In a comment to another essay here, Amythirdward raised the issue of quality of, and purpose for, the recently published NCS newsletter “NCS Connects.”
“... If that is the best the Ms PR person can do, it is pretty ametuerish. I am amazed that after passing the levy the admin felt like that piece of paper would be bridge the communication divide between them and us!”
Your assessment on the quality of the NCS newsletter is on target, Amy. You’d think the work of an expensive PR expert - hired over objections by taxpayers - would reflect more professionalism. I could stand shallow performance if it hadn’t cost taxpayers $3,600 to produce.
Making this project doubly hard to swallow is the Advocate’s proclamation 5/30/09 that NCS “wisely waited until after the recent school levy election to restart its newsletter mailed to local residents ... We feared the district would misstep by sending a newsletter before Election Day.” Get what this deceitful editorialist is saying? Don’t spend $3,600 before the levy vote lest the taxpayers object to the waste. Now that the levy has passed, it doesn’t matter what taxpayers think of the waste.
This is right in line with the Advocate’s evermore-obvious insolence toward people who are paying for that inferior, $3,600-tax-paid propaganda sheet.
As for bridging the communication divide between NCS and parents/taxpayers, it’s going to take a lot more than more preaching from a school administration that has alienated itself from the community. Anyone who thinks otherwise ought to remember what I said on 5/7/09 ... “Anyone who considers the passage of the $5.9-million-per-year levy a sign that the community is poised to kiss and make up with the Newark City Schools should go read the outpouring of rage in comments to the Advocate on-line news report.”
If NCS administration thinks “NCS Connects” works as a kiss-up, they’d do well to reconsider.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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I stated, they could remove my name from the mailing list and offset my property taxes by the amount saved. The content was not newsy and it was outdated. I offered suggestions in my posts on The Advocate. Certainly there are talented marketing, PR, and communications professionals in the school district that would volunteer their time to create content. Then the district could ask for sponsors to underwrite the production and distribution costs of the newsletter. They could hit up LMH, State Farm, PNB, etc, etc for quarterly sponsorship...and give the sponsor some product placement or blurbs in the newsletter. This would not cost taxpayers a cent. OR Have the students on the school paper, write the content for the quarterly newsletter. Lastly, outsource it. Save on some salary and benefits.
ReplyDeleteI find it hard to believe these options were never explored. The administration mistakenly believes hiring a PR person that produces junk mail to be an asset.
Amy
Good ideas, Amy. But now, with millions more each year coming through the door - plus more state and federal money likely - what's a measly $3,600 to spend on a community kiss-up? That's how they think about their income from property and income taxes.
ReplyDelete