To work with educators and those who care about education to build trustworthy reputations and promote shared values through intentional communication, conversations and partnerships.
 |
| Julie Johnson Holt and Dauphne Trenholm, Founding Partners |
Welcome to Our Message ... chockfull of news, tips and fun things to know.
Monday, March 4, 2013
We're on a mission
At First Class Communication, we've operated with a mission since day one -- we wanted to be a communication firm specializing in education. Now we've articulated that mission. Here it is:
To work with educators and those who care about education to build trustworthy reputations and promote shared values through intentional communication, conversations and partnerships.
To work with educators and those who care about education to build trustworthy reputations and promote shared values through intentional communication, conversations and partnerships.
Friday, March 1, 2013
The promise keeps on growing
We love getting news out of El Dorado -- it's always so exciting.
Today we learned that the famous El Dorado Promise -- which has provided scholarship money to more than 1,200 El Dorado High School graduates over the last six years -- is expanding the program.
Qualifying graduates receive scholarship amounts equal to the highest tuition charged by an Arkansas public university. But students had to live in El Dorado to qualify.
That's changing. Starting immediately, the residency requirement is no more.
That's good news for students and for the area.
After all, last month we heard from El Dorado Promise's Lila Phillips about the positive impact the Promise is making on standardized test scores. And that's not all. The Promise has increased college-going rates, increased enrollment and increased the community's overall culture of education.
Exciting, indeed!
Today we learned that the famous El Dorado Promise -- which has provided scholarship money to more than 1,200 El Dorado High School graduates over the last six years -- is expanding the program.
Qualifying graduates receive scholarship amounts equal to the highest tuition charged by an Arkansas public university. But students had to live in El Dorado to qualify.
That's changing. Starting immediately, the residency requirement is no more.
That's good news for students and for the area.
After all, last month we heard from El Dorado Promise's Lila Phillips about the positive impact the Promise is making on standardized test scores. And that's not all. The Promise has increased college-going rates, increased enrollment and increased the community's overall culture of education.
Exciting, indeed!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Very cool -- "flipped education"
We love the way Prairie Grove English teacher Anne Minton is using technology to speed her students' mastery of important concepts.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette high-lighted Minton's technique in Monday's paper.
Minton sends video lessons of basic concepts -- verbals, in this instance -- along with a quiz to students via email. They learn that lesson at home, and have more time to delve into deeper -- and more interesting -- learning in the classroom. It's called "flipped education," and more and more teachers and schools are using it to their -- and students! -- advantage.
This is another great example of educators harnessing technology to actively engage students in the learning process. Have more cool examples? Send them our way and we'll write about them.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette high-lighted Minton's technique in Monday's paper.
Minton sends video lessons of basic concepts -- verbals, in this instance -- along with a quiz to students via email. They learn that lesson at home, and have more time to delve into deeper -- and more interesting -- learning in the classroom. It's called "flipped education," and more and more teachers and schools are using it to their -- and students! -- advantage.
This is another great example of educators harnessing technology to actively engage students in the learning process. Have more cool examples? Send them our way and we'll write about them.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Is $2,000 enough?
The Arkansas General Assembly will take up the issue of how to continue the state's promised Arkansas Challenge Scholarships with dwindling lottery funds. No doubt that must be done, but we hope legislators are not sold on the plan that's on the table.
That plan entails a $2,000 scholarship to freshmen, with a $1,000 increase in aid each year a student remains in school and qualifies for the scholarship.
Yes, this plan will use up fewer of the limited lottery dollars. Two, it could prove an incentive for students to remain in school.
Yet the original intent of providing the scholarship was to encourage more Arkansas high school graduates to go to college, and, wow, did it work! Enrollments leaped across the state.
We fear that $2,000 is not enough of a dent in tuition/board/fees to allow a student and his/her family to pay for that first year of college.
If you can't get them there, keeping them there is a moot point.
We encourage the legislature to accomplish its cost-cutting like this: start with a higher scholarship amount for freshmen and increase that amount by smaller increments for each subsequent year in school.
After all, we need all the college-educated Arkansans we can produce.
That plan entails a $2,000 scholarship to freshmen, with a $1,000 increase in aid each year a student remains in school and qualifies for the scholarship.
Yes, this plan will use up fewer of the limited lottery dollars. Two, it could prove an incentive for students to remain in school.
Yet the original intent of providing the scholarship was to encourage more Arkansas high school graduates to go to college, and, wow, did it work! Enrollments leaped across the state.
We fear that $2,000 is not enough of a dent in tuition/board/fees to allow a student and his/her family to pay for that first year of college.
If you can't get them there, keeping them there is a moot point.
We encourage the legislature to accomplish its cost-cutting like this: start with a higher scholarship amount for freshmen and increase that amount by smaller increments for each subsequent year in school.
After all, we need all the college-educated Arkansans we can produce.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Here's a campaign platform: Supporting Children
There's an article in the Huffington Post this week that is a must read for all those who care about children. (And that should be everybody, right?) It might be especially good reading for someone running for, say, governor of our fair state.
Author Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus and First Focus Campaign for Children, says we must do better for our nation's young people because:
Lesley proposes a number of strategies, but here's one we find especially intriguing -- create a Children's Commission. He's talking nationally, but what a great thing to happen in Arkansas.
Just think about what the synergy of Gov. Beebe's Workforce Cabinet (an alliance of all the agencies involved in education and economic development in the state) has accomplished. Bring together all those who work with children -- education, health, hunger relief, child protection, child advocacy, even financial planners -- and the result could be incredible.
And just what Arkansas needs.
(Our thanks to Rich Huddleston at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families for sharing the link to Lesley's article on his Facebook page.)
Author Bruce Lesley, president of First Focus and First Focus Campaign for Children, says we must do better for our nation's young people because:
- 16 million (1 in 5) live in poverty
- 8 million lack health insurance
- 1 million are homeless
- 750,000 are abused and neglected
- 1 in 5 drop out before high school graduation
- the U.S. has the 2nd highest infant mortality rate among industrialized nations
Lesley proposes a number of strategies, but here's one we find especially intriguing -- create a Children's Commission. He's talking nationally, but what a great thing to happen in Arkansas.
Just think about what the synergy of Gov. Beebe's Workforce Cabinet (an alliance of all the agencies involved in education and economic development in the state) has accomplished. Bring together all those who work with children -- education, health, hunger relief, child protection, child advocacy, even financial planners -- and the result could be incredible.
And just what Arkansas needs.
(Our thanks to Rich Huddleston at Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families for sharing the link to Lesley's article on his Facebook page.)
Monday, January 28, 2013
Strategic communication by any other name...please!
We had to laugh yesterday when we read Rosa Brooks' guest piece -- "Confessions of a strategic communicator" -- in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Brooks worked at the Pentagon. Strategic communication was her job.
The Pentagon recently stopped using the term "strategic communication" because, well, no one seemed to get it.
That's what made us laugh. You see, First Class Communication offers communication strategy as one of our services. For over a year now, we've been trying to come up with a better moniker for the exact same reason. It's confusing and sounds like communicator jargon.
We agree with Brooks that, though we'd love a spiffier term, communication strategy "has nonetheless come to stand for something complex and important, something that has more to do with 'strategy' than with 'communications.' "
Good communication efforts start with a plan. That plan -- or strategy -- has to address such things as identifying the best and most appropriate message, knowing who needs to hear those messages, determining how best to deliver those messages, when to deliver them, and how to test that your plan worked. In other words, communication strategy.
But if you have a better, catchier term for it...please share! We can't copy the Pentagon's new term because it's even worse -- communication synchronization. Yikes!
The Pentagon recently stopped using the term "strategic communication" because, well, no one seemed to get it.
That's what made us laugh. You see, First Class Communication offers communication strategy as one of our services. For over a year now, we've been trying to come up with a better moniker for the exact same reason. It's confusing and sounds like communicator jargon.
We agree with Brooks that, though we'd love a spiffier term, communication strategy "has nonetheless come to stand for something complex and important, something that has more to do with 'strategy' than with 'communications.' "
Good communication efforts start with a plan. That plan -- or strategy -- has to address such things as identifying the best and most appropriate message, knowing who needs to hear those messages, determining how best to deliver those messages, when to deliver them, and how to test that your plan worked. In other words, communication strategy.
But if you have a better, catchier term for it...please share! We can't copy the Pentagon's new term because it's even worse -- communication synchronization. Yikes!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Jasper SD: A Facebook Hit
Some school districts shy away from Facebook and the like. Not Jasper. Its Facebook page, launched yesterday, is truly a virtual sensation.
Online for less than 24 hours, the page already has well over 200 likes. Here's some the praise garnered so far:
That's what he got. The page features:
Online for less than 24 hours, the page already has well over 200 likes. Here's some the praise garnered so far:
- "I love the page! Great idea! :)"
- "This is a great addition. Looking forward to keeping up with things 'round the district."
- "Very excited to see Jasper School District's new FB Page! We are blessed with a great school and this will be a great way to highlight all our students' successes as well as post lots of school information!"
That's what he got. The page features:
- A timeline dating back to 1827, dotted with interesting, sometimes quirky, facts and pictures
- "Tabs" that give each campus a place to shine
- A welcome video filmed by Oark campus EAST lab students
- Guidelines for posting
- A perfect venue for spreading good news, making important announcements and, when necessary, dealing head-on with any issues that may arise
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)