Several years ago, the Canton Public School District (CPSD)was advised to create a Public Relations Department, to improve its image, make its stakeholders aware of student achievement, increase parental involvement, aid in dropout prevention, attract highly qualified teachers and administrators, and perform other duties to strengthen the overall support for the school district.
The reason cited was that many of its positive stories and activities were not being highlighted in the mainstream media.
The Public Relations Office goal has been to build partnerships with parents, business, and community leaders in an effort to work together to provide the best educational opportunities for our students.
From its very inception, the Public Relations Office has utilized every possible medium to fulfill the mission of the district. The district has published newsletters, created videos, purchased print and television ads, sent out press releases, created a radio show, created dropout prevention radio ads, utilized billboard ads, utilized Power Point Presentations and other means to carry its message.
The district feels these efforts were critical in reaching its goals because often times the mainstream media either minimizes, fails to cover, or outright ignores any positive gains made in the Canton Public School District. Many times photos and press releases highlighting positive accomplishments are never used for whatever reason.
While some of the improvements may not be as large as its neighboring districts, they are still improvements in the right direction. Even when the district’s third-graders’ test scores were higher than the state’s average this year and last year, the district feels any negatives that could be sighted overshadowed it.
Our district has gone from a 29.7 percent graduation rate to 68.7 percent. That is a major improvement. Is it where we want it to be? No, but it is an improvement in the right direction. We are continuously working to increase our academic accountability ratings and student achievement at all schools. These are just examples of why it is so critically important for us to tell our own story of achievement and success because we are improving.
We do have alumni who are doctors, lawyers, engineers, and others in successful professions. We are graduating more students.
In May, the district celebrated its largest graduating class in over 15 years with 179 students graduating from Canton High School. We are transforming lives and building futures.
We must share our successes if we are to continue to attract highly qualified teachers and administrators to our struggling district. We are often compared to our neighboring districts on just about everything we do; their successes often make the headlines. They seem to get all the positive press they need. They don’t have to go the extra mile to highlight student achievement, increase parental involvement, or attract highly qualified personnel. We do.
That’s why we will continue doing what we know is right for our community and what we know will help us achieve our mission to enable our students to become self-directed lifelong learners and effective communicators who are prepared to continue their education and/ or enter the global workplace and participate in society as responsible citizens.
Regardless of labels, the Canton Public School District must continue to inspire and motivate our students that they are capable of achieving and can be successful in life.
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