highlight the identities of their scholars. Brand is “what people say when you’re not around,” as Monchiere said. In order to focus on driving strong attendance and enrollment, we have to consider the culture we have created, or want to create, when we establish our brand. 

“Stay newsworthy.”

Staying newsworthy doesn’t mean being in the news all of the time. Instead, it’s knowing what’s happening in the community and sharing relevant information with parents and families. For example, Monchiere highlighted that if there are opportunities for students to learn about different career fields or resources families can access, it’s important to become a hub for relevant information. This will encourage your parents and families to continue following and sharing what you have to say. 

A great way to do this using social media is to adopt what Monchiere calls Nike’s Hero-Hub-Help model.

• Hero posts “reiterate messaging and branding.”
• Hub posts “reiterate what’s happening right now.”
• Help posts “show how they’re helping their community.”

Show your brand; don’t simply tell.

A key part of the Metro Nashville Public Schools mantra is “every student known.” When the pandemic impacted student attendance and learning, Keri and the MNPS team wanted to make sure “every student known” was a reality. This led to the Navigator Program, which matches students with district staff and teachers who check in on them at least once a week. For Keri and the MNPS team, it was important to “expand” what they factored into attendance and make sure every student had someone they could go to if they needed solutions. Monchiere emphasized the importance of centering values in your brand, and MNPS demonstrates their values through real, actionable programs like the Navigators. 

Consider what students have gained during this time.

To wrap up our conversation, Keri ended with a reflection on her own son’s learning, calling us to consider not only what children have lost, but what they have gained and how they have grown during the pandemic. 

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We too want you to consider not only what you have lost, but what you have gained. We’ve seen your resilience, creativity, and leadership firsthand. We want you to feel empowered to “energize your brand,” in line with Monchiere and MOJO’s philosophy, by finding new ways to authentically drive strong attendance and enrollment, and continue creating a world that’s better for students and families because of your work.

Learn more about MOJO Marketing + PR here.

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Possip Spotlight: Gamble Montessori’s Strategies for Good Communication with Parents

At James N. Gamble Montessori High School in the Cincinnati Public Schools district, Principal Taylor Porter values good communication with parents which, according to Porter, involves informing, listening to, and responding to parents. These three tenets are central to Gamble’s communication with parents and growth strategy as a school. Gamble started using Possip pre-pandemic, and throughout the pandemic, it’s only served to strengthen their communication efforts.

Read our Q&A with Principal Porter to learn more about their communications philosophies, use of Possip, and strategies for parent follow-up.

What are your communication philosophies?

Good communication includes informing, listening, and responding. That’s the part we all miss– personally, professionally, from an organization perspective or school perspective. It’s not productive to always give marching orders. You have to find a way to hear your stakeholders and Possip, as a tool, has helped us with that.

After you receive a Pulse Check Report, what strategies do you use to follow up with parents and share praise with staff?

We signed up for Possip pre-pandemic, and I’m so glad we did because it allowed our parents and school community to get used to the tool. We get reports biweekly because we have a huddle every other Friday with our admin team. During our huddle, we go through the “hot” priorities in our reports and delegate it to the right personnel (resource coordinators, secretaries, etc). We didn’t have to create another meeting to discuss Possip reports because it goes with our schedule.

Our school is in a unique position: we’re experiencing tremendous growth. It’s really important to me to communicate with our families and community and also receive info from them– we want our relationship to be symbiotic (i.e. mutually beneficial), which includes having people in house who can respond.

What has been the impact of partnering with Possip on your school and community?

Parents love Possip because it’s another layer of communication. The most important thing to me is school safety, and we are looking to grow and keep growing. As we talk about safety and school growth, communication is the best tool. Voice mails can be tough, and emails are flooded. Having a quick biweekly report with responses is super efficient. 

I send parents a weekly robocall, weekly email, and weekly YouTube video. All of those tools allow us to share what they need to know, meanwhile, Possip is the best way for us to become aware of what we need to know from parents. Parents have shown through surveys that they appreciate the high level of communication. 

What are some tips you’ve shared with your principal colleagues that you think will benefit our other partners?

1. Prior to the first Pulse Check, send out an email blast about Possip. We sent a robocall, email, and YouTube video in advance. 

2. Before starting Possip, we had teachers proactively share information with their students that they could pass along to their parents. 

3. Don’t take sole ownership of Pulse Check Report reading. Build a team to view reports together, so you can make sure your response is effective. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share about Gamble Montessori HS?

Our school is really special. We’re a young school, but growing rapidly so I try to take advantage of any way we can increase and improve communication. There are things that make us special, such as curriculum and extracurriculars. Safety is also an essential value. Through it all, we are trying to grow and it’s working!

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We have five core values and one of them is community– we have to learn how to listen to each other. And considering the pandemic, Possip is even more useful. Pre-pandemic I enjoyed working with Possip, but now tools like it are making our lives a little better [in these times].

Special thanks to Principal Porter for the interview!

Follow Gamble Montessori High School on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

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Family Trends from Week Ending February 19

During the week ending February 19th, over 19,000 parents or caregivers responded to a pulse check with their parent praise and insights. We are seeing similar trends as last week in terms of feedback topics from families across the country. Take a look at an overview of trends of praises and insights from families across the country. Last week, 71% of parents responded that they were happy with their child’s school, with the remaining saying they were mostly happy or not happy with their child’s school. Below are a few themes from families across the country:

• praise for the dedication of all school staff members and teachers
• questions around school reopening decisions and a desire for schools to communicate their rationale
• continued requests for academic support for students and more communication around grade updates
• support with technology needs and troubleshooting virtual learning programs, along with questions about virtual learning attendance errors

Here are a few suggested tools and resources based on what we are hearing.

• Tech Troubleshooting Checklist: Here’s a resource for your child to try and guide themselves through tech troubleshooting at home https://app.hubspot.com/documents/5933397/view/82309932?accessId=0b77fb
• Student Goal Setting Trackers: These can be used at home to track progess towards academic goals at school or create your own goals with your child https://hubs.ly/H0G_NvK0
• In-Person or Virtual Learning: The Parent Decision https://possip.com/in-person-or-virtual-learning-the-parent-decision/

Here are some resources we shared with your school:

• School Reopening Checklist:  https://app.hubspot.com/documents/5933397/view/82292845?accessId=1ec48f
• Virtual Parent Organization Meeting Customizable Deck: https://app.hubspot.com/documents/5933397/view/82308302?accessId=7d2370
• Tips for Successful Parent Teacher Conferences: https://possip.com/tips-for-successful-virtual-parent-teacher-conferences/

We’d love to hear from you. What else do you want to need or see? Do these parent praise and insights align with what you see?

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Sustaining Black History Month Beyond February

What does it mean for Black History Month to be sustained beyond February?

The events of 2020 served as a catalyst for this year’s Black History Month. Justified civil unrest in the midst of a global pandemic that disproportionately affects marginalized communities left teachers all over the country rethinking their own teaching practices, adding Black and Brown voices to their curriculum, and thinking about how to best support students, all while teaching the necessary skills and standards. These experiences culminate in the month of February, a month designated to amplify Black and Brown voices, celebrate Black joy, and shed light on America’s untold history. Black History Month serves as a designated time for teachers and schools to highlight, and intentionally integrate, Black History. We should, however, be sustaining Black History Month, its learning, and perhaps unlearning beyond a single month.

 

What is culturally relevant teaching and why does it matter?

Zaretta Hammond, a teacher, author, and researcher of issues of equity and culturally responsive teaching, defines culturally relevant teaching as, “an educator’s ability to recognize students’ cultural displays of learning and meaning-making and respond positively and constructively with teaching moves that use cultural knowledge as a scaffold to connect what the student knows to new concepts and content in order to promote effective informational processing.” If we are to be culturally responsive educators, we must expand Black History Month into everyday curriculum. This, in turn, is no easy task, as it requires more than introducing our students to voices of color, and starting our days with inspirational quotations. This work asks us to first and foremost, do our own work as educators, addressing the gaps in our own education when it comes to Black history, exploring beyond the master narrative of American history, and leaning into courageous conversations with our peers about issues of race and inequity within our communities, curriculum, and systems. 

 

How do we sustain Black History Month as educators and school leaders?

Before we begin introducing students to texts and the history of Black and Brown voices, we must first build a relationship with students and promote a culture of trust within our classrooms and schools. If we do not create a safe space, students will not feel the freedom to explore and rethink, as this both requires vulnerability and courage. Building a culture rooted in trust and understanding can look like offering students opportunities to share themselves, their cultures, and their experiences creatively. Students can engage in regular restorative circles, which provide students with a structured and inclusive environment to process. Teachers can practice vulnerability with students by sharing their own experiences, or by inviting students to be the experts in the room. 

 

Once a culture of trust is established, educators can reflect and brainstorm on their own teaching practices, asking questions such as, “whose voices am I privileging in this space?” Or, “is this text relatable to all students, or do they need prior knowledge or experience to access it?” The system of education is, in fact, Eurocentric at its core, so as educators, it’s important to explore and question our own practices and teacher choices in order to promote equity within our communities. 

 

During Black History Month, it is common for schools to shed light on voices such as Martin Luther King Jr, Rosa Parks, or Harriet Tubman. However, authentic integration of diverse voices asks us to share the untold voices and stories of people of color across curriculums. We can challenge ourselves to research the Black and Brown human stories behind the mathematical equations, scientific solutions, or literary work. We can share the stories of courageous individuals such as Paulie Murray, Claudette Colvin, or John Lewis. Additionally, we can share these stories with our students, and ask them to explore and get curious about these people and their successes. It is important for our students to see themselves represented in our curriculum. Additionally, it’s important for our students to see the regular expression of Black joy. We can do this by choosing texts with protagonists who are dynamic and diverse. Likewise, we can intentionally use images and art from diverse voices that promote a celebratory experience. We can expose students to people of color in our own community who have diverse experiences. We can be honest about what we do and do not know when it comes to Black history. 

 

Why is this work so important?

Black History Month is a beautiful and celebratory month to amplify marginalized voices, to celebrate our Black and Brown students and their families. However, the heart of this work exists beyond February; it is our work to do so that our students may feel truly seen and known. Sustaining Black History Month into our everyday learning and culture will positively and powerfully impact our students and school communities. 

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Family Trends from Week Ending February 12th

During the week ending February 12th, over 32,000 parents or caregivers responded to a pulse check with their parent praise and insights. We hope seeing the trends last week was a helpful experience for you all. We will be sharing these collective insights from parents across the country each week. Take a look at an overview of trends of praises and insights from families across the country.

Last week, 73% of parents responded that they were happy with their child’s school, with the remaining saying they were mostly happy or not happy with their child’s school.

We saw a few themes across the country:

• praise for school staff members and the hard work they are doing during this time
• feedback and comments about school reopening plans and future or current COVID safety protocols
• requests for academic support for students who are struggling or could benefit from one-on-one support
• families of students with an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) shared that they needed more support for their children
• desire for updates on academic progress, current grades for their child, and requests for progress reports

Here are a few suggested tools and resources based on what we are hearing.

• Navigating Your Child’s IEP Needs in a Virtual Environment: https://possip.com/navigating-child-iep-needs-virtual-environment/
• 8 Tips to Help Parents Be Homework Heroes : https://possip.com/8-tips-to-help-parents-be-homework-heroes/

We also shared these resources with our partner schools…

• Free Resource: Virtual Learning Progress Report Template: https://hubs.ly/H0zJZ6g0
• Free Resource: COVID-19 Communication Parent Newsletter Template: https://app.hubspot.com/documents/5933397/view/94080897?accessId=82f822
• Supporting Families with Diverse Learners: https://possip.com/principals-corner-supporting-families-with-diverse-learners/

We’d love to hear from you. What else do you want to need or see? Do these parent praise and insights align with what you see?

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Youth Activism and Education in the Fight to Integrate Girard College

North Philadelphia’s Young Activists

In North Philadelphia, there’s a 10ft stone wall surrounding a campus of picturesque buildings. The 43-acre campus is Girard College, a Philadelphia boarding school that opened its doors in 1848 to poor, white male orphans. Today, the sidewalks outside Girard college are largely quiet, but in the 1960s, youth activism ushered in necessary change.

Last February, right before the pandemic shut most things down, I was finishing my final semester of graduate school. For an education course on Black and Latinx resistance, I visited Girard College and spoke to two of the youth activists who helped integrate Girard: Bernyce and Karen.

They were a part of the “Young Militants” or “Cecil’s Army,” teenagers who marched for “seven months and 17 days” in order to integrate Girard College (Rybak, 2016). Although Brown v. Board of Education passed in 1954, the struggle to desegregate Girard lasted many years later. While the teens marched outside, Cecil B. Moore, an NAACP leader and prominent African-American lawyer, fought inside the courtroom to desegregate Girard (Historical Society of Pennsylvania).

Girard College was created as a boarding school for white male orphans, but teens like Bernyce and Karen fought hard to make sure it opened its doors to more students. Throughout the fight to integrate, the teens bravely faced police brutality and threats. According to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, “In 1968, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling” to integrate Girard. In the 1970s, it began accepting women.

The first time I’d heard of Girard College, Cecil’s Army, and the path to integration was in my class, but I surely hope it is not the last.

Why Youth Activism Matters

It’s imperative to include youth activists in our studies of the Civil Rights Movement and Black History (e.g. American history). Throughout time, youth and youth led movements have paved the way for substantial changes. Youth are not simply the future, they’re creating the future. Today, Bernyce and Karen live in the Philadelphia they helped create. While ample work remains, their story reminds me that there’s power in every person, no matter their age. This Black History Month, don’t forget to center youth activists in your reflections.

Read more on racial justice and Black History Month by the Possip team here.

By Jasmine Blue. Jasmine is a Possip team member.

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Civil Rights Movement Activists, Black Educators, & Trailblazers: My Grandparents

Mississippi blue skies and Sunday afternoons after church were some of the brightest days for my grandmother and her cousins who grew up in Holly Springs Mississippi, just south of Memphis. Unfortunately, while days outside and an impenetrable faith community defined their childhood, so did harsh “whites only” signs, designated days to go to town, and racial terrorism in the Jim Crow South. Under the fierce heat of racial violence, my grandparents–like so many other African-American people–found ways to mobilize, love their Blackness, challenge white supremacy, and dismantle forms of systemic racism during and after the Civil Rights Movement.

The librarian from Mississippi

As a fourteen year old, my grandmother got involved in the Civil Rights Movement. She and her sisters found leadership and direction in Mississippi under the guidance of Fannie Lou Hamer, who was working to register disenfranchised Black voters at the time.

Serving in the movement furthered my grandmother’s resolve when she enrolled in Ole Miss to get her Masters years later. Few Black people, and even fewer Black women, attended the university, yet my grandmother set her sight towards a Master of Science in Library Science. She understood the liberating power of reading, writing, and learning, which not only enabled enslaved Black people to escape, but helped Black people throughout the Jim Crow South make sense of their lives, experiences, and Blackness.

With a faith filled heart and inspired mind, my grandmother took her love for learning and educating others to work with her for four decades as a Memphis City Schools librarian. She was also an active member of the teacher’s union, an avid voter (living in Fannie’s legacy and her own), and candidate for school board.

The award winning basketball coach

Similar to my grandmother, my grandfather’s childhood–while defined by moment’s of play, laughter, dancing, and basketball–was also subject to Jim Crow. He joined the movement as a student at the HBCU, Rust College. While getting arrested in a “whites only” section of a library, participating in lunch counter sit-ins, and loving his Blackness during a time when Jim Crow told him there was nothing to love, by God’s grace, my grandfather’s heart became more resilient, hope-filled, and inspiring [to others]. 

Even after having children, my grandparents stayed active in the Civil Rights Movement. The night before MLK Jr. was assassinated, they heard him deliver his famous “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech in Memphis. Both educators–they did not wait for change, they played a role in ushering it into the South. MLK Jr. often quoted Amos 5:24 saying “But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” And I like to think that my grandparents were a part of the justice that rolled down, and that they are still a part of it.

In school, I was always taught that the Civil Rights Movement ended in the late 60s, but in reality, my grandparents–like many other Black folks–never stopped the work. Both spent years pouring into their communities and advocating by working as dedicated educators. They even opened their backyard to community swim lessons where my grandfather taught Black kids (and some adults too) across Memphis how to swim. My grandfather, a lifelong community servant, eventually became a state championship winning basketball coach. In 2014, the high school he coached named their gym after him, and in 2017 he was inducted into the TSSAA Hall of Fame.

The trailblazing city councilman

On the other side of my family, my grandfather was elected as the first minority city councilman in his predominantly white, Southern city and county. He worked hard to improve the lives and visibility of families in his ward, and was well regarded as an outspoken yet respected leader in the community. A hard working and dedicated man, my grandfather was also active in his local NAACP chapter and served as a committeeman for the United Auto Workers (UAW). 

The faith-filled leader

Between raising seven children and working numerous jobs to help provide for their family, my grandmother loved serving in her church. Anchored by a strong faith, she uplifted, celebrated, prayed for, and supported our family with a beautiful faith. Growing up, my extended family went to my grandparents’ home on Sundays after church to enjoy soul food. My grandmother put her love into her meals, and we filled almost every room downstairs with food and laughter. 

My grandmother passed in December 2020, days before her wedding anniversary with my grandpa and a little over six years after he passed. She selflessly poured her love into our family through continual sacrifices that extended far beyond the dinner table and those joy-filled rooms. Even after dementia jumbled her words, her same loving, faith-filled heart encouraged me through her hard time. Today, my family is living in my grandparents’ legacies, and on both sides of my family, I can say, without a doubt, that I am blessed.

More than 28 days to remember

While Black History Month apportions 28 days to honor the stories of Black people across America, I pray my daily life honors those who’ve come before me. Through learning my family’s history, I find gratitude, faith, hope, and strength to move forward in this time.

During my first and final semesters of undergrad, I found myself–through two distinct service opportunities– beautifying cemeteries that held the remains of formerly enslaved people. The cemeteries were overgrown, teeming with litter, and in need of community care. Taking time, in such a small way, to honor the humanity of those who’d come before me was unforgettable. From beautifying the cemeteries to honoring my grandparents, this Black History Month, I am reminded that by honoring the Black lives of the past, we are empowered to continue the movement for Black lives today and tomorrow.

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