At Victoria ISD, we know there is a lot of information being pushed out in a lot of different ways.
This leads to questions like:
“Are our stakeholders getting the information they want and need from us?”
“What are our stakeholders’ most reliable sources to receive information?”
“Do our stakeholders have somewhere they’d specifically prefer to get information from us?”
We know we can’t answer these questions ourselves, so we’re seeking your input.
During the October 2021 School Board meeting, the first-ever Communications Annual Review
was presented and I shared the progress of district communications within the Communications Department during my first year with VISD. Moving forward, the Communications Annual Review will be presented annually each October and will provide trustees, parents/guardians, and stakeholders with an overview of current communication strategies and the progress of our efforts. Presenting an annual review will show us historically what is working and what is not working in our communications efforts.
During the district strategic planning process, when Effective Communications was established as a direction, the Visioning Committee expressed to us that two-way communication is the lifeblood that builds trust and ownership with our community, and since then, we have striven to achieve exactly this in every way the district communicates with parents, students, and stakeholders.
Throughout the 2020-21 school year, we created video messages like The VISD Highlight, A
Minute w. Dr. Shepherd, and Champion of the Month, and we’ve continued those throughout the 2021-22 school year. We’ve shifted district social media accounts to focus on highlighting
students and staff as well as sharing information with our followers about the multitude of
programs available at VISD schools.
We’ve added more communications efforts like the first-ever weekly e-newsletter, School Matters (be sure to subscribe!), and the first-ever VISD mobile app. We’ve also increased our
presence on social media significantly to highlight students, staff, and program opportunities.
We know that there are changing trends in how society receives its news so we will continue to
utilize social media platforms; however, the VISD website remains the #1 source for everything
VISD. We know that with a diverse community of stakeholders it’s important for us to meet you
where you are.
Now, the Communications Department is launching a District Communication Survey that we
are asking parents, guardians, and community stakeholders to participate in. This survey will
help the communications department understand where stakeholders are so that we can meet
you there with VISD information and news.
The District Communications Survey will be available for two weeks, starting Tuesday, Feb. 15,
and will close Tuesday, March 1. You can find the survey in the weekly e-newsletter School
Matters and on the VISD website. We will also have social media posts scheduled throughout
these two weeks if you follow Victoria ISD on Facebook & Instagram.
We look forward to hearing from YOU so that we can continue developing communication
strategies founded on radical transparency, accuracy, and reach to properly reach you. Help us
meet you where you are.
Ashley Scott is the executive director of Communications and Public Relations for VISD.