Getting Parents On Board: How to Communicate Your Strategic Plan

For those who have been involved with a strategic plan of any kind before, the process makes sense and can even be exciting. For those who are hearing about it for the first time, it might be difficult to understand exactly what the end goal is, but a strategic plan can help a school district find continued success because it lays out goals and a timeline that you strive to achieve.

As a district leader, you know how important it is to have big ideas, goals and objectives steering your school buildings through the academic year. Here at The Impact Group, we love the research stage of strategic planning. It allows us to dig in and really understand not only what makes a school district tick but what we can contribute to help a district thrive even more.

However, creating the strategic plan is only the first step in making a difference in the district. For it to be effective, you need to get buy-in from parents, stakeholders and the community. If the majority doesn’t buy-in, it will be hard to accomplish the goals you set forth in the plan because you will face resistance and backlash. Luckily, we have a few ideas to help you get the support behind your strategic plan that you need to move forward.

Tips to Gain Strategic Plan Support

Here are four tactics to get parents and stakeholders on board with implanting your strategic plan:

• Be transparent about your end goal.

Strategic plans are based on valid research. The goal of the plan is always to make your district stronger. There is no harm in telling your stakeholders that! Explain how your plan carries real value in correcting some of the issues parents and the community may have. Strategic planning is a win for the district and the stakeholders, let people know that.

• Share how parents can be a part of the plan.

Don’t be afraid to get people involved! The best way to make your plan successful is by getting everyone excited about it and contributing. When more hands are helping, not only will things be accomplished sooner, but word-of-mouth will help build trust amongst your stakeholders.

• Share research and explain how goals were decided.

Show people the path you took in making a decision. Demonstrate that research, both quantitative and qualitative, led you to your ultimate goals and objectives. This is where survey results can come into play!

• Use examples of other schools.

Plenty of districts have implemented and found success in strategic planning. Allow The Impact Group to give you some names of districts that found success with our systems and research. By showing your community the real-life success other districts have found, you can help people envision the results that will unfold right on your home field.

Get Started on Your Strategic Plan

School districts need to have a strategic plan to organize their goals and set a timeline for success. They also need to be able to communicate that plan successfully to their stakeholders, parents and community members in order for it to be truly effective. That is where The Impact Groups comes into play. We have a track record of helping school districts develop their strategic plans, communicate it to their community and get the buy-in needed for success. Reach out to us today for more information on your school communications plan.