Community Relations Interview

On April 18th, I had the pleasure of meeting with JacQui Getty, the Executive Director of Communications for our district. Before this interview, I had written down a list of questions that I had for JacQui. Though I had met JacQui briefly on a couple of occasions, we had really never gotten to know each other, and I didn't necessarily understand her position, so I was really looking forward to this interview. On top of that, JacQui seemed very willing to meet and was very flexible about scheduling, which just made this seem like it was going to be a good experience. I was not disappointed.

The moment I sat down, JacQui immediately started talking and sharing about her role as Executive Director and about her past experiences working at Hamline. She was positive and energetic, and she is clearly committed to what she is doing. I hadn't used any of my questions until about 15 minutes into our chat, as the conversation flowed so nicely. Also, our conversation was very in-depth, and some of my questions just seemed trivial after everything.

JacQui considers our community very strong and organized. She thinks the district has done a very good job of keeping the community engaged, and I tend to agree. Our families are very involved and supportive of their school district, and some polls and two recent referenda that passed with 75% of the vote would support this idea.

I asked about outreach to people of color in our community because I have observed very few people of color from our community involved in school events. JacQui pointed to a few instances of people reaching out to the district and becoming more involved. Her strategy seems to be very much being open to interactions with all people in our community and facilitating opportunities when engaged, but I couldn't detect any outreach strategies that would specifically seek out and engage people of color within our community.

JacQui's office was also full of boxes. She very proudly opened up one of the boxes to show me the contents. They were awards for volunteers from within the community who have helped our district be so successful. One thing that JacQui pointed out was that we have many volunteers who work in the background on matters such as finance committees, or other less glamorous work. She was especially happy to be recognizing their work, as they aren't often seen or acknowledged publicly, but their work is essential to the district's success.

I also asked about communication pitfalls that administrators might fall into. JacQui has not seen this as a real issue, and she explained that her role with administrators is a supportive one. When she took over this role two years ago, she met with all the administrators and has worked to learn their styles and how they want to interact with her. Establishing those relationships has been very important, so that when major issues arise, they are able to work together to address the communication on those issues effectively.

This interview was not what I expected and didn't follow my previous experiences of being able to control and direct the conversation, but I was very pleased with the outcomes. I have a better idea of the role of people like JacQui and their importance for a district. I also see that she would be a real ally for me as a principal, and I think I would make an early effort on my own to meet that person in whatever district I work in.

Perhaps the most important learning from this experience was the importance of recognizing your community and its role in your school's success. There are so many people who come together to make a school system work, and we often don't even know they exist or the impact of the work they do. That makes it so much more important for school leaders to acknowledge the work of these community members and to help others in the community aware of these important contributions. It not only helps maintain strong relationships with important people, but it should also inspire others to take such an interest in their schools.