Your school teaches children. If you want them to remain in your school, why not consider teaching parents, too.
Think about this over the summer. To effectively market your school, you need to distinguish your school from other schools by finding out what makes it a remarkable place to be. It needs to be distinctive - doing things that other schools don't do, making it a place that parents (note that I did not say children) want to be.
With that in mind, think about this: how many schools do you know teach parents? If you ask me, all most schools do is ask parents for stuff - tuition, fees, fundraising help, to attend meetings, supplies, to volunteer, to coach, etc. How many schools actually give parents something? Sure, their child gets an education...but parents are members of Generation X - the ME Generation. They want to know what's in it for themselves!
The key to retaining students in your school is retaining parents as part of the school community, and strengthening that community keeps it tight. Why should you teach parents? Recall your educational experience. When you were in school, who were your closest friends? The kids you went to school with. When you were in high school, who were your closest friends? The kids you went to high school with. When you were in college, who were your closest friends? The kids you went to college with. What’s a good way for parents to become close friends? Put them in a classroom and teach them something.
Here are some ideas about how you can do that, AND create positive buzz about your school at the same time:
- Offer courses in Microsoft WORD, Excel, Powerpoint and Access - one night a week for 6 weeks each. No grades, just ways of making the computer more relevant for them.
- Teach them how to do email, and WHY it's important for them to have a computer in their house...not necessarily for them, but it's a necessary learning tool for their children today.
- Teach courses in effective parenting.
- Teach them the importance of words, especially those used in your school. "Unsubscribe" is not the same as "Do Not Contact" when you're dealing with email marketing, and "Tuition Assistance" and "Financial Aid" are not the same thing. (By the way, if you're using those terms interchangeably, email me at mikez@schooladvancement.com and I'll let you know the difference.)
Andragogy (adult learning) is different than pedagogy, so you wouldn't have to have your teachers teach these classes. Remember, teachers that are teaching children have to be certified by the State; teachers that are teaching adult learners should have knowledge of and be somewhat of an expert in a particular field of study. If you have a cadre of these individuals that you can call upon, that would be an incredible way to differentiate your school, making it a truly remarkable place to be.
And who would want to leave during the summer, knowing that they could actually be able to learn how to do a database in the fall, which could, perhaps help them find a better job?
