Cool Tool School

Woodbridge’s Tech Academy addresses what is often the weak link in educational technology: staff training

By Gladys Jackson

Technology is powerful in schools and in the classroom – but only if faculty and staff know how to use it. Otherwise, the most dazzling technological capabilities simply gather dust.

In an effort to ensure that technological resources result in student academic and social learning and sustained teacher growth, the Woodbridge Township School District has developed a professional development program which provides practical and cost-effective solutions to the training requirements of successful technological implementation.

The Woodbridge Township Tech Academy offers expert instruction in a safe and effective environment in an effort to build technological confidence and professional competence among district employees. The Academy offers a wide variety of opportunities designed to appeal to the needs of instructors at a variety of grade levels and content areas. (The district has 16 elementary schools, 5 middle schools, and 3 high schools.) Hands-on experiences in a classroom setting, as well as Webinars, afford staff members different learning environments and structures. Course levels range from novice to expert. For those administrators and teachers who want to compile a personal portfolio of technological growth and proficiency, the Academy offers certification processes.

The Tech Academy is structured to encompass five basic areas: Computing Fundamentals (Basic Computing and E-mail Operations); Desktop Applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint); Certification for Desktop Applications (Word, Excel and PowerPoint); Technology Tools (Interactive Boards, iPods, Flip Video Camcorder); and finally, Collaborative Activities (blogging, publishing on the Web, Google docs, virtual field trips using Google Earth, creating custom search engines and Web Quests). Course schedules provide a seasonal array of offerings, including summer sessions for staff members who do not have the flexibility to attend sessions held after school during the school year.

The Tech Academy uses the talents of district teachers, who serve as instructors for the various offerings. The requirements for instructors include attendance at Tech Academy classes prior to their teaching, as well as official certification in at least one Microsoft Office Specialist exam and/or the Internet Core Computing Certification Exam. Both certification opportunities, distributed through Certiport, Inc., a computer skills certification firm, have received recognition by the International Society of Technology Education for meeting the technology standards. The average annual cost for the Academy is approximately $15,000. This cost includes archived Webinars.

Approximately 170-200 individuals attend the training sessions a year. Two summer academies (July and August) accommodate teacher preferences outside of the regular academic year. Academy participants receive one professional development hour for every hour of participation. They also receive one salary guide credit for every 10 hours of participation. Teachers enrolled in certification courses participate in a final exam at the conclusion of the Academy session.

In addition to serving the Tech Academy, the Woodbridge Township School District Business/Technology Department trains students for challenging careers. Business/technology teachers receive professional development training for one year prior to attaining certification. After one year of intense training at a local education technology training center, professional development workshops, district-wide in service, and customized trainings, teachers participate in certification exams at a local authorized Certiport Test Center.

The creation of the Certiport Test Center at Woodbridge High School, the largest of the district’s three high schools, provides a key component for the district’s business and technology program. A test site administrator monitors the certification examinations and ensures the validity of student scores. A staff member who has earned Microsoft Office Master Certification acts as site administrator, demonstrates mastery in all desktop applications, works closely with the district and Certiport technical teams to troubleshoot any problems, uses accurate data entry skills and ensures participant confidentiality. Woodbridge High School holds the distinction of being the first high school in New Jersey to become an authorized Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) and Internet and Computing Core Certification (IC3) test center. The cost for assembling the test center includes the minimum purchase of 50 vouchers, hardware capabilities, an end-user agreement and an assigned test site administrator.

The test center currently utilizes 24 computers with swappable drives, one for classroom use and one for testing use. Students from the district’s other two high schools travel to the test center at the end of each semester with minimal loss of valuable classroom time. Certiport recognizes students who are eligible under IDEA, providing extended time for exam completion. Students and staff members who achieve proficiency on the exam receive an official certificate from Microsoft and/or Certiport.

The Woodbridge Township School District serves more than 13,000 students and 2,000 employees. In order to reduce costs for technological initiatives, the school district and the Woodbridge municipal government have joined forces with a shared services agreement, which fosters networking in the areas of technology and communications. This relationship provides an invaluable resource for the school district. Key personnel in the Tech Academy initiative include Lois Rotella, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, Arthur Lee Warren, principal of Woodbridge High School since 1996, Gladys Jackson, the district supervisor of Business and Technology for the past 15 years, and Yvette Esteves, who previously worked as a business and technology teacher at Woodbridge High School and who currently serves as the middle school computer and information literacy resource teacher and test site administrator.

A clear understanding of the information age, a dedication to the concept of lifelong learning, and a desire to combine innovative instructional strategies with 21st century technology have all contributed to the success of the professional development and educational programs in the Woodbridge Township school district. The support of the board of education and the central administration team has been vital to the success of this program.

Gladys Jackson is the supervisor of business and technology for Woodbridge Township schools. She can be reached at gladys.jackson@woodbridge.k12.nj.us.

FEATURES

The Seal of Approval

Why bother with accreditation? Because it is a comprehensive gauge of quality in a school

By Hank Cram and Laura Bishop

“Are the schools in your district accredited?”

That’s the simple question we asked the board members we spoke with at last year’s NJSBA Workshop and Exhibition.

Most board of education members replied, without hesitation, “Yes, of course.” But then, some hesitated in uncertainty. Were their schools accredited? More than a few were surprised to find out that, in reality, their schools or their districts were not.

A Rich History First instituted in the early 20th century, accreditation remains a prestigious achievement among colleges and universities as well as private and parochial K-12 schools throughout the country. In fact, although the U.S. Department of Education does not itself accredit educational institutions, it does publish a database of accrediting or state approval agencies that are each recognized as a “reliable authority as to the quality of education.” Few students would even consider attending (and few parents would approve of their children attending) a college or university that did not pass muster with a USDOE-approved accrediting agency.

In the accreditation process, an outside organization conducts a thorough examination of schools before it will certify that the schools meet its quality standards.

There is prestige associated with accreditation and there is an assumption that most, if not all, schools are accredited. Yet, among public schools in New Jersey, seeking accreditation has often taken a back seat in recent years. Why?

Many educators would tell you since districts have the burden of meeting more state and federal accountability mandates with diminishing resources, they simply don’t have the manpower to proceed through the accreditation process. However, rather than adding to the burden, seeking accreditation remains the best way for a school board and its school community to conduct a comprehensive assessment of performance and set an achievable course for compliance, as well as plan for continuous improvement.

In Good Company Today, regional accrediting agencies (including the Middle States Association which accredits New Jersey schools) are recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. (Most accrediting agencies tend to be regional.) The majority of agencies, including MSA, have revised their protocols and practices to reflect the latest research on school effectiveness.  They employ established world-class standards (the same standards used to accredit international and American overseas schools), and use volunteers trained in critical peer review to provide an external validation of a school’s  or school district’s performance.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), has worked in partnership with the state departments of education in California and Hawaii for more than 30 years and the relationship is as strong today as ever, according to David Brown, executive director of WASC.

In California, where virtually every school is accredited, there are consequences for schools (and their students) that are not accredited. A University of California (UC) policy requires all schools that want UC approval of their college prep courses to be accredited by, or a candidate for accreditation by, the WASC.

Equally important, the largest provider of scholarships in the state, CAL Grants, requires schools be accredited. “Students who attend non-accredited schools or who are home-schooled qualify for a relatively small percentage of scholarships compared to students who attend accredited schools,” said Brown.

WASC accreditation has a direct effect on educators as well. Teachers in California do not receive credit on a salary guide for the years they teach at a non-accredited school.

A Cornerstone of Accountability Before state testing, school report cards and NCLB defined a district’s educational success; a school’s effectiveness was always measured through accreditation.

While attaining high levels of student performance is every school’s or district’s primary goal, understanding the process by which those results are achieved – or not achieved – is equally important. A school’s “ranking” must extend beyond its measures of student performance and take into account factors such as the quality and continuity of the school’s leadership and governance, the school facilities, its finances, quality of student services, health and safety, staffing and long range planning. All of these factors directly contribute to student performance.

The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) is the oldest regional school and college accrediting association in the United States, a fact that Executive Director Jacob (Jake) Ludes is justifiably proud of. “We have been holding schools accountable longer than any other agency or entity worldwide,” said Ludes. “That contributes significantly to the perception, and we believe the reality, that a New England education is very good and is to be modeled throughout the United States and around the world.”

Measuring Effectiveness Measuring a school’s effectiveness and truly determining the value added by the educational experience is a complicated process. Is a school’s performance a reflection of the students’ socio-economic status or the result of an effective or ineffective educational program? Or, some combination of the two? And what additional factors should be considered?

The answer requires much more than reporting school outcomes and a cursory annual review of the traditional indicators of school success, such as graduation rates and test scores. It requires the study and analysis of the context of a school and the educational processes by educators from inside and outside the school system who have the expertise, the time and the commitment to the task.

Seneca High School addressed those questions when it recently completed its self-study leading up to Middle States Accreditation in the 2009-2010 school year. The school is situated in a rural community in Burlington County and is one of four high schools in the Lenape Regional High School District.

According to principal Jeffrey Spector, planning for the accreditation process included forming a planning team comprised of diverse stakeholders: staff, graduates, parents, students and community members.

“The process brought together individuals with a wealth of talent and experience in business and education who have a vested interest in the school,” said Spector.

“The self-study gave us an opportunity to take a good hard look at ourselves. It was school and community-based and helped us identify and better meet state mandated and school community improvement goals.”

The School Improvement Process The accreditation protocol requires a school to engage in a self-study process that assists a school or school district in developing a clear definition of what students should know, what they should be able to do and how they ought to behave. This definition is compared with current student performance and the school’s organizational capacity to identify areas in need of improvement. In turn, plans are developed to “close the gaps” and bring about improvement. Once the self-study is completed, a team of trained volunteers conducts an on-site visit to validate the school or district’s self-appraisal and to provide additional suggestions for improvement.

During the past several decades we have come to understand what schools and districts need to do to provide a top-notch education so that students can succeed in the workforce and in the community. The puzzling part is: if we know what schools need to do to improve, why haven’t more schools improved and attained a high level of performance?

Recent research suggests that the critical differences between schools that make the grade and those that are struggling are: the degree to which the school or school district has a clear understanding of what it needs to do to improve; the extent to which the plan to improve is supported by a critical mass of school and community stakeholders; and the capacity of the school or school district to implement and sustain its plan to improve over time.

Pemberton Township School District, an SDA (formerly Abbott) pre-K-12 district serving 5,000 students in Burlington County is a candidate for district-wide Middle States accreditation this fall. Superintendent Michael Gorman, Ed.D., has had “the good fortune” to be involved with Middle States in one capacity or another since high school, when his alma mater, JFK High School in Willingboro, completed accreditation.

“Up until the 1980s most high schools in New Jersey were accredited because it reflected favorably on kids going off to college,” said Gorman. “Somewhere in the latter part of the 1980s, when New Jersey changed its monitoring, many districts thought that would suffice for accreditation, but it doesn’t. They are two very distinct processes.”

According to Gorman, Pemberton has not been accredited since the 1980s, but Middle States accreditation is one of the things he and the board want the district to pursue because it will give the district an opportunity to “look in the mirror at what it is doing, set a course for improvement and be reviewed by a panel of practicing educators who know the nature of learning and school business.”

Accreditation, rather than an annual reporting of student achievement helps a school and school district and its community understand not only how it is doing, but more importantly, learn what it needs to do to improve. Whether a school looks to build on its record of high performance and solid reputation or is interested in setting a new course for continuous school improvement, accreditation is a catalyst for making every school and ultimately every school district better.

There are 12 Middle States standards that schools must meet to achieve accreditation. Middle States looks at a school’s or district’s governance, leadership, facilities, resources (budget, financial stability), organizational climate, educational program, student services, student activities, media and technology.

Seeking accreditation for your school should be a way to get done those things you need to do. Accreditation reflects rigorous state and federal accountability requirements, but unlike the mandated systems, which often stop there, accreditation takes a school to the next step. It examines the school’s or the district’s organizational capacity and facilitates the planning and implementation of corrective actions that lead to continuous progress, higher performance and sustainable growth.

Because accreditation is transparent, executed in public and completed with the involvement of stakeholders, it builds positive public relations and provides accountability by comparing the institution to widely-held and recognized standards of quality.

School reform takes time, often more time than school board members’ terms or the tenure of the school’s leadership. Schools that develop comprehensive plans for improvement through the process of accreditation have a road map for long-term improvement that withstands the test of time including changes in board guidance and administrative leadership. Questions about where a school or district needs to go are replaced with the statement: This is where we are going as a school community. In turn, the question for school board candidates or school leadership applicants is: How can you contribute to the plan and the process?

Michael Kuchar, Ph.D., superintendent of Bergenfield Public Schools, believes Middle States has given his district a “priceless return” on its investment. Kuchar has been a MSA volunteer since 2001 and his enthusiasm for the process is contagious.

“In addition to my participation, Bergenfield sends our faculty on Middle States visits. For example, one of our French teachers participated in a team visit to Dupont High School in Delaware. Dupont benefited from her expertise, but she also returned with valuable ideas for our high school.

“My board sees value in our commitment to Middle States because of the innovative and creative programs we bring back to the district. They understand the importance of networking, collegiality and professional development.”

Erica Maira’s experiences as both a guidance counselor and a parent of three children informed her work as a member of the Seneca High School Middle States steering and planning committees.

“My contribution to the Middle States process stems from a combination of an educator’s and a mother’s perspective. It is actually an extension of how I do my job,” said Maira. “I focus on how to make Seneca the best it can be to benefit all children in the district, including my own.” 

Maira is effusive in her praise of the accreditation process. “It was an awesome experience and I like watching how it’s coming into play and unfolding. It gave me a renewed outlook as an educator and a parent. I start my day asking, ‘How can I improve from yesterday?’ It starts on a small level and has led to incredible results that I couldn’t even imagine. I’m fortunate to work in a school where we ask the same question, are amenable to change and try new things for the kids.”

Middle States charges annual dues that range from $600 to $900. The other costs associated with accreditation are the costs surrounding the Middle States team visit to the school during the examination process; a one-time visit cost is usually $5,000 to $6,000.

Accreditation is good for seven years; schools must undergo reaccreditation every seven years. A school or district must submit a midpoint report after three-and-a half years.

Making the Most of Time, Money, Talent Accreditation helps ensure that schools are making the most efficient use of limited and sometimes dwindling resources. Accredited schools, through their self-study process and improvement planning are better positioned to ensure that time, talent and money are used in the most effective way possible.

The current economic crisis limits the capacity of the government at every level to provide the resources it would require to implement, monitor and manage school improvement at the school or school district level. The reasonable alternative may be the use of existing regional accrediting agencies, like Middle States and its counterparts across the country, which have the expertise, the time, the commitment and legions of volunteers trained to perform the task. While costs vary from school to school, the cost of Middle States Association membership and accreditation is about $6 a day; a reasonable cost to help ensure the continuous improvement and success of a district and its students.

Those involved with making recommendations to the federal government on the next reauthorization of NCLB have recognized that the improvement of education requires a much more qualitative assessment of the nearly 100,000 schools across the U.S.; a process that cannot be micro-managed from Washington or legislated from the state capital.

Improvement has to come from within each school from committed individuals, including board members and administrators, who are closest to the problems and best equipped to solve them and to answer, with full understanding, the question, “Is your school accredited?”

Hank Cram, Ed.D., is the president and executive director of the Commission on Secondary Schools, Middle States Association. He can be reached at hcram@css-msa.org. Laura Bishop is vice-president at Thomas/Boyd Communications. She can be reached at laura@thomasboyd.com.

Gangs and New Jersey Schools

Should your school board get more involved with opposition to street gangs?

By David Bosted, Esq.

Gang violence is a troubling issue in New Jersey. The State Police have identified gang activity in all 21 counties. Periodic surveys of local police departments indicate that the problem of gang criminal activity is growing and spreading. Some estimates say that up to 80 percent of crime in certain communities is connected to gang activity and gang members. Are gangs in New Jersey different than elsewhere? What are the facts?

The modern-day gangs that currently plague America began in California. Street gangs there grew out of poor urban neighborhoods.

But in New Jersey and the rest of the East Coast, the origin of gangs is different. Gangs began in prisons and then spread to the streets of urban areas. Many of the gang leaders in New Jersey are now incarcerated in state prisons, but still run their criminal empires using cell phones and go-betweens.

Gangs actively recruit young members because New Jersey laws are very lenient on youth offenders. Crimes that would send an adult to prison will result in no criminal record when committed by someone 17 years old or younger in New Jersey. While many gang leaders are in prisons, the State Commission of Investigations (SCI) in May 2009 issued a report saying that the state prisons are like a “branch office” for gang members and called the situation “intolerable.” The Department of Corrections has formally identified 19 percent of inmates as gang members, but the SCI report included testimony that up to half of the inmate population may be involved in some way with a gang.

Gangs are not just a big city or inner city problem, nor are they a problem of a particular race or culture. Gangs cross boundaries and travel as easily as commuters. Gang members will traffic in drugs, destroy property, and bring fear and violence to your neighborhoods.

Schools are a prime recruiting ground for gangs. Some gang leaders have actually ordered gang members to stay in school, in order to recruit and to involve other youth into crime. Gang activity will drive out businesses and undermine the viability of your community. Gangs alienate teens from academic life and home, and lead youth into a life of violence.

One frightening aspect of gang violence  is its random aspect. Gang violence is often indiscriminate and unpredictable. People get hurt if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time. Gang members have been known to assault or even kill their victims. Some victims simply observed a crime such as drug-dealing, and were then targeted for violence.

Three gangs – the Bloods, the Crips and the Latin Kings – are widely considered to present the most serious threat to communities. They are described as the most violent and the most active recruiters in the gang world.

School board involvement: Good idea or bad?

Should your school board get involved with this topic? Or should you be “hands-off” and just let the superintendent and the school principal handle the issue of gang activity? School boards are often counseled to “see that the schools are ‘well-run,’ but not run the schools.” How does this good advice apply to gangs?

School board members live in the community and might therefore be more likely to observe gang activity on the streets than a superintendent who lives out of town. Their friends and contacts within the community can provide up-to-date information on which gangs have been observed on the streets. As residents of the community, board members may see “gang tagging” and graffiti, such as the “five-pointed crown” of the Latin Kings gang.

If your community is concerned about gang activity and crime, then the school board members will need to become active. Taking a “wait-and-see” attitude, or merely hoping for the best is not enough to counteract gang presence in your community and schools.

A superintendent who lives outside of the district may not see the issue of gangs from an urgent, 24-7 community perspective. The superintendent is also more likely to have expertise in curriculum development than in crime prevention.

How can you tell if your superintendent is doing enough concerning gang activity?

Some superintendents simply wish the gang problem would “go away,” or at least not get much worse on their watch. They may be tempted to hope that the police will take care of any situations that arise during their time at the helm.

If the school board members want their superintendent to get involved, the board will need to be clear about its expectations. The board can place “anti-gang initiatives” as an item on the superintendent’s annual review. Also, the board can include specific actions and requirements in the superintendent’s job description. When hiring a new superintendent, the board will want to ask specifically about the candidates’ knowledge of gangs and experience in counteracting gang activity. Will the candidate be willing to make this topic a priority?

The board can require the superintendent to report to the board or to a committee monthly or periodically. Some school boards have had good results from having a special purpose or ad hoc committee with some community members. The ad hoc committee examines a topic and makes specific recommendations to the entire board. This type of temporary committee can bring an intense focus to a specific issue, such as gangs. An ad hoc committee might surprise a school board with its findings, for example, that specific gangs are already present in the community or that rap songs with gang lyrics are routinely played at school dances.

If you want involvement and commitment from the superintendent, your board will need to be sure that the superintendent doesn’t merely attempt to “pass the buck” to an assistant superintendent, to the school principals, or to attendance officers.

Has the superintendent involved the teachers?

The teachers in your district are most likely to know which students and cliques are gang-affiliated. Teachers are with the individual students many hours each day. They are in a position to see the tell-tale signs of gang affiliation. Gang signs and symbols include bandanas, also known as flags or colors. Teachers were the first to see the red shoelaces when that became a symbol for the school-age members of the Bloods gang. Teachers see the notes being passed among gang members and see the gang members throwing signs to one another.

Any effective program to identify and counteract gang activity in your schools must involve the teachers. If your superintendent and school principals cannot report specifically on how they have involved the teachers, then they are not doing what is necessary to counteract gang activity.

When communicating with gang members, teachers often have opportunities to talk to them individually. Individual conversations can provide important information. Groups of gang members tend to be less cooperative than individuals. Also, groups of gang members are more unpredictable and dangerous than individual members.

Teachers will benefit from the same training as other members of the community. They should be aware that many gang members find the term “gang” disrespectful. Other terms that are frequently used include: set, nation, organization, association, crew, clique or posse. Respect is very important for most gang members. If they think you respect (as opposed to fear) them, you are more likely to get positive results from them.

Has the superintendent involved the police?

The police in New Jersey have made gang awareness a priority. They have current knowledge on gang activities and trends. They can provide free speakers who have computer presentations that may shock you but will energize your local efforts. A community night with a presentation on gangs will build local awareness and will let the community know that the school board is active, not passive, about gangs and crime.

Don’t know who to call? Many counties have police units with current local information about gang activity. Statewide, the Office of Gang Management of the Juvenile Justice Commission, Department of Law and Public Safety, can provide assistance and contacts. Dominick Cicala of the Office of Gang Management has spoken to many community groups. He can be contacted by e-mail at Dominick.Cicala@njjjc.org.

Who else should be involved?

• The local library and librarians. In many communities, libraries are seen as a “neutral zone” or safe place in which gangs and gang-factions suspend their activities. As a result, librarians see gang members more often than you might expect. Sometimes gangs even hold meetings in libraries. Librarians can benefit from training about gangs.

• The parents. There are many ways that parents can help. They can establish good communication with their children. Conversations with kids should be open, frequent and positive in tone. Schools should encourage parents to ask their children about gangs in their schools and the neighborhood. Parents should be aware of what’s going on in their children’s lives. Who are their friends? What do they do when they are away from school or home? Parents can occupy their children’s time by getting them involved in school, sports, community or recreational activities. Give them responsibilities at home. Do not allow them to buy or wear gang-style clothing.

Can policy help?

Yes. At a minimum, every school board should have a policy statement banning “the wearing or display of gang apparel, accessories, symbols, insignias or signs on one’s clothing or person,” or similar text. The N.J. Legislature has authorized local school boards to ban gang clothing. The wording of the law is clear:  “A board of education may adopt a dress code policy to prohibit students from wearing, while on school property, any type of clothing, apparel or accessory which indicates that the student has membership in, or affiliation with, any gang associated with criminal activities. The local law enforcement agency shall advise the board, upon its request, of gangs which are associated with criminal activities.”

A sample school district policy statement is in the box at left. You can place this anti-gang statement in your student dress code and in the student handbook. Every district should also prohibit these activities:

1. Recruiting other students for gang membership or activities

2. Tagging school property with gang graffiti such as gang names, slogans or insignias

3. Initiating other students into gangs

4. Threatening other students or inflicting bodily harm linked to gang activities

In addition to the dress code entry, many districts have adopted a stand-alone anti-gang policy. Other districts have placed these anti-gang statements into #5131 “conduct and discipline.” As mentioned earlier in the article, the board can also place “anti-gang initiatives” as an item on the superintendent’s annual review. Plus, the board can place specific requirements into the superintendent’s job description.

In conclusion, there is no advantage in delaying action on gang prevention. The sooner you act as a board to give priority to anti-gang activity, the more likely you are to head off serious gang problems in your schools and communities. When gang activity raises its ugly head, you will want your district to be pro-active and ready.

Gang Colors and Identifiers

BLOODS
Colors: Typically red and black
Cross out C‘s  in writing to disrespect Crips
Refer to each other as Dawgs or Dogz

ALMIGHTY LATIN KING and QUEEN NATION
Colors: Gold and Black
Use of 3 or 5 pointed crown
Use initials ALKN and ALKQN

CRIPS
Colors: Blue and Black
Cross out B‘s in writing to disrespect the Bloods
Refer to each other as Cuzz

MS-13
Colors: Blue and White
Mix Roman and Arabic numerals
Use Old English and Block Lettering fonts in graffiti and writing

18TH STREET
Colors: Blue
Call themselves Dieciocho (Spanish for 18)
Use Old English font in graffiti and writing

Source: The New Jersey State Police Street Gang Units’ handbook,  Know the Signs – A Guide to Gang Identification.

Who to Call

New Jersey State Police Street Gang Hotline 1-877-SGU-NJSP

Division of Youth and Family Services Action Line 800-331-DYFS

New Jersey Substance Abuse Hotline 1-800-225-0196

Family Help Line 1-800-THE-KIDS

Source: The New Jersey State Police Street Gang Units’ handbook,  Know the Signs – A Guide to Gang Identification.

David Bosted, Esq. is a policy consultant with NJSBA. He can be reached at dbosted@njsba.org.

Directors of First Impressions

School secretaries are on the front line of your community relations efforts. Here’s how one district trains secretaries to be customer service oriented.

By Marie Reynolds

Imagine a meeting room filled with school secretaries – stone-faced and arms folded – on a Friday afternoon in February. Welcome to Mount Laurel Schools’ Customer Service Workshop for school secretaries. It’s clear that some of the participants aren’t happy to be at the seminar.

“I’m offended by the title of the workshop,” said one of the first secretaries to break the silence. “We’re not selling widgets here. We’re dealing with people’s children and their education.”

“If parents are unhappy with the service they’re getting,” asked another, “what’s their alternative? Shouldn’t we be focusing on getting parents to understand what’s needed from them in order to make their experience successful?”

Disconcerting? Perhaps, but it’s not unusual to run into resistence when introducing a new concept to staff members. Remember, school secretaries already have a workload that requires the skills of a multi-tasking magician.

In order for customer service to be positive, it must be delivered by individuals who take their jobs personally, care about those they encounter each day, and remain concerned about the success of the school’s mission. Our secretaries’ reaction to the topic confirmed what we already knew – that they possessed the qualities required for great customer service. Our goal was to offer them support for the tremendous work they were already doing.

“We know that in trying economic times,” said Mount Laurel Superintendent of Schools Dr. Antoinette Rath, “there’s a tendency to cut back in the area of customer service. We want to put more on a form that we can stack on the counter, or build another electronic database that parents can access to communicate with us on one topic or another.

“But research shows that this is exactly the climate in which our personal interactions matter most. And if we’re to begin the process of training our employees in customer service,” said Rath, “our school secretaries are the unquestionable starting point.”

Sometimes referred to as a school’s “Director of First Impression,” the main office secretary is the first to greet new parents, welcome incoming students, help novice faculty members, and field community inquiries. “I hold down the bad-boy bench when students are sent to the office and all of our administrators are occupied in meetings,” said Lou Ann Kelly, secretary at the Springville Elementary School in Mount Laurel. “I always give them my mother lecture about trying to get along.”

Kelly will also tell you, though, that she is responsible for “buzzing” school visitors in through Springville’s security system, handing-out visitor badges, securing identification from parents picking up their children prior to dismissal time and acting as the building scribe during lock-down drills. She assigns substitute staff within the building each day, deals with bus situations at arrival and dismissal time and assists the often-steady line of teachers and students at her desk. When there is a scraped knee during the nurse’s lunch hour, it is she who does the soothing. These tasks are in addition to answering the telephone, meeting a number of district and state reporting deadlines and handling the full load of administrative tasks from her principal’s office.

How does good customer service training reduce that workload?

Personalized, responsive extra-mile service stands out in a unique way that customers both appreciate and remember. It helps to build the kind of lasting relationships that are sustainable throughout a family’s stay in the school. Particularly during tough times, people talk more about saving money and getting good value. Because they are moving more cautiously, they notice extra efforts more readily, and are anxious to share that “good value” with friends and neighbors.

The Power of the School Secretary Imagine if everyone who came through your door felt good about themselves because of the treatment they received from you. The school secretary actually commands that sort of power. Our customer service training invites the secretaries to take ownership of their area of expertise. We ask them to look around their offices with an eye towards how welcoming it is to visitors, to assess the entrance, their signage and any physical barriers between staff and guests.

We seek feedback on the obstacles that keep them from focusing on building better relationships, and we encourage them to communicate openly and honestly with principals where change is needed. Increasing the number of positive interactions in a single day makes the hours pass more pleasantly, builds greater goodwill for the school and increases self-esteem all around.

But it is also the beginning of a change in school culture that can be far-reaching.

“There is a tendency in schools sometimes to define the building’s culture as the way that things have always been done,” said Dr. Rath. “This was one of the areas that was critical in our customer service workshop. Are we operating as a team in supporting each other’s efforts; or more like a machine, without regard for the human element? Are our relationships real or simply practiced? Are we functioning well under stress?

“Certainly, these are questions for all staff, from the administrator who leads the building to the faculty members who are communicating daily with parents. But the school secretary has the unique opportunity to touch both internal and external customer groups every school day,” said the superintendent, “and we want them to be fully equipped to do that.”

An effort as simple as a compliment to a teacher in the morning can begin a pattern of kindness that spreads throughout the school. Sharing positive comments expressed by parents in the office can help to build pride and morale. Exhibiting empathy for a coworker who is having a bad day can help that person turn the next corner, and a simple smile can remind another that someone else cares.

“In focusing on customer service,” Dr. Rath explained, “we’re not asking staff members to do one more thing. We’re asking them to think about how they do the things they have always done.”

In that regard, the district’s workshop included discussion of perceptions and how they are formed. Unfortunately in our society, the first few seconds of any encounter result in an impression that is virtually irreversible, according to research.

Michelle T. Sterling, founder of Global Image Group, a San Francisco-based image consulting firm, describes the process. “If you appear to be of comparable business or social level, you are considered suitable for further interaction,” said the image expert, “while if you appear to be of higher business or social status, you are admired and cultivated as a valuable contact.” However, if you appear to be of lower business or social standing, you are tolerated, but kept at arm’s length.

“So,” said Sterling, “you can either appear to match the corporate culture or not, ultimately affecting the outcome.”

Mount Laurel’s school secretaries are encouraged to project the level of professionalism and respect that they would like to receive from others. Workshop discussion centered on dressing appropriately for their positions, greeting visitors with a hand-shake, making eye contact, and having critical information available in their offices. If customers come to expect a high level of service consistently, the occasional mistake will be met with understanding and patience.

“I would have to say that 99 percent of the time, our parents treat us wonderfully, and are happy with the service from our office,” said Kelly. “But I think a big part of that is because my office aide and I make it our business to know as much as possible about our students and families.

“Parents feel more comfortable knowing that we know their kids’ names, or what class they are in. If they need to have someone who is not on the emergency list pick up their child, they’ll call beforehand and let us know. They’ll also tell that person to be ready to show their driver’s license because they know we never apologize for keeping their children safe,” said the 13-year veteran school secretary.

It is that kind of understanding that stems from a relationship built on mutual trust over the course of time. Taking a customer service approach extends the first hand in a move towards community-friendly schools. Kelly said that this year, she’s often been the first to know that a parent has lost their job, and has alerted the school’s Helping Hands Committee to be on standby in case there’s a need for additional support for the family.

Establishing a priority around customer service on a district level grants permission for the school secretary to stop and show concern when the enrollment report is looming but the same frazzled parent is rushing in for the third time that week with a forgotten lunch. It emphasizes that there is incalculable value in the fact that parents can trust that the secretary will always get the bag to their child before lunch period or the sneakers to them before gym class, because the secretary cares.

“Regardless of test scores and accolades,” Dr. Rath stresses, “our public schools are valued and supported here in Mount Laurel because residents know that we care about the students and families we serve and their long-term impact on the entire community. Our school secretaries, as our first-line communicators, have played a major role in that success.”

Marie Reynolds is director of communication services in the Mount Laurel Schools. She can be reached at mreynolds@mountlaurel.k12.nj.us.