Blackboard Connect Webinar: Preparing for Inclement Weather
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Preparing for Inclement Weather and Maintaining Communication Throughout the Storm Sarah Hodges Beaufort County Schools, NC Rochelle Cancienne-Touchard St. Charles Parish Public Schools, LA
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Learn about best practices for preparing for severe storms and bad weather. View how two district experts from NC and LA help to prepare their district when the weather turns bad and remain in touch throughout the storms. Blackboard Connect provides mass notification services to schools and districts. We work with you to communicate your most important information.
Transcript of Blackboard Connect Webinar: Preparing for Inclement Weather
Preparing for Inclement Weather and Maintaining Communication Throughout the Storm
Sarah HodgesBeaufort County Schools, NC
Rochelle Cancienne-TouchardSt. Charles Parish Public Schools, LA
How K-12 Benefits from Blackboard
• Communicate with parents, students and teachers more effectively, in an instant
• Address student needs more quickly, efficiently
• Deliver real-time performance assessment
• Reduce communications costs
• Overcome language barriers• Increase parent participation
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More Effectively Respond to Today’s District Challenges
COMMUNITY
Safety & Security
Adoption
Outcomes
District
Challenges
• Reaching parents, staff and community in minutes• Effective crisis management and mitigation• Growing MNS expectations from the community• Exploring new modes of communication• Public relations and media communication• Rumor abatement and control
Blackboard Connect enables administrators to easily and reliably reach entire communities in minutes via multimodal communication that includes voice, e-mail and SMS. With 99.999% uptime, a robust infrastructure and maximum system capacity, you can trust Blackboard Connect will deliver your time sensitive messages.
Blackboard Connect
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• Fully-hosted notification and alert solution used for reaching millions in minutes through:• Voice• Email• SMS • TTY • Social Networks• More!
• 6,000+ clients in K12, HE, and Gov.
• Hundreds of millions of messages delivered annually. 99.999% uptime, 24/7/365 client care.
• SIS, School Lunch POS, RSS, Twitter and Facebook account integration
Multi-Modal Alerts & Notifications
Sarah HodgesPublic Information Officer [email protected]
The “5am-Proof” Inclement Weather Communications Plan for a One
Person PR Office
www.beaufort.k12.nc.us
Crisis & Daily Communications
Alert Now Manager / TrainerWeb Master / Trainer
School News Program
and more . . .
•
Public Information OfficerMy Role
Former TV director for local station, also did
promotions, wrote and shot news when needed
Handled closing and delays for on-air
Covered schools for local paper before being hired
with system
GOOGLE MAPS
Pamlico River
About Beaufort County SchoolsA geographically challenged school system
828 square miles, divided by a riverThree attendance areas served within the county
Average Daily Membership, around 7,000 studentsApproximately 1,000 staff members
61.41% received Free/Reduced Lunch 2010-201151% white, 33% Black, 12% Hispanic – Pockets of Mandarin, Indian other students
BCS relies on Alert Now & District Web Site 3 area television stations, 4 local newspapers, 1 e-newspaper
geography
population
communications
buses
students
102 school buses travel approximately 8,300 miles daily64% of students assigned to buses - Buses roll as early as 5:30am daily
Need to improve school to home communications in a diverse county, especially in times of crisis.
Challenges included: Access to TechnologyGeographicSocio-economicCultural Language barriers
•Our Alert Now StorySigned on July 2008 for 2008-2009 school year
• Pull bad number reports monthly. Update through data managers.
• Daily auto-load from student data system into Alert Now.
• Update staff and bus driver rosters quarterly or more if needed.
• Record likely messages night before if decision not made.
The Plan . . . when time allowsYou can not wait for the storm
• September 2010• Leftovers of former tropical storm come up US east coast• Rain, winds, flooding, tornadoes• Homes lost to flooding in county
• Closed September 30 & October 1• Decisions made evening before to all parents time to plan• Focus on helping people in less impacted areas understand
why closing is necessary • Planning a must when writing AN scripts• Having bus drivers and monitors separate a big bonus
•Dangerous RemnantsLast of Tropical Storm Nicole Causes Shutdown
• Collecting funds owed from charges in the cafeteria
• Reminders regarding free/reduced lunch application availability
• Morning and afternoon bus rider lists in each school system to allow calls for late buses and accidents
• Attendance messages• Middle school and
high school
•Additional UsesA Learning Process for Everyone
Let “Show Time” be your least stressful moment!
Know long before storm
how best to relay
closings/delays to media
so you can focus on
students and staff!
Best PracticesMaking life more simple when the storm arrives
•St. Charles Parish Public SchoolsRochelle Cancienne-TouchardDirector of Public Information
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•District Profile
-Located 25 miles West of New Orleans-17 schools -7 centers-10,000 students-1744 employees (largest employer)-47% Free and Reduced Lunch-Economic base dominated by the energy and petro-chemical industries
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•Communication Strategies-Communication Audit-Long Range Strategic Communication Plan-Assess communication tools-Blackboard Connect
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•The Calm Before the Storm-Upload student/employee data-Verify employee groups-Verify media contact information-Verify neighboring colleague contact information-Back up computer files-Review checklists for other communication resources
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•Hurricane KATRINA-April-Signed Blackboard Connect Contract-Summer-Collected/Uploaded Employee Data-August 15th-First Day of School-August 19th-Blackboard Connect Forms Due-August 22nd-Schools Begin to Enter Data-August 24th-Awareness is Heightened -August 26th- Continue Monitoring Storm-August 27th-Mandatory Evacuation Ordered-August 29th-Hurricane Katrina Makes Landfall
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•Immediate Challenges-Communication lines down -Landline -Cell -Satellite -Internet-Locating Local Radio and TV Stations
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•Our Lifeline-Local agencies work together to disseminate clear and concise messages-ONE VOICE!-Daily Blackboard Connect messages -Update Industry Leaders-Assist Evacuees-Diffuse Rumors from National Broadcasts-Stage Distribution Sites-Encourage Businesses to Re-open -Work with Local Governments-Establish Normalcy
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•Beyond the Emergency-Back to School-Delinquent Meal Money-Field Trips-Parent-Teacher Conferences-Progress Reports/Report Cards-Open Houses-Early Dismissal-Holidays-Testing-Attendance-Training Exercises
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
•Best Practices-Current Data on Record and Upload Often-Utilize Student/Employee Profile Forms-Train New Blackboard Connect Users-Educate Stakeholders -Maintain One Voice
www.stcharles.k12.la.us
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Thank you for joining us today Sarah Hodges:[email protected] Rochelle Cancienne-Touchard:[email protected]
Blackboard Connect helps districts create networks andfacilitates the sharing of information, critical to ensuringstudents develop 21st century skills.
Explore the vast array of school to home masscommunication options. Contact Blackboard Connect to learn more: www.blackboard.com/connect 800-213-7168
