In our homebase of Little Rock, Arkansas, it’s a beautiful time to walk through the forest. The air is crisp, but not cold. The leaves are changing, but the trees aren’t yet bare. After an exceptionally hot summer, it’s almost magical to be outside, basking in the vibrant colors of fall.
If we asked you to define a forest, you might say something like, “an area dominated by trees.” But next time you’re out on a walk in the woods, take a closer look. Birds and squirrels are cracking nuts and stashing acorns, inadvertently planting new saplings. Mushrooms feed off fallen leaves and dead plants, enriching the soil. It’s easy, as the saying goes, to miss the forest for the trees—but in reality, there’s an entire ecosystem of relationships keeping the woods alive.
Most fundamentally, a school district is a group of schools—but really, it’s so much more than that. It’s also an ecosystem, a complex web of interdependent connections. The relationships you’ve built—with your students and families, with your community partners, between your different schools and staff members—are the real heart of your district. Without them, your schools couldn’t survive.
In this issue, we’re focusing on the connections that sustain your schools. You’ll find ideas on how to manage competition between schools within your district, how to keep your advocates engaged, and how to mitigate the division and conflict that’s currently plaguing education. We’ll help you build trust with your school communities and bring greater authenticity to your leadership—both of which will foster stronger, healthier relationships.
We’re also offering guidance on one of your most important connection tools: your website. In an analysis of over 700 homepages, our researchers determined what information is readily accessible on district websites—and what’s missing. Armed with this knowledge, you can make sure your own site is well-equipped to build relationships with new visitors and maintain the relationships you already have.
Your schools need these connections—that surrounding ecosystem—to keep doing their important work. But the opposite is also true; your ecosystem needs you. The squirrels couldn’t survive without the trees to shelter them, and your community couldn’t thrive without the support your schools provide. The more you strengthen your connections, the more everyone involved will grow.
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In our homebase of Little Rock, Arkansas, it’s a beautiful time to walk through the forest. The air is crisp, but not cold. The leaves are changing, but the trees aren’t yet bare. After an exceptionally hot summer, it’s almost magical to be outside, basking in the vibrant colors of fall.
If we asked you to define a forest, you might say something like, “an area dominated by trees.” But next time you’re out on a walk in the woods, take a closer look. Birds and squirrels are cracking nuts and stashing acorns, inadvertently planting new saplings. Mushrooms feed off fallen leaves and dead plants, enriching the soil. It’s easy, as the saying goes, to miss the forest for the trees—but in reality, there’s an entire ecosystem of relationships keeping the woods alive.
Most fundamentally, a school district is a group of schools—but really, it’s so much more than that. It’s also an ecosystem, a complex web of interdependent connections. The relationships you’ve built—with your students and families, with your community partners, between your different schools and staff members—are the real heart of your district. Without them, your schools couldn’t survive.
In this issue, we’re focusing on the connections that sustain your schools. You’ll find ideas on how to manage competition between schools within your district, how to keep your advocates engaged, and how to mitigate the division and conflict that’s currently plaguing education. We’ll help you build trust with your school communities and bring greater authenticity to your leadership—both of which will foster stronger, healthier relationships.
We’re also offering guidance on one of your most important connection tools: your website. In an analysis of over 700 homepages, our researchers determined what information is readily accessible on district websites—and what’s missing. Armed with this knowledge, you can make sure your own site is well-equipped to build relationships with new visitors and maintain the relationships you already have.
Your schools need these connections—that surrounding ecosystem—to keep doing their important work. But the opposite is also true; your ecosystem needs you. The squirrels couldn’t survive without the trees to shelter them, and your community couldn’t thrive without the support your schools provide. The more you strengthen your connections, the more everyone involved will grow.