What Students Want

Our guest today is Rebecca Kaden. Rebecca is a Managing Partner at Union Square Ventures. She has a particular interest in education and an extremely deep understanding of the evolving EdTech landscape. Rebecca began her career as a journalist and prior to USV was a General Partner at Maveron, a consumer focused early stage fund.In this episode, we talk about how new technology can decentralize many aspects of what school is today, so that the learning experience can really feel individual for each student.Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Our first episode with Sora Schools - https://blog.enrollhand.com/have-you-heard-of-sora-schools/Our second episode with Sora Schools - https://blog.enrollhand.com/roadmap-club/Venture Stories episode: Redesigning School for Students To Thrive with Rebecca Kaden of USV and Garrett Smiley of Sora Schools - https://soundcloud.com/venturestories/redesigning-school-forOur episode: 420 Learning Guides Coach Learners Towards Mastery, with Kelly Smith, CEO at Prenda - https://blog.enrollhand.com/420-learning-guides/Our pisode: Will the Consumerization of Education Continue, with Jennifer Carolan - https://blog.enrollhand.com/consumerization-k12-education/John Danner on Twitter about Web3 & Education - https://twitter.com/jwdanner/status/1442539746358530056Where to learn more about Rebecca:Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kaden/Twitter - https://twitter.com/rebeccakadenWebsite - https://www.usv.com/Where to learn more about Enrollhand: Website - www.enrollhand.comWebinar - https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

In this interview, we are joined by Grant Lichtman, an internationally recognized thought leader in the drive to transform K-12 education. In our discussion, we cover:How market forces are shaping the K-12 school landscape. Why schools now need a value proposition.How schools can find more time to differentiate and innovate?Examples of how a school can grow by crafting engaging learning experiences.What is a school operating system.Practical ways to make your school more attractive: an affordable makerspace, a learning commons, flexible classrooms.And, finally, where a school should start?Where to learn more about Grant:Website: http://www.grantlichtman.comTwitter: @GrantLichtmanGrant's Books: Moving the Rock: Seven Levers WE Can Press to Transform Education: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/111940441X/, #Edjourney: A Roadmap to the Future of Education: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1118898583/, and The Falconer: Seven Levers WE Can Press to Transform Education: https://www.amazon.com/Falconer-What-Wish-Learned-School/dp/1450231268Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

My guest today is David Garden. He is an expert service marketer with 20+ years’ experience. David has an MBA in Marketing with interest in strategy, service design, and conversion rate optimization. Currently, he serves as Group Marketing Manager for Australian Christian College, a group of nine schools located in five states around Australia. We talk about the difference between the corporate world and the school marketing world. He also shares great tips that you need to know as a school marketer. Listen to this episode and take note of the insightful and actionable information you need to jumpstart marketing your school. Timestamps  05:06 – What works and does not work when putting into practice your school marketing strategy7:52 – David explained why schools must be in a "Selling Education" and “Selling the Invisible” mindset14:10 – How writing helps create impact within the community 15:28 – We talk about creating short seasonal campaigns versus keeping marketing always on. David is doing the former but is tending towards the later. 17:20 – David and Andrew agreed on one crucial factor before deciding which school to choose for your children 19:47 – We talk about distinct influences that play a role in the final decision-making process of choosing a school   22:13 – Why the school culture is an element that parents should take into consideration23:20 – How you should do tactical and strategic school marketing26: 32 – Three practical steps on how you can elevate your school marketing strategy27:39 – David shared the importance of bundle benefits and having a strong value proposition  31:16 – Andrew ask about what changes that David wants to see in the school marketing world36:15 – David and Andrew discussed the practical way of communication between school stakeholders and parentsQuotes:6:56-“School marketing is more like a relational product. So invite people to visit your school and start to form a relationship of trust and ask what they expected or observe what they wanted to experience.”9:19 - “The idea of giving parents the opportunity to see a classroom in action helps to give them an insight into the type of school and the way that you (teachers) deliver your learning in the classroom, and they (parents) can look into the operations of the school.”26: 32 - “In (school) marketing, take smaller risks over time and keep tracking, monitoring, and then revising your strategy as you go.”38:15 - “Give everyone an insight into what next year is going to be, use always on marketing at the moment, identify what works and discard things that you do not need, and allocate budget for marketing.”Resources:Selling the InvisibleGetting Smart PodcastContainers Vs StreamsConnect with DavidDavid on MediumDavid on LinkedInWhere to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Steve Dekany. He is an education marketing expert for close to 15 years, both as a 7-12th-grade administrator and primarily the Chief Marketing Officer for one of the largest site-based charter school operations in California. He is in charge with enrolling over 800 new students each year. Also, his skills represent close to 30 years in marketing execution for international and domestic companies--from school boards to parents. Steve has a unique 360 degree tactical perspective on school growth and long-term stability. In this episode, Steve and Al (Enrollhand’s Enrollment Growth Manager) deep dive into the basics of site-level marketing, presentation, and events and analyze how those activities can help your prospective parents and their children perceive your school as their best choice and enroll in your school.Listen and take note of the insightful and actionable information you need to jumpstart marketing at your school. Quotes:“When the parents or the students get to the school, is it consistent with those initial messages that they receive from the outward marketing that was going on? You have to look at all the messaging and all the things that were said and make sure that it's consistent when the parents arrive with their students, what is being said and portrayed is consistent with that initial response that they received when they are viewing and ingesting all the marketing materials.”“I had meetings at my school year around 50 weeks out of the year. So that gave me the opportunity to touch base with as many people as possible as often as possible, in those initial meetings. While the interest is high. And while you know, for example, your marketing campaign is at full swing, that's when you could actually measure how things are working with your marketing strategies.”Connect with SteveInquiry formWhere to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/Like here: https://blog.enrollhand.com/what-800-enrollments-per-year-will-teach-you/

Our guest today is Joshua Wittman. He is the Director of Ninos del Sol - an Eco-School in Costa Rica.In this episode, Joshua talks about the roles of serendipity and diversity in his position as a teacher, an administrator, and a founder of the school. He relates the story of how he came to focus on bringing the classroom outside into nature in order to teach sustainability and ecology in a natural environment. Joshua has a strong marketing mindset and shares his ideas on growing the school through connecting with the community. Listen and take notes on how to use technology in the daily life of the school - including social media - to engage existing and potential supporters. In our discussion, we cover:  1:00 Joshua shares the path that led him to start a school - Ninos del Sol in Costa Rica.9:32 He tells about connecting learning to project-based experiences rather than getting stuck on meeting curriculum standards in a linear way.17:48 Andrew asks, “You are in Costa Rica with the ocean in view. How can schools in the US accomplish project-based learning wherever they are located?”21:47 Joshua tells that schools must use community engagement as a marketing strategy to communicate about what is happening at the school and to invite the community to participate actively in the life of the school.27:52 Bringing all of his life experiences and passions together in a coherent whole, Joshua talks about how to create a value proposition for a school.37:14 Joshua develops the idea of serendipity and diversity in school growth.40:35 He shares advice for schools on how to bring diversity to their local community.46:50 Expanding on the idea of serendipity, Joshua relates that it becomes a way of viewing even seemingly negative experiences.50:40 Joshua walks-through the many positive uses of technology to engage the internal audience (parents) and the external audience (the community at large) and to remind them of what you are doing so that they become a part of the school story. 58:10 He shares marketing goals for the next year, including goals to engage businesses and entities with money available to be shared with causes they might support - like the interface of technology in the classroom.Quotes: 10:38 “We have to move at nature’s pace.”27:10 “Everything is connected. Being able to reinforce those connections has time and time again created the synergy that makes us grow.”36:00 “If you are not sure that you are on the right track, reassess your community and expand it to include people who are going to inspire you.”40:52 “Create diversity in your community.”49:14 “If you don’t have time for marketing, you have to hire somebody who does.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion: “Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era” by Tony Wagner and Ted Dintersmithhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Most-Likely-Succeed-Preparing-Innovation/dp/1501104314“Dance Equations” by Miranda Abbott https://danceequations.com/Miranda Abbott email - danceequations@gmail.comFarmbot - https://farm.bot/“The Long Tail” by Chris Anderson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Long-Tail-Endless-Creating-Unlimited/dp/1844138518Where to learn more about Joshua Wittman:Ninos del Sol Eco-School https://www.ninosdelsolcr.com/Ninos del Sol Eco-School ninosdelsolcr@gmail.comLinkedin - linkedin.com/in/jpwteaching

Our guest today is Laura Elizabeth. She is the creator of designacademy.io - which helps developers conquer their fear of design through a practical, hands-on, step-by-step process. Laura also developed client-portal.io - a WordPress plugin for organizing projects. In this episode, Laura takes the listener through very specific ways to approach website design. Whether starting from a blank page or considering how to improve a website, Laura explores the basics of producing an attractive product that tells your story and prompts the prospect to take action. Listen and take note on how to identify your target market so that everything in the design flows from that central focus. Quotes: 8:55 “Who is your target audience? Pinpoint that. You won’t alienate everyone else by going for the niche that fits your product.”30:11 “Homepage content should focus on the most important job of your website. Is that new students? Current students? Navigation can deal with the other audiences.”32:20 “In design, less is definitely more - even though it sounds cliche.”40:12 “Good design doesn't have to be original. It just has to be appropriate for your prospect.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion: Fiverr - https://www.fiverr.com/Dropmark - https://www.dropmark.com/ColorPick Eyedropper https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/colorpick-eyedropper/ohcpnigalekghcmgcdcenkpelffpdolgMuseo sans rounded font - https://www.fonts.com/font/exljbris/museo-sans-rounded/familyOpen sans font - https://www.opensans.com/ Chaparral pro font - https://www.wfonts.com/font/chaparral-proSquarespace website builder - https://www.wfonts.com/font/chaparral-proWix website builder - https://www.wix.com/ Reliable PSD - https://www.reliablepsd.com/Where to learn more about Laura Elizabet:Laura’s Design Course - https://designacademy.ioLaura’s Cient Portal Project Organizer - https://client-portal.io/Dribbble - https://dri

Our guest today is Bill Diskin. He is Director of Admission and Financial Aid at Cannon School. Bill specializes in serving students through helping independent schools with enrollment management, admissions, and financial aid for families. In this episode, Bill shares the path of increasing enrollment through defining the school’s mission, refining their focus, and how they put relationships and trust ahead of statistical considerations, but they also use data to target their search for prospects. He gives specific strategies for dynamically broadening the reach of a marketing plan by engaging parents as ambassadors for the school. Listen and take note of how the school uses available data to focus on and reach families who are already a good fit with their values by engaging the word-of-mouth resource of “ambassador parents”. Quotes: 5:00 “Schools can’t just wait for the phone to ring.”24:00 “Families want to get past the admin office and see what teachers are doing and who students are talking to.”27:19 “From day 1, focus on building a network of parent ambassadors.”35:20 “Parent-to-parent conversations are so good; you couldn’t script it any better.”37:10 “If tuition continues to climb faster than household income climbs, we’re sabotaging our own industry.” 44:40 “I try to remember that the most important piece of my day is building relationships with families.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Peter Drucker’s “5 Most Important Questions” - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Important-Questions-Institute-Drucker-Foundation/dp/0470227567Seth Godin, This Is Marketing - https://seths.blog/tim/Where to learn more about Bill Diskin:Email - wdiskin@cannonschool.orgTwitter - @billdiskinBlog - wilddayssite.wordpress.comBill on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/billdiskin/Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Our website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Chantelle Zakariasen. She is a conversion copywriter who specializes in using quizzes to gather information from prospects. In this episode, Chanti walks us through the buyer’s journey and explains how a school can go deeper than just telling prospects about the advantageous features of the school. She explains that people are overwhelmed with the “noise” of information they get in a day. Effective school marketing must find a way to identify and target the emotional needs of parents that would be a good fit for their product. Chanti fully reveals the process that a parent might go through - going from “unaware” through the steps that eventually lead to action. Listen and take note of how to create a cohesive message for your school by using descriptive language.Quotes: 7:53 “A client must typically have 7 contacts with your brand before they take action.”13:01 “The more specific - the more visceral you can get - the more likely you are to hook someone’s attention.”29:00 “The reason ‘segmentation’ is so powerful is that it allows you to get specific with your message and to sell to specific people.”39:01 “The more niche, the better. Don’t be afraid to be different.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Email and marketing automation - Active Campaign https://www.activecampaign.com/ConvertKit - https://convertkit.comConstant Contact - https://www.constantcontact.comDesign and market custom merchandiseMakeship - https://makeship.com/Where to learn more about Chanti:Web Site - chantizak.comWhere to learn more about Enrollhand:Our website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

SummaryOur guest today is Shelli Kurth. She is the School Director at Thrive Public Schools in San Diego, California - award-winning K-12 charter schools. Thrive Schools are reimagining education with a hands-on, project-based curriculum bound together by an emphasis on social-emotional learning. And it’s working! In this episode, Shelli shares the path of Thrive from vision to inception, and now onward to successful school expansion. She gives strategies for honoring the voice of every person in the education community - from students to parents, and from teachers to supporters.Listen and take note of how the school is founded on building deep, trusting relationships with everyone in the education family, but also places a strong importance on the value of scientifically grounded data to connect all the parts of the education method.Quotes:17:06 “First, and foremost, kids need to be learning, and it’s our job to collect data to see if we are hitting our targets.”19:40 “The heart of storytelling is building bridges to each other.”19:56 “(With storytelling) ...when something hard happens, you’re not just seeing the hard part; you’re seeing the whole person.”25:50 “Once you have established a close relationship (with parents or students) you can solve some of the heavier problems because you’ve gained a new perspective.”28:52 “Compiling and understanding your data is important work because otherwise, all those other parts aren’t going to be connected.” 31:27 “We must all help each other and really shout from the mountain tops. There are lots of things we are measuring that are giving us important information about education. Being innovative looks different from schools that are made to measure well on state standardized tests.” 33:07 “Part of our mission is not just moving the needle for each student, but moving the needle on education across the country and even in the world.” Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Tom Vander Ark @tvanderarkWhere to learn more about Shelli Kurth:Email: info@thriveps.orgThrive Public Schools on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThriveSchools/Thrive Public Schools on Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ThrivepsThrive Public Schools on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ThrivePublicSchoolsShelli on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelli-kurth-57b53948/Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Scott Allenby. He is the Director of Communications and Strategic Initiatives at Proctor Academy. Scott is passionate about developing and implementing strategies to help build the school because he cares deeply about the community that his work serves. He launched an inbound marketing initiative that boosted applications to Proctor Academy by more than 40% during the first year. Scott helped to lead a web redesign and strategic planning process for admissions, communications, and advancement teams. He has written hundreds of blog posts for Proctor Academy as a part of his effort to get the word out about the great things that are happening there. In this episode, Scott shares an imaginary marketing start-up plan for a school that is beginning from ground zero and wants to increase enrollment. He shares simple, specific, “doable” steps to take when considering how to start building an effective marketing strategy that can be expanded as the school accomplishes goals and grows toward success. Listen and take note of how a school can identify their value proposition, engage their internal and external audiences, and decide which tools and data will best help them to begin the adventure of sharing the “product” of which they are so proud - the school itself! Quotes:5:00 “Schools can’t just wait for the phone to ring.”24:00 “Families want to get past the admin office and see what teachers are doing and who students are talking to.”27:19 “From day 1, focus on building a network of parent ambassadors.”35:20 “Parent-to-parent conversations are so good; you couldn’t script it any better.”37:10 “If tuition continues to climb faster than household income climbs, we’re sabotaging our own industry.” 44:40 “I try to remember that the most important piece of my day is building relationships with families.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Seth Godin, This Is Marketing - https://seths.blog/tim/Where to learn more about Scott Allenby:Proctor Academy - https://www.proctoracademy.org/pageEmail - AllenbySc@proctoracademy.orgTwitter - https://twitter.com/ScottEAllenbyScott on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-allenby-89261b13/Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

In this episode, Andrew shares a delightful summary of the recent road trip across Texas, where he and Alexis visited 20 schools in Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin to get a closer look at what schools are doing “on the ground.” He provides a richly detailed analysis of the trends they observed in the marketplace and connects them directly to marketing for school growth. Andrew offers specific strategies that schools are using to enrich their value proposition in an increasingly competitive and crowded education market. Listen and take note of the many ways that schools are re-thinking their identity, their product, and their outcomes. Quotes:3:33 “Someone (among the teaching staff) needs to understand things like artificial intelligence because these are skills that kids are going to need in the world that they are going to be living in.”4:48 “‘Selling’ and ‘marketing’ are not ‘bad’ words - if it’s done right.”10:00 “Selling is not shouting; you don’t need to shout to get the word out.”16:50 “Schools have to come to stakeholders with a plan that creates their own value proposition.”20:00 “What is certain is that you need to design your value proposition through competition; you can’t just sit on your laurels”25:20 “You have to find ways to be embedded in the community - to be a pillar that goes beyond being considered an education factory.”28:50 “If the community is safer, the school is safer.”Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Jennie Winton. She is the co-founder of Mission Minded - a branding firm established in 2002 to work exclusively with nonprofit organizations. Mission Minded helps nonprofit organizations to discover the “big, bold idea” that distinguishes them from everything else that is out there, in order to attract more people to their work. Jennie shares her branding and marketing expertise in lectures and with clients throughout the nation. Today in our podcast, Jennie turns her branding genius towards the topic of school growth and takes us through the steps that any school can use to establish their own unique brand.Listen and take note of how “brand” is different from “benefits and features”, and think about how to apply the 6 Steps to Branding Your School.In our discussion, we cover:5:30 Jennie responds to Andrew’s observation that most schools have the exact same working on their homepage about what they offer.6:12 Jennie defines “brand” as “your reputation” and distinguishes between a school’s “mission” and their “brand”.7:30 Jennie responds to Andrew’s question about how a school can change its reputation.10:00 Andrew asks Jennie to expand on the idea of “right fit families”.14:00 Andrew asks Jennie to give examples of schools that stand out as having an exceptionally strong, unique message.19:50 Jennie shares the 6 Steps to Branding Your School.24:50 Andrew asks what a school should do when they find competitive schools popping up with the same message that they are offering.30:48 Jennie expands on the notion of signaling the community through the message that is going out from inside the school: staff, teachers, and families.32:00 Jennie shares a lovely story of a client who wondered when or if he would know that the branding exercise had been effective.38:15 Jennie gives closing advice on not becoming so overwhelmed with the idea of ‘branding’ that you fail to take action.Quotes:6:12 “Your brand is your reputation; the question is - is this the reputation that our school will need in the future to achieve all of our goals?”11:20 “Focusing on the families who fit with your culture is strengthening to your school over time; they will choose you for the right reasons.”26:20 “You do not build your brand on features (Montessori, project-based learning, Christian, etc.) because anybody can copy a feature; your brand is a bigger, higher-order ideal.”30:48 “When you have a strong brand, your parents and students will be so proud to affiliate with it; they will become evangelists for you.”37:00 “A school will not succeed in rebranding if the promise is not authentically something that the school is delivering.” Where to learn more about Jennie Winton:Email: amplify@mission-minded.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/JennieWintonMission Minded: https://mission-minded.comJennie on Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennie-winton-08b4444/Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Ryan Schaaf, instructional designer, professor in the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, and author of 5 books. Ryan thinks and writes about using digital tools and game-like learning experience in the classroom to engage today's learners in new ways. His new book explores learning in the age of disruption. How is this related to school growth you might ask? Well, listen and you will find out. Watch out for when a young student in the future runs a digital project with a scientist in Antartica. The short answer is that parents know and feel the age of disruption is upon us. If you can create a learning experience that will excite young students, word of mouth will spread.In our discussion, we cover:How the Dune Book Series and the Lord of the Rings are like instructional video games.How to Ryan uses video games to create exciting and multifaceted learning experiences with his sons.Why learning by making mistakes is easier with game-based learning.The explosion of energy that you can tap into if you utilize digital tools that students are used to in the classroom, provided you use them in the right way.The similarities between game-based learning and project-based or inquiry-based learning.Why games are a great tool to break through the industrial-age forces that are keeping your school back.How to use game-like learning experiences to grow your school.Quotes:3:50 “Gone are the days where you just memorize content and facts; now education is about story lines and seeing relationships.”4:50 “They (video games) are probably the best medium for learning-growth mindset - where you learn from your mistakes and by trying new strategies.”6:10 “Students want to demonstrate what they’ve learned, and they become ‘prosumers’ - they consume information from the video games, and then they produce their own content and share with their gaming community.”7:30 “Game-based learning is the incubator of the next generation skills that we want our workforce to have.”12:10 “Learning must be relevant, fun, and useful for the learners or you won’t have engagement.”15:15 “We have to question systems because they have a way of becoming rigid over time.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Most Likely to Succeed: Preparing Our Kids for the Innovation Era - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00P42WP7KThe Oregon Trail Game - http://www.gameloft.com/en/game/the-oregon-trail-american-settlerWhere to learn more about Ryan Shaaf:Web - infosavvy21.comTwitter - https://twitter.com/RyanLSchaafA Brief History of the Future of Education: Learning in the Age of Disruption - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07MW8DZJ2Game On: Using Digital Games to Transform Teaching, Learning, and Assessment - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01M28RHLTMaking School a Game Worth Playing - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C6MV6LGUsing Digital Games as Assessment and Instruction Tools - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00XDN5EIOReinventing Learning for the Always On Generation - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0113KZGH2

Our guest today is Don Wettrick. He is the Innovation Coordinator for Noblesville High School, the founder and President of The STARTedUP Foundation, and the author of  "Pure Genius: Building a Culture of Innovation and Taking 20% Time to the Next Level." The STARTedUP Foundation empowers student entrepreneurs and innovators with collaborative, immersive experiences, accelerator programs, and seed funding for students under 20 years old. As a public speaker, Don specializes in educational development with a focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. He also helps groups understand and utilize blogging and collaboration in social media integration.In this episode, Don delivers a strong message about the prospects facing today’s students in tomorrow’s heavily automated employment market and urges schools to take a stand now for creating an innovative, entrepreneurship culture. He details the mindset, strategies, and key players needed to make change happen in the education community. Listen and take note of how schools can step-up to the challenge of preparing students for a market that we cannot yet even imagine from the chairs that we occupy today.In our discussion, we cover:3:10 Don offers the insight that up until about 10 years ago, traditional education had a pretty good track record for success, but that has dramatically changed. 7:20 Andrew asks if Don has any advice for school leaders who are seeing competition pop up in their immediate area. 9:35 Don responds to Andrew’s question about whether parents seem to be willing to consider a future job market where 50% of jobs will be freelance. 11:50 Andrew asks Don to help school leaders visualize the beginning stages of the shift toward implementing innovative opportunities in schools. 16:10 Don talks about the necessary mindset change in schools from chasing grades to creating a culture of innovation. 18:30 Don responds to Andrew’s question about whether school leaders should brand their product and sell. 21:00 Andrew asks Don if every school is becoming a media school.21:50 Don talks about what his foundation is doing to help create innovation. 24:30 Don responds to Andrew’s question about what will happen if colleges begin to change their admissions requirements. 26:45 Andrew and Don discuss the ways that innovation can happen very quickly when the market responds to change.Quotes:1:50 “The future is looking very automated.”5:10 “Social media is a windfall opportunity for students if they treat it professionally.”7:30 “The hardest part is getting a school to see that doing well on the SAT is not preparing kids for the future.”17:10 “Cool idea; now, what do you do with it?”17:50 “We’re entering this new economy where new ideas are worth something.”19:28 “Everybody is stealing great ideas, and that’s awesome.”26:45 “Forbes tells us that by next year, half the nation’s jobs will be freelance.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Seth Godin, This Is Marketing - https://seths.blog/tim/Gary Vaynerchuk at VaynerX - www.garyvaynerchuk.com/Do we want to mention him since this is an advertising agency?Where to learn more about Don Wettrick:Don’s Foundation - https://startedupfoundation.org/Email - dwettrick@startedupfoundation.orgTwitter - https://twitter.com/DonWettrickLinkedin - linkedin.com/in/donwettrick/

Our guest today is Tim Mains. He is the Superintendent at Pine Bush Central School District in Middletown, New York. Tim is an experienced educator who has worked in various capacities from teacher to principal in K-12 urban, suburban, and rural school districts. He has a strong commitment to improving educational outcomes by engaging families as partners with the school.In this episode, Tim shares the “Dual Capacity Framework” and explains how viewing parents as partners can change the entire approach to education. He gives specific strategies for taking the first steps towards parent engagement - even for schools who have limited financial resources available to initiate the starting point.Listen and take note of how Tim has used strategic planning to accomplish very different goals in very different school systems; it’s the plan that acts as the guidebook to success.In our discussion, we cover:3:10 Alexis asks Tim to describe a “typical” day for him. 8:45 Tim responds to the question: What do you wish that you had known on your first day on the job in education?10:40 Tim begins to explain what it means to make parents the partners of the school in the process of educating young people.14:14 Alexis offers two schools of thought about parent engagement, and asks for Tim’s thoughts about the different approaches.17:20 Alexis asks Tim, “As a new principal, what actions would you prioritize in order to engage parents?”20:30 Alexis and Tim discuss the ways that a school can take the first steps toward parent engagement even when the school has limited finances available to start.25:20 Tim responds to Alexis’ question about whether he is using the same techniques and approaches to parent engagement that he had used in a different school system with different challenges.27:30 Tim discusses the value of using instructional coaches to help teachers implement any changes that are initiated in schools. 31:20 Tim expands on how to use strategic planning to set and accomplish goals in a school.34:00 Alexis asks Tim to contrast the ideas of communication from the top down vs. on-the-ground direct communication.Quotes:8:50 “Not everything has to be perfect, and ‘not perfect’ should not mask the understanding that I’m doing some things well. Don’t let ‘perfect’ be the enemy of ‘good’.” 18:50 “Rather than blaming parents for the conditions that they are in and the way that their kids are coming to school, we need to see parents as partners.” 29:00 “We view the use of coaches (to be sure that professional learning is embedded in teachers’ day-to-day practice) as a more valuable approach than a stand-alone staff development program.” 37:40 “One of the reasons I’m in schools all the time is that there is a lot of informal communication that occurs because I’m in the classroom.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Dr. Karen Mapp - The Dual Capacity Framework https://swopeparentengagement.weebly.com/dual-capacity-framework.htmlWhere to learn more about Tim Mains:School Contact - https://www.pinebushschools.org/contact-us/Twitter - https://twitter.com/TimOMainsTim on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-mains-67390b26/Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: https://www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.com

In this episode we answer a question by Doris from Austin, TX: “How do we overcome the perception that the area is bad?” Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Tom Vander Ark, an education advocate, and adviser for better learning. He is the author of “Getting Smart: How Personal Digital Learning is Changing the World”, “Better Together”, “Smart Parents” and “Smart Cities”. Tom is the Founder and Executive Editor of “Getting Smart” - a learning design firm helping education and learning-focused organizations increase their impact with strategy, design, growth, publication, and learner experience services. Tom has written more than 800 blog posts for Education Week and is a contributing author to Forbes Magazine. He is here with Enrollhand today to share some thoughts on the direction that innovation is going in education.  In this episode, Tom shares some ideas on how even small schools can begin to take steps to move towards personalized learning and competency-based learning, some of the challenges that they might face, and how to overcome those. He gives specific strategies for school leaders to consider as they enter a time of great innovation in education. Listen and take note of how the entire model of education is changing from “course-based learning” towards “platform networks”, and what that might mean for schools as they plan their value proposition.Quotes:1:10 “A community conversation that leads to a few important goals is the way to start.” 3:00 “By starting small, iterating, and learning as you go, you can minimize your risk (as you adopt change).”19:00 “We think that school visits are the way to go. You can watch a video or read about a school, but there is nothing short of visiting a place to see how it actually works.”19:20 “Look for schools that stand for something and that focus on a few core ideas with a common intellectual mission that creates coherence for teachers and kids.”25:35 “I’m bullish on platform networks as being super scalable.”29:25 “Courses - as both the architecture of and the way we measure learning - have been a useful construct in education, but we’ve reached the limits (of their usefulness), and courses are now blocking innovation and integration, and are a lousy form of measurement.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Forbes Magazine article by Tom Vander Ark:Organizing Your School as a List of Courses Doesn't Work for LearnersMalcolm Gladwell - “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference”Seth Godin podcast: How to get into a famous collegeDavid Frank - Executive Director of the New York State Education Department Charter School Office and 2016 National Association of Charter School Authorizers Leader.  Shelley Kurth - School Director at Thrive Public Charter Schools in CaliforniaSmart List: The 100 middle and high schools worth visiting - https://www.gettingsmart.com/2017/03/100-middle-high-schools-worth-visiting/

Our guest today is Angelo Lambroschino. He is the Senior Admissions Officer at Caldwell University. Angelo has a strong focus on building student diversity, retention of current students, and student engagement. He works actively to keep the university promotion efforts fresh, honest, and relevant for prospective students. In this episode, Angelo walks us through “Everything Admissions” - from persuasion to platforms, from data to division of responsibilities, and from time to tuition. He shares the ethics of recruitment and talks about the importance of helping students to find the right match rather than just getting as many enrollments as possible for the university. Listen and take note of how he makes it a priority to engage with students in ways and on platforms that are familiar, personal, and less-pressured than traditional recruitment efforts.Quotes:4:00 “A challenge for today’s universities is to demystify the college admissions process, and the admissions counselor has an important role in translating everything the student finds out online into what it means for the student.” 7:25 “I’m the kind of guy who will introduce you to the right people; you need to meet students, professors, and community influencers to be able to share in their stories (when making a decision about a school).”9:10 “Building trust with a student is important and if you’re using the same platforms that they are, they’ll feel more comfortable.” 20:50 “It’s important for top-level people at a university to have an open door policy.”33:20 “It’s good to have a diverse team of people who are really connected to each other for the overall values of that institution to come alive.”Where to learn more about the guest:Email - angelo.lambroschino@gmail.comAngelo on Twitter - @lambbro1At Caldwell University - https://www.caldwell.edu/faculty-staffAngelo on Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/angelolambroschino/Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

In this episode we answer a question by Tara from Baltimore: “I moved the school to a larger location, how do I get the word out now that I have relocated?”Where to learn more about Enrollhand:Website: www.enrollhand.comOur webinar: https://webinar-replay.enrollhand.comOur free Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/schoolgrowth/

Our guest today is Miles Latham. He is Managing Partner at Affixxius Films - an in-house bespoke commercial film company with an innovative and unique approach to providing breathtaking videos for public and private sector companies and organizations. In particular, the videos that Affixxius Films has produced for schools put a finger on the distinctive story that sets that school apart in the marketplace. In the research phase of their process, Affixxius is known for provoking schools to push them in surprising directions that “reveal what the school deems unquestionable.”In this episode, Miles shares how schools owe it to their students to take a stand for their brand, and details how his company strives to tell a story for each client that will resonate with the deepest feelings that parents have about their children.If you are thinking about what makes your school unique, this is a conversation that you should not miss.Quotes:6:25 “Independent schools are ‘high-brand’ propositions. We are dealing with huge amounts of money for the most emotionally important assets that a family has - and that is their children.”7:00 “For us, that’s where film is at its best - it’s an emotional buy-in. We have to make people feel something.”8:15 “As soon as we started to say less in a more emotionally powerful way, that’s when schools started to see results.” 9:50 “It’s the human qualities that make a school special.” 19:10 “Quite often, the creative process that we go through will fundamentally change the way a school markets itself or thinks about itself as a result of our research.”23:40 “We are ultimately interested in telling interesting stories.”25:35 “We are obliged to treat the marketing of these organizations incredibly seriously because of the level of trust that we are asking people to embed in the school.”26:40 “I think a school’s marketing is fundamentally a 2-fold proposition: on one level, it is acutely emotional...and on the other side of the coin, it is acutely practical.”28:00 “Schools are gold mines of storytelling about phenomenal young people who are doing phenomenal things.”30:00 “The first thing I ask is: What does the school stand for?”32:20 “The clarity and efficacy with which we tell these stories has never been more critical.”37:05 “School marketing needs to react to what is going on around it and not be so insular and so microcosmic.”Here are some resources mentioned in our discussion:Christ School - a private, Episcopal college preparatory boarding and day school for boys in Asheville, N.C. - https://www.christschool.orghttps://affixxius.com/academic/portfolio/5252/your-future-is-coming-for-youInter-Community School Zurich, Switzerland - a private, independent, international, co-ed day school  - https://www.icsz.ch/https://vimeo.com/292943705Dan Carlin Hard Core History: the Wrath of the Khans https://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/Where to learn more about Miles Latham:Email - films@affixxius.comTwitter - https://twitter.com/milesaffixxiusMiles on Linkedin https://uk.linkedin.com/in/miles-latham-7531a427Affixxius Films http://www.affixxius.com