George Pawlas's
PR for PRincipals...

Letters to the Editor
Set the Record Straight

The issue of education has always been near the top of the public's interests and concerns. That's because, currently, about one in four American households has a child enrolled in a public school. One effective strategy for getting out good news, or accurate news, to your school's larger community is to write a letter to the editor or an opinion piece to the publisher of your local newspaper. For example, when your students excel, you might write about their successes and the quality instruction your teachers provided.

Years ago when the fourth-grade students in my school achieved strong scores on a state writing proficiency exam, I wrote a guest column in which I shared what the teachers had done to prepare the students for the exam. (Each week, teachers had students write an essay; throughout the year students had many experiences writing in the four standard essay formats that might appear on the state exam.) Writing that letter gave me an opportunity to shine the spotlight on positive results from carefully planned strategies. It made our teachers and students look good.

The response to that letter was very positive. Several community members called or wrote to me with positive comments.

Read more practical tips from George Pawlas

• Share the Pride: Six "Pride Statements" Get Year Off to a Great Start
• Getting the Most Out of Parent-Teacher Conferences
• Newsletters: An Essential Tool for Every Principal
• Building Positive Relationships With the Media
• The Benefits of Being an MBWA Principal
• More Tips for Great Newsletters
• 50 Million Students Can't Be Wrong: Improving Perceptions of Your School
• Support Personnel Are P.R. People Too
• Create a School Profile Brochure