Terry Abbott, who comes to town this week to review Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' communications program, has strong views about school districts shaping how they're viewed.
"School districts must create their own supercharged newsrooms to find and deliver compelling, dramatic stories about success — and failure too. The sea change occurring in the news business gives school districts more opportunities to find and tell their own great stories and get more positive coverage in the media," Abbott wrote in a 2009 District Administration article titled "Taking Control of Your District's News."
Superintendent Heath Morrison is paying $20,000 for a communication audit by Abbott, who chairs Drive West Communications. Abbott is a former chief of staff for the U.S. Education Department, former press secretary for Houston Independent School District -- and even a former newspaper reporter.
Communication audits Abbott did for Wake County Schools in 2011 and for Washoe County Schools when Morrison was hired to head that district in 2009 may offer a glimpse of what he'll be looking at and thinking when he scopes out the scene in CMS. Two years later, Morrison described the "communications transformation" that followed from that audit (you've got to love an official PowerPoint that includes the header "Official Test Score Reports = SNOOZEFEST!").
Covering a communications audit poses a unique challenge for education reporters. Abbott will likely be critiquing our coverage and how well it conveys the CMS message. And he has invited a group of education reporters to provide input for the audit. It's a sensible request from someone who wants to get the full picture, and after 10 years of covering CMS I'm chock full of opinions about what works and what doesn't. But reporters don't participate in issues we cover, and after talking with my editors, we decided the Observer would not attend.
Morrison says the findings of this audit will be made public as he prepares his plans to move forward. I'll be eager to read and report on what Abbott says about CMS, and even more curious to see how his recommendations play out.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
A supercharged CMS newsroom?
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36 comments:
What timing...
CMS plans to launch a newsroom to report the facts while at the same time, the Observer will begin charging you for online access to read those reports....
Gotta love it.
As a CMS employee I think it is wonderful that Dr. Morrison is taking this approach to determine the areas for improvement for this district. I believe as many of my colleagues do that he is right on target in focusing on the Communications Department and especially the Human Resources Department. This district will never be as strong as it could be until the HR department starts giving people who are qualified, with appropriate credentials and experienced the opportunity to obtain positions of leadership within this district! Many talented employees have resigned their positions from CMS due to the unethical practices in this department. An example of his is the implementation of these "so called" Talent Pools. These pools are just a controlled method by which individuals get to pick and choose who will advance and who will not. Basically, it appears that one's advancement depends on "who you know" not "what you know." Dr. Morrison, please check the credentials of those making these decisions......are they qualified to do so? Dr. Morrison, many employees in this district are counting on you..If these practices do not end, CMS will not be able to move in the right direction.
A third grader could report the information or should I say misinformation that comes out of CMeS.Super charged newsroom is the answer. REALY
How about telling the plain truth for a change.
This was taken from "Taking Control of Your District's News":
Administrators should hold major news conferences and produce news announcements on their budgets, new programs and initiatives, and significant or touching stories from schools.
This is EXACTLY what I asked of the Board (and per Ms. Lennon, she was going to forward my request to Dr. Morrisson) on Thursday. I asked when Dr. Morrison was going to hold a press conference to address the public angst over the recent Market Adjustments.
Today is Sunday, and still not a peep from CMS.
Don't forget this part of his background:
Beginning in 2000 and continuing to today, I started consulting on my own time with organizations around the country to help with communications. I eventually worked with the Broad Foundation and the Cincinnati Business Committee, and with school districts in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Minneapolis, Albuquerque, Providence, Montgomery, Charlotte, Charleston, Columbus, Oklahoma City, suburban Denver, suburban Atlanta, Dallas, San Antonio, Fort Wayne, and many other places.
http://blog.chron.com/schoolzone/2008/06/terry-abbott-hisds-press-secretary-resigning/
"...after 10 years of covering CMS I'm chock full of opinions about what works and what doesn't. But reporters don't participate in issues we cover, and after talking with my editors, we decided the Observer would not attend."
Ann, since you won't be there, do you mind if I point out some issues that you've had with CMS?
Christine,
Yes, there needs to be a better explanation of the Market Adjustment process and why it was needed when the money as they have already proven could have been used to give the teachers another 1%.
Or better yet, pay the hourly employees even better.
Or maybe I should have said, why the Market Adjustment was given to the people they were given too when everyone else is frozen or so dismally behind. And I don't mean that you are behind if you earn more than $80,000 when seasoned teachers earn about half of that.
Misinformation from the sorority sisters has been the preferred tactic ever since Ms. Carr left for Greensboro. Next, maybe a propaganda television station to replace the formerly abandoned education channel is in the cards.
Just tell the truth. No need to spin. Plenty good going on in CMS.
Yeah, I think the last thing CMS needs is a supercharged newsroom. CMS has spent the last six years under Dr. Gorman controlling the message and I personally don't want CMS to be able to control that message. Who will check the statistics, the reporing, the facts??? It's all a ruse so that someone can make everyone else think that CMS has suddenly improved.
Christine, I think most of my efforts to get timely and complete information are a matter of public record, either in this blog or in print. And I think one of the things the superintendent needs to figure out is whether delays come from the communications department or the folks providing them the info.
The sisters dont know what the TRUTH is, much less how and what technology to use to promote it.The entire department is a waste of taxpayers $. When are we going to stop seeing the CMS TV station that has been running the same stories for the last two years.
When are we going to stop seeing the CMS TV station that has been running the same stories for the last two years.
Dump Time Warner and your problem is solved.....
This is what we need a arm of CMS to produce what they want to sell the public. This is not going to help CMS in earning trust with anyone. Its also going to cost us around 15-25k again. Heath this is not the right method to bring another "Broadie to town". Each one creates a sense of a cover up by CMS. So far Heath the leadership is around 0 for 3 since July 1. We dont need a "CMS newsroom" we need great leadership and great teachers teaching a great product. Start with earning the teachers trust thats mountain #1. Keith W. Hurley
Superintendent Heath Morrison is paying $20,000 for a communication audit by Abbott...
So Anne, did Morrison pay this twenty grand out of his pocket, or did you mean to say taxpayers are paying the fee?
Superintendent Heath Morrison is paying $20,000 for a communication audit by Abbott...
So Anne, did Morrison pay this twenty grand out of his pocket, or did you mean to say taxpayers are paying the fee?
CMS already gets a great deal of coverage of the positive things it does, although those stories generally don't stick in the public mind as long as the articles that detail conflicts and challenges. The district's biggest communications failing has been its inability to provide timely, relevant and accurate data on important issues – or to be clear about those areas where such data is murky or incomplete. This seems to be as much of a problem internally as well as externally. Rather than hiring a Broad-trained spin doctor, Heath Morrison should invest some real money in a full-time employee with the time and skills to sort through the mountains of data the system produces and create accurate analyses that staff and the public can understand. That's the way to rebuild trust.
Trust....
Hard to build trust when a large portion of per pupil funding comes from a trough that lacks trust to begin with.
Unless you want to "trust" those who benefit by not requiring they show you they actually qualify.
So in the end, it doesn't matter whether I trust Morrison or not. He's a status quo educrat pushing the same status quo talking points in a status quo system.
Ghoul, good point. What I said in the story is that he hopes to get a donation to cover this, but if not, it'll be tax money.
Wiley, your point about the timing is interesting. Of course, the Observer's reports and the CMS reports are not one and the same. We'll see if people who value independent reporting are willing to pay for it. If not ... you can always fall back on that government newsroom covering itself!
Anyone else having a problem loging in or being blocked from the general forums?
On a different note. You said it Pamela and Wiley.
Certainly doesn't help the morale much inside CMS when the emplyees hear things first from Ann and the CO.
Anon 4:35...
Not me, unless the Observer has kicked in its pay to read program already....
McClatchy Co. announced Friday that metered pay walls will be installed at the company’s newspaper websites, including CharlotteObserver.com.
While McClatchy did not disclose specifics of the plan, which will begin late this year, the company said users would be allowed a number of free page views per month before being required to pay a subscription fee.
Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/07/27/3410429/mcclatchy-to-end-unlimited-access.html#storylink=misearch#storylink=cpy
Here's my problem with Morrison and educrats like him:
Morrison said his recently released five-year strategic plan — “Envision WCSD 2015 — Investing in Our Future,” a plan that calls for a district wide graduation rate of 75 percent by 2015 — is a “lean plan that is attainable and transparent.”
In 2003, the graduation rate for Washoe County Schools was 80%.
In 2005 the rate was 74%. After that it just tanked.
So here's a guy who puts a 5 year plan in place to get graduation rates back up to the same percentage they were in 2005 but still 5 percentage points less than what they were in 2003.
He planned to do it by:
1. Incorporating academic rigor into all district schools, with an emphasis on quality educational programs.
2. Attracting the best human capital in the form of teachers and administrators.
3. A concentration on engaging parents in the district to actively participate in their child's education.
4. Foster a positive culture, where students feel physically and mentally safe and are rewarded for achievement.
5. Executing the plan by collectively performing better on state tests relating to math and reading with high schools consistently meeting Adequate Yearly Progress.
Please tell us what happened to all that "best and brightest human capital" that was obviously in place in 2003 when the graduation rate was 80%....
Maybe I should contact the Washoe County Schools newsroom and ask them...
I'd suggest more *specific* info. Parents want to know about THEIR school. A random cruise of 6 elem. school pages on CMS website revealed only 1 with web page showing the school's 2012 calendar (school starts mid August) or having been updated since last March. One even still has old photo of school torn down years ago.
Granted, some PTA's run their own website but not every school can afford that or even has an active PTA.
Parents expect info. on the web, easily found and up to date.
School websites are great place to promote school pride, keep parents informed of schedule, and praise scholarship. That's not happening.
As a taxpayer we should have the right not to EVER see the word "Broad Trained" at CMS that we have to pay again. This is a continued shoving of Gorman down our throats. We should get discounts and rebates for hiring the HACKS we have already from the Broad fool Foundation.
Wow, CMS has been the champion of spin or just ignoring the inquiries. We have got to keep throwing these things in their faces and making more and more noise. Uptown is concerned with Kojo and his ilk making Charlotte And Mecklenburg look bad, Well the suburbanites can do it too.
We can downplay the significance of the Charlotte observer due to their left wing biasness. All they do is thrown gasoline on the fire and help out with the character assassination perpetrated by other groups like MeckActs.
Phys Ed teacher pay reductions to finance the $20,000. No need for $70,000+ phys ed pay.
@5:47 The individuals responsible for updating school websites are on unpaid leave (summer) right now, so don't expect updates until they return to work on 8/16. The job is usually an add-on duty for a teacher. media specialist. or tech assistant.
Dumping Time Warner does not solve the loss of taxpayer money nor does a supercharged CMeS newsroom affect a single student with instruction. It is hardly for and about the teachers and students with the CMeS heads.
Anon 12:26...
CMS TV was cut 2 years ago.
Posted on May 14, 2010 at 8:29 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-- CMS-TV is getting the ax. It is one budget cut a lot of parents and teachers thought was long overdue, and say they do not feel bad about it given the district's current budget woes.
http://www.wcnc.com/news/CMS-TV-budget-cut-parents-and-teachers-dont-mind-93811804.html
AT&T U-Verse doesn't carry it so yes, getting rid of Time Warner will solve two issues; one, lousy service and two, you won't have to be taunted by CMS TV reruns.
Pamela is correct that stories containing conflict and challenges are what stick in many peoples' minds. But Pam, we do have to ask--what groups have promoted the idea that the system is unfair? Members of what group have at school board meetings hurled the term "apartheid" when describing our assignment system? What groups have encouraged confrontation and in the process garnered an awful lot of publicity? Just wondering.
I have a suggestion. Call it:
The Ministry of Public Enlightenment.
To 8:28
I was certainly not suggesting that conflicts and challenges should be swept under the rug; merely noting that while the news media covers many different aspects of CMS, it's the conflicts and challenges that people tend to focus on. As a result, having more "positive" stories in the news media is unlikely to change public feeling about CMS. A forthright approach to concerns raised by the public, using clear and accurate analysis, would be a more effective approach.
While "they" may have the right to complain, they have nothing to complain about. CMS and others fight a detailed analysis of how CMS is run, how (un)successful programs are, and how various political interests jerk different school board members around.
Call it WTTWWWTTK.
We'll Tell Them What We Want Them To Know.
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