Wow, I could post on so many subjects here. I couldn't tear myself away until I read every single post on this subject.

We have a similar situation as we are a public school and there is a catholic school just up the street.

My daughter attended the catholic school from pre-k to 2nd grade until we had enough!!!! We switched her over to public and now she's a sweet caring young girl instead of being a depressed angry child.

Problem, she still played cyc sports and was described by team players as "public kid". Like they forgot her name after playing with her for 4 years LOL.

Anyway, we have a very catholic community so that is one reason our enrollment is very low. We also have a new principal and I mentioned to her that we need to get our names out in the community. We've recently entered into community contest for the students (and a good majority of the winners inthese contests came from our school!!) and we're going to get the students involved in the community as well.

Try doing that. Get your name out there, get pictures of what you are doing into the local papers and publicize a school website. People can look for themselves and see what a great school you have.

best of luck

Hehe.. I'm imagining a posse. Very nice.

We have a saint for a kindergarten teacher. She teaches both classes (58 students total), knows all the parents, can do daily progress reports for 10 kids a day and has done 3 sets of conferences this year. She is amazing. Everyone who knows her loves her.

She alsdo gets the brunt of the new parents coming in to pretend that they are considering our school. They want her to prove why our school is good enough for them. They don't seem to realize how confrontational and insultung they are.

Well, yes she gets defensive when someone questions the school. I'm sure she thinks, "Here we go again." No matter what she says, if they come in after their friends have badmouthed us, they find something wrong. You just can't please everyone on everything - unless they decide you can.

So I can see where JHB's principle would be reluctant. Imagine what it's like for the staff.

The annoying part is that we have a good school with a very caring staff. We do acheive a lot. I have seen the staff respond to concerns. I respect them for admitting that something could be done better.

I think it's a horrible thing to teach children that anything makes them better than other people and gives them the right to gossip and belittle. That's what these parents are doing. We'll have to deal with it more in Jr High.

(Sigh.) I guess it builds character.

I'm really liking the PR idea. I can't believe they're complaining about 20 years ago.

[ 05-20-2004, 06:32 PM: Message edited by: nonsequitur ]

I think it is safe to say that we all know what petty little places these people are coming from and you have no control over what they do, say or how they feel. But you do have some control over what your school does, says and the way they look.
You have begun the process by touting the wonderful things and how you feel about the school and I don't think you are far off about the PR issue.
Time to let the world know what you have known for a while.
Press releases on every accomplishment is a first step. Find the right contacts for your local news channels, news papers and every other outlet that could possibly tout your school's achievements (teacher's newsletters, district parent's newsletters etc) and start getting the word out!
Sure not all of them will make the papers but you are guaranteed some space when news is slow. If it's a small town, that could be rather often.
If there is an increase in test scores, lowered drop out rates, EVERYTHING positive. Scream it from the rooftops and make certain that the right people hear you. Change will take time but it will eventually happen and make certain that when you do pass the torch that the person who takes it, keeps up the work. It may not happen soon enough for you to see the results and you don't want the initiative to die when you go.
We all know that media makes a big impact on how things are perceived. Start using it to your advantage.
You don't have to hire your husband but you can pick his brain...
In the meantime, try to ignore them. (I know it's hard but if it doesn't work, kma was organizing a posse a while back, perhaps they're for hire!! [img]smile.gif[/img]

OMG I can not believe you have full grown adults behaving this way. Yes test scores are important but good lord there is more to education then test scores!!! When these immature adults feel the need to bash your school just look at them nice and calm and let them know if they have no expeierce at your school they have no buisness bashing it......high school crapola that is. People like that, atleast they seem to me, are the ones that need ego boosts to feel better about themselve and truely enjoy pushing someones buttons in order to make themselves feel better. After all it's not like it's the presidental school of honor......its a school just like everywhere else and for any adult to bash a child, which is basically what they are doing, should be ashamed of themselves. Ignore what they have to say because you know they have no clue.....let them sound as ignorant as they want and don't get worked up about it...maybe if they are smart enough, which somehow I doubt, they'll learn to keep their pieholes shut when they see you not getting worked up.

nonsequitur - I can really sympathize. Our middle school has a similar reputation. No - it's not perfect; yes-there are some problems. But the PERCEPTION of the school is way out of proportion, and I find I'm constantly defending it to other parents.

I have tried and tried to convince the principal that they must work harder on PR for the school. They are really somewhat blind to the issue, since they know much of what's circulating isn't true. At our last meeting, I brought this up and the principal got very defensive. But then, as the meeting progressed, he kept listing good things about the school - accomplishments and such. My response was - "GREAT, but why didn't I know that? Why do we parents hear about the fire someone set in a wastebaset or the fight between 2 kids? But we don't hear about this award and that accomplishment?" I don't think he's completely converted, but at least he was thinking about it.

One of my goals for next year is to work with the staff on publicizing the school's good points more.

Here's an oar....
I hear the same thing and feel like I'm consently defending the school I chose for the kids. I have the kids at a charter school which is considered a school of choice, in an "uneducated" mind we are a private school and out of reach. Anyway, it hard and exsausting.
In our school district the schools teach math concepts, our charter school picked Saxon Math and Phonics. We have uniforms, the district's dress code is a joke.

The hardest and most unfair question I was asked by a teacher leaving was "Why do they (Admin) like you so much and why do you stay? You really need to go where the school appreciates the work you do. " I did tell her that I like it there and the Admin likes me because I know when to say something and when to walk away (or run ). But here comment was really hard to take. I have really learned though who I can and can't talk to. Sadly I have many friends but few I feel comfortable really talking to about school issues.

Don't worry about ranting, this is such a great place to just...let it out. Also as long as Tim doesn't mind, we are okay!

When I get in one of those conversations I have learned to "know when to hold it, know when to walk away, and know when to run." Yeah, a little Kenny Rogers flash back but it works...sometimes