Seattle Schools' Focus Groups on "Communication and Community Engagement"

Dear SPS Families,

Seattle Public Schools (SPS) is committed to strengthening communication and community engagement. This school year, we are working with the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) to review our communication efforts. This effort will help us better meet your communication needs.

NSPRA is conducting focus groups to gather feedback from our diverse Seattle Public Schools community. You are invited to take part in a focus group of families of students who receive special education services. 

The focus group will be held Wednesday, Nov. 30, 6 - 7 p.m.

Participants will meet with an NSPRA auditor via a secure Zoom online meeting. You can join with a computer, smartphone or other mobile device from a quiet, private location. The auditor will ask questions about the communication efforts of our school district and perceptions of its current image and future challenges.

NSPRA maintains the anonymity of focus group participants in its reporting. Only the members of the focus group and the auditor will be present in the virtual meeting space. This information gathered will help develop communications recommendations for our district.

Thank you for sharing your ideas on how SPS can improve communications. Your feedback is essential to the success of this project.

Please let us know if you could join the focus group by replying to this message by Nov. 23, 5 p.m.

Read more about this project.
Sincerely,
Public Affairs
Seattle Public Schools

I note there was a comment on this communication on a Facebook page that said they are having the focus group right at the most busy time of day for many families. 

It appears there will be focus groups for different communities - POC, Special Education, HCC (?).  This may be happening because of the shift to SOFG and the Board and Superintendent want to set the parameters for how they communicate with parents. 

Anyone signed up to participate, I'd love to hear what you learn. 

Also, fyi, the head of Public Affairs, Bev Redmond, is also serving as the Interim Chief of Staff for the Superintendent. 

Comments

Anonymous said…
Given SPSs history of not showing their work of listening, hard pass from me. Feels like a waste of time.

Nah Bro
11/28/22, 1:48 PM
Anonymous said…
None of this should be necessary. The board and the central admin staff are public servants. It is literally their job to respond to the public. While that doesn't always mean "give the public what they ask for" it does mean that they aren't there to implement their own agenda, they're there to serve the public. The top-down condescending attitude toward families and students that comes from the board and the superintendent and their senior staff are the root of the problem, and no amount of focus grouping or research will fix that.

If I have a question, I should be able to get it answered quickly. If I have a need, I should get it addressed quickly, even if it's the district explaining why this need cannot be met at this time. If I have a question or a comment for a board member, I should expect a response, just as I do with any other elected official.

This is basic stuff, yet there is a toxic culture at the school district that treats families and students and teachers as nonentities who should be ignored at every opportunity.

Fed Up
11/28/22, 3:24 PM
Patrick said…
The board and the central admin staff are public servants.

Are you going to tell them or should I?
11/30/22, 7:01 PM
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