Communication Improvement Meeting Notes
5/9/05 10:30 AM

 
What we do now:

• email: individual & mass
•  listserve:
• Telephone: individual & conference  (also from office list per Mary Halter)
•  newsletter: August & January mailings & on website
• mass mailing
• website
• notices at ES meetings
• flyers given to ESs at meetings
• Face-to-face meetings: with ESs & parents, ESs and other staff; group and one-on-one
• Parent council meetings
• Parent surveys, on-line surveys, telephone surveys
• Parent evaluation of ESs
• School is evaluated by parents
• Advisers are evaluated by ESs

Discussion points

• Incoming and outgoing
• back and forth
• up and down
• maximize parents being heard (primarily is one-on-one)
• ESs have a feedback loop but the school in general doesn't know if parents are receiving info.
• Discussion of what may or will be happening
• Parents may be getting information overload.
• Phone trees won't work because we can't let parents have phone numbers
• Mary Halter suggested random sampling to see if parents received info.
• Return receipt on email to parents to see how many parents opened up emails
• ESs should also use this when passing on info.
• Send email that refers to website link which makes info accessible to any computer
• Share effective ways of getting communication out:
• posting on web (except those items that are not on the web)
• Inform parents that they can refer back to prior emails on Yahoo groups
• Adding more by counties so parents can network more (can set up criteria for different areas)
• Need categories and someone to monitor the Yahoo group info.
• Sherri wants to have way of knowing that info from ESs is reaching the parents.  Perhaps random survey. 
• Make sure that all people who answer the phone know where the information is.  Come up with frequently asked questions list.
• Such as hours of sites.  And testing times/places.  Graduation info.   We don't want callers to be passed on to other phone number.
• Current information at Waterford?  Should ESs be the only ones to call the offices?
• Policy for parents referred back to calling ESs. 
• Don't wish to keep parent or ES on hold while info was being found.
• Center voicemails should have hours, locations.   Center answers should be minimal and should refer to the correct source.
• Get better phone service.
• Survey about service at Centers.  About contract program instructors. 
• Nature of learning center clerks--what they are to do.  Gary suggested having page or two with protocol, FAQs.
• Susie has booklet to forward to Mary Vinnedge.  Site coordinators have been training and need correct information.
• Agenda info on Graduation and mail form to 12th graders.  As Sherri says, there is only so much we can do.  We can't make them...
• Did following up phone calls with Waterford and Mary Halter.
• ES is frontline person.  We look to them to pave the way.
• ESs need to be well-informed.  Modesto High sends out an automatic voicemail with events.  Waterford shared that type of phone system.  Mary will look into which system Modesto High uses.
• Susie doesn't like the mass school calls.
• Parents feel on surveys that communication has improved.
• One parent would like to fill out forms on-line.  Sherri asked Gary if that could be made available (surveys, applications, updating info).  If parent doesn't have access, would receive paper copy.  Some cost and time involved in integrating this.
• Should a survey be sent to express how parents like to receive information?  A checkbox in the data base would inform the school how the parent likes to receive info.
• How to integrate updating our information?  ESs needs to do this?  Are you a parent who needs to change your information?  Click this link.  (Gary)

We mail out parent council ballots.  First newsletter.  Maybe not the second semester newsletter.
 
Focus on: 2 or 3 projects to improve communication

1. improve phone etiquette, policy, automatic, one phone number for all the schools, sites, etc. with ES Advisor referral also.  Mary Vinnedge to work with John Wilberger and Susie. 
2. Listserve options/categories headed by Janet.  Who would be monitoring?
   Return receipts for emails.
3. Forms on line with Gary.  Integrate into our system better ways to update/correct information.  Would be much easier for ESs to be able to do this for family change of information (eliminate one or more steps). 
4. " Daily Bulletin"  is this in the works already?
    
   Meet one more time:  May 23rd with reports on the sections.