Develop Message Points

Do you know what you would like people to remember about your middle level school or classroom? That's a basic question that needs to be answered as educators move into more strategic communication.

In the communication business, this is called "developing message points," and it's a concept that educators should adapt. It's simply knowing that before we embark on any communication activity--giving a speech, holding a parent conference, writing a memo, or doing an interview with reporters--the message or messages you want to deliver.

Appropriate messages for a school might include:

• Kids Succeed at South Middle School
• Parents Are Important to a Child's Education
• South Middle School Seeks Parent Involvement
• We Are Focusing on Mathematics This Year

One large retail corporation is very sophisticated at this. Each year at the corporate level, brainstorming sessions are held to determine the key messages the corporation wants to deliver during that year. Then one or two are selected and shared with all staff members. Tent cards are printed with the messages and placed next to every telephone throughout that retailer's system. Then, whenever a call comes in, the person answering the call can consider whether it's appropriate to include one of the key messages.

In developing message points, five key concepts should be kept in mind:

• They will not be the only messages a teacher or principal will communicate. Rather, this is a way to make sure that the most important messages are never forgotten. And simply focusing on a school's most important messages is one more way to take advantage of every opportunity to communicate effectively.
• Message points can change. While they shouldn't change daily, they should certainly be reviewed annually.
• Messages must be memorable. It's not enough to simply deliver a message to parents, school board members, or business leaders. It's essential that those audiences remember the message. This can be tough because people are bombarded by many, many messages today. To be successful, try to convert your basic message into something that will stick in peoples' minds. For example, instead of saying, "South Middle School Seeks Parent Involvement," consider "Parents Are Teaching Partners at South Middle School." You can always expand and explain, but the initial message should be memorable.
• Key messages need to be repeated. In our over-communicated society it's not enough to communicate an important message once. It's unlikely that everyone will remember it. So include your most important messages in many communication vehicles, including parent newsletters, parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, reports at PTA meetings, etc.
• Key messages should support initiatives at the school. That is, we don't just develop messages to say something. They should support the school's important activities.

Let's look at how this approach might play out in a middle level school.

1. At the start of the school year the school's communication team considers what will be the main message for that school year. It might be that each student this year will be assigned a mentor or advisor to assist him or her in planning educational objectives to have a successful school year. That message is determined by the school's willingness to create a mentoring program this year. The message is then translated into memorable language, such as "Students Learn with Support from Mentors" or "Mentors... Essential to Student Learning."
2. When the new mentoring program is presented to the faculty, team leaders, or other groups of teachers, the communication team introduces the message objective and urges everyone to use it whenever appropriate. The team could suggest using it in letters to parents, parent-teacher conferences, phone calls to parents, and other ways. It would also report ways that the principal plans to promote the message with parents and other key audiences.
3. A meeting is held with the professional support staff to explain the program and the message point. They are urged to communicate this and may be invited to become part of the program.
4. The principal focuses on this in the first parent newsletter.
5. This message is a focal point of the principal's presentation at back-to-school night.
6. The PTA president writes about this in the PTA newsletter.
7. Someone from the school talks with the community newspaper to discuss the new program and message.

This approach will not guarantee more effective communication, but it certainly will give the school a greater chance of delivering focused messages in our over-communicated society.