needs of all learners, the incorporation of
local decision making, or the focus on mul-
tiple measures.
Rhonda Buss, director of secondary
schools in the ABC Unified School District,
focuses on the decision-making perspective
when she works with principals who explain
the Dashboard.
“Proactively delivering information about
the Dashboard and using the information
to tell an accurate story will ensure every-
one is on the same page when making de-
cisions about accelerating student success in
schools,” she said.
Considering these shifts, think about the
audience and identify the points that will
resonate most strongly with them. Make
sure to minimize the points that do not work
and be sure to consider the message tone and
vocabulary, make it your own but be sure to
relate with the audience as much as possible.
Planning what you are going to say is
critical to successful advocacy. Don’t just
fly by the seat of your pants. Start with your
message framework, analyze the audience,
and tailor your message. Utilize your notes;
the many resources available on the Dash-
board are a great place to begin but don’t
write them into a script. Identify your main
talking points and be able to speak to them.
Organize your remarks: tell them what you
are going to say, say it, then tell them what
you said.
Choose the right spokesperson
Not just anyone can deliver a message,
and sometimes the best messengers are not
the first ones that come to mind. Joe Pub-
lic is most impressed with two key messen-
gers in public education: the teacher and the
principal. Study after study note that these
are the two most credible and trustworthy
representatives in public education. Know-
ing that, what can you do to carefully select
your spokesperson?
When it comes to Dashboard data, grab
those principals and train them up. Similar
to sentence starters used in primary grade
writing lessons, bring principals up to speed
on both the district data, the deeper dive
into their site data, and the overall message
you want communicated to parents and the
school communities.
Having a lead teacher or two is also highly
effective, as those individuals have connec-
tions with parents in the school as well as
with their colleagues on staff who also need
to walk through the data, the stories it tells
and the next steps. But choose wisely, as
some communities may not understand the
complexities and need a messenger who can
remain calm, cool and collected, especially
with the media.
Get ready to speak
Before you begin to talk, remember to
breathe, smile and speak slowly. Plan to
make eye contact with three points of the
group and while you should gesture while
speaking, try not to do it too much or it will
be a distraction. Avoid jargon whenever
possible and try to minimize filler words or
breaks such as “um,” “so,” “like” and “you
know.”
Stick to your notes and practice, practice,
practice. The more experience you have talk-
ing about the Dashboard, the more familiar
and more comfortable you will be in sharing
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