Communications Priority
By Head of School Michael Dewey
Pardon me if you have heard this one before. Well-known Broadway producer Jed Harris once became convinced he was losing his hearing. He visited a specialist, who pulled out a gold watch and asked, "Can you hear this ticking?" "Of course," Harris replied. The specialist walked to the door and asked the question again. Harris concentrated and said, "Yes, I can hear it clearly." Then the doctor walked into the next room and repeated the question a third time. A third time Harris said he could hear the ticking. "Mr. Harris," the doctor concluded, "there is nothing wrong with your hearing. You just don't listen." While I’m generally a skeptic when it comes to the veracity of humorous anecdotes about historical figures, I can assure you that Jed Harris was not well liked by those who worked for him. So perhaps, he really did have a hard time listening.
I share this because I want to affirm that we are listening. As I mentioned in last month’s Eagle’s View, this year we have committed to doing a better job when it comes to communicating with our school community. This commitment to improvement encompasses every aspect of our program, from general information coming out of the School Office, to the very specific communication that teachers provide on class assignments and student progress. We have made this commitment in part because of the feedback we have received from parents. As a school that partners with parents, it is critical that we improve in these areas. Our community has spoken, and we are listening.
Survey Results
To help us, we asked all our families to complete a brief survey providing us with feedback on specific ways we can improve. While the results indicate that we are already showing improvement over last year, they also highlighted areas that still need work.
When asked to identify the challenges they have had with communication coming from the School Office and administration, participants responded that information is communicated in multiple places, and they don't know where to look (14%), that it is often unclear or omits important details (13%), or that it sometimes contains conflicting information (10%).
When asked to identify the challenges they have had with communication coming from teachers, participants identified not posting assignments and tests on the class page (18%), not reaching out to notify me when my child is struggling (11%), and not posting grades in a timely fashion (9%).
When asked what challenges they have had finding information on the FACTS Family Portal, participants responded that documents are not well organized (19%), and that they never know where to look (19%).
Among the specific suggestions on how we can improve communications, making our weekly Eagle’s Landing shorter, consolidating information in one consistent place, and developing consistent standards for teacher communication and grade books topped the list.
Overall, the results were both informative and encouraging. In the coming weeks you will begin to see some changes in how we communicate, all stemming from us listening to your concerns and suggestions. Of course, as we implement these changes, we will make sure we clearly communicate in advance so that you can know what to expect. Thanks to everyone who took the time to provide feedback. We will be sending out follow-up surveys throughout the year to ensure we are making progress.
One immediate change in our communication efforts that you may already be aware of is our quarterly round table discussions with school administration. At the beginning of October, our school office hosted a "Carline Coffee with Mr. Dewey" event where parents were invited to chat with administration about topics that were top of mind. Every member of the administrative team was available for questions, and those who attended enjoyed a lively and informative discussion about our school. Parents also got to connect about their student's experience at ECS. In December, we will be hosting another round table discussion called “Brownies with Mrs. Byre.” And as the name of these events suggests, there are treats and refreshments for everyone who attends.