About
Jeffco Public Schools, at the time, the largest school district in the state of Colorado with approximately 84,000 students and 11,000 staff, found itself thrust into the national spotlight due to significant turbulence within its communications office and a series of regrettable missteps by the district’s leadership. This unfortunate sequence of events had a profound impact, ultimately leading to a state of chaos within the district, drawing the scrutiny of the nation.
Challenge
Following an unexpected election result, a new board of education majority brought a different direction to Jeffco Public Schools. Days after the election, the long-time superintendent announced her retirement. A new superintendent was hired to carry out the newly-elected board’s vision. Following these changes and other controversies, the communications office saw a near complete turnover in staff.
The district’s once stable and reliable image was marred by these challenges, resulting in a breakdown in effective communication and growing unrest and disillusionment among students, parents, teachers, and the wider public.
Not only did Jeffco Public Schools need to instill new systems and policies in the communications office while modernizing the communications systems and content, but also to restore trust and pride in the district among students, parents, teachers, and the community. After a year of controversy, the communications office had little time to turn the message from negative to positive.
Solution
Novitas initiated a comprehensive effort to enhance district communications. Its first step involved a thorough revamp of all district newsletters to ensure transparency and the timely dissemination of vital information to families, staff, and community members. Special attention was given to external publications and social media platforms, serving as conduits for sharing uplifting stories showcasing the remarkable achievements of district students and staff. The dual purpose was twofold: first, to counter any negative media coverage related to the district’s chaos, and second, to assure parents that, despite controversies, schools were not only operating as usual but also delivering a high-quality education to their children.
In conjunction with district publications, Novitas collaborated closely with district communications staff to compose and place positive stories in local media, such as The Denver Post’s YourHub and Colorado Community Media. In partnership with Colorado Community Media, the communication office established a quarterly insert in local papers, further spotlighting the district’s and its students’ achievements. To amplify these narratives, Novitas developed media advisories and press releases, actively engaging local media outlets and restoring trust in the Jeffco Public Schools communication office.
To counterbalance negative media coverage and champion positive stories, Novitas and district staff jointly initiated the “Thank a Teacher” video contest, commemorating National Teacher Appreciation Week. Novitas developed a dedicated website where the community could submit videos expressing gratitude towards teachers, with voting determining the winner. The honored teacher in the winning video received a gift card and was celebrated in a ceremony alongside the superintendent. The school submitting the highest number of videos was rewarded with a special breakfast served by the district leadership.
Novitas also collaborated with district staff to create opportunities for direct engagement between families, staff, and community members with the board and superintendent. This encompassed telephone town hall sessions held throughout the district, as well as community and staff gatherings organized by individual schools.
Beyond the realm of leadership changes, Jeffco Public Schools were in the process of implementing Student-Based Budgeting, a novel budgeting approach. Novitas worked closely with district communications staff to devise an educational campaign, aimed at informing families, staff, and the community about this new initiative. Additionally, they devised a budget survey to gauge community priorities in shaping the district’s financial decisions. These endeavors fostered a heightened sense of transparency and underscored the district’s commitment to considering community input in budgetary deliberations.
The district also introduced a new mobile app, offering families access to the latest news and updates from their schools and the district. Novitas and district communications staff collaborated on a promotional campaign and contest to incentivize app downloads. Families were eligible to enter a draw for Denver Broncos game tickets upon demonstrating they had downloaded the app.
Simultaneously with their positive news strategy, Novitas worked diligently to reinstate protocols and procedures in the district communications office. This encompassed the development of a comprehensive strategic communications plan and crisis communications protocols. Novitas also assumed responsibility for board correspondence, which had been neglected in the wake of significant changes in the board and superintendent’s office. The staff implemented an efficient process to respond promptly with accurate information. The district also encountered an unprecedented surge in CORA (Colorado Open Records Act) requests, prompting Novitas to establish a similar process for handling these requests, involving close collaboration with district staff to swiftly gather accurate information and documents for responsive actions.
Results
Novitas and the Jeffco Public Schools team were able to reduce rancor within the school district. Perhaps not coincidentally, Novitas also helped coordinate and/or place 123 media interviews, quotes, references and reprints, which equated to $366,000 in earned publicity value. These articles reached over 178 million readers and viewers. In addition, in just the first month, Novitas was able to help increase Facebook total reach by 372% and total impressions by 217%, as well as increase Twitter impressions 322%, engagement rate 111%, and new followers 1201%.
The policies and procedures Novitas put in place helped staff efficiently and effectively handle the influx of board correspondence and CORA requests, not only working quickly through the backlog but lessen the burden to staff. The communications plans and strategies set the communications office up for success to better communicate with families, staff, and the community about important district initiatives and to better respond in crisis situations.
Novitas’ holistic approach, encompassing media engagement, social media transformation, and operational enhancements, not only helped alleviate tensions within the district but also fortified the district’s capacity to communicate effectively and navigate complex challenges. Our multifaceted efforts helped usher in a new era of harmony and excellence within the district.