Representative democracy relies on the informed trust of the citizens. School board members serve their communities at a crucial place, governing large sums of money and the future of the community's children. Without the informed trust of the citizens, this enterprise will fail. Trust may be lost directly, or through inattention to detail. One of…

Libraries of government departments provide information to policymakers, to government staff and employees, and, sometimes, to the general public. It is essential that libraries of government departments are organised and managed so as to collect and provide the information most needed by government decision makers, government workers, and the…

Describes results from four separate studies of school leaders on their reaction to a selling or marketing approach in education. It is possible to project from the results that educational marketing may become an integral part of public relations programs for educators. (MD)

To capitalize on high school reunions, provide participants with current information on the school system, open the school to the reunion, encourage reunion organizers to invite retired teachers and board members whose work affected the class, establish a class scholarship fund, and publicize graduates' achievements. (PGD)

A demographic fact is that the population is made up of an increasingly larger percentage of old people. Senior citizens will vote in the same pattern as the rest of the population if they are informed. Presents ways schools can communicate better and gain the suppport of senior citizens. (MD)

Reviews tips on speech delivery for board members. Includes an outline for setting up a file for anecdotes and quotations. (MD)

Campus public relations professionals offer advice for improving the effectiveness of public relations efforts by (1) setting behavioral goals; (2) targeting audiences carefully; (3) focusing appeals by making messages explicit; (4) connecting the public relations message with larger societal issues; and (5) reaching internal as well as external…

To counter negative news about education it is important to make sure that positive school activities receive their fair share of exposure in the news media. Presents tips on how to generate positive public relations. Includes a list of newsworthy activities ideas. (MD)

The 121st Engineers of the Maryland National Guard volunteered their time to repair, renovate, improve, and build school facilities for Howard High School in Ellicott City, Maryland. (PGD)

In politics concerning the federal government's support, higher education must either play the political game to the fullest extent or work to change the rules. To do otherwise is to betray a commitment and to hide from the realities of a complex society. (Author/MSE)

Outlines 11 suggestions for guiding boards in selection of a new superintendent. Important in the process are: setting aside the time and resources, establishing qualifications, and ensuring confidentiality and objectivity during the search. (MD)

Guidelines for promoting gifted education programs are offered, including being judicious in promotion efforts, developing support among different role groups, and strengthening support within role groups (e.g., teachers, parents, students, administrators, community leaders, policymakers, and business leaders). A cyclic model of advocacy stages is…

Difficult financial times are not the time for college to allow fund-raising, alumni relations, and public relations efforts to slow down. If advancement has served the institution well, it can draw invaluable support from the alumni and friends it has already cultivated. (Author/MSE)

Obsession with institutional image, encouraged by the yearly rankings published by a major national news magazine, has led many colleges and universities to use questionable statistics to bolster public relations efforts. Manipulative reporting goes beyond standardized test scores to include athlete graduation rates and any other image-enhancing…

Summarizes major opinion differences between the general public and professional educators uncovered in the April 1987 "Phi Delta Kappan" Gallup Poll. Educators differed regarding biggest problems; improvement progress; community school ratings; the voucher system; organized prayer; parental choice of curricular materials; physical…