Summary: 

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Episode Transcript:

Welcome to the SchoolCEO Podcast. I’m your host, Eileen Beard. Remember Blockbuster Video? I do. I used to visit it every weekend when I was a kid to rent DVD’s. But unless your kids live in Bend, Oregon, the site of the very last Blockbuster store in the U.S., they probabaly don’t have a clue what it is. Why? 

Well, in 2007, Netflix undermined its own DVD rental service to go all in on streaming even though many considered it risky. Meanwhile, Blockbuster had multiple opportunities to pivot but kept hesitating, worried about disrupting their store model. By the time Blockbuster had fully committed to streaming, Netflix had already captured the market. Blockbuster declared bankruptcy that same year.

The lesson is clear: act now, don’t hesitate. All season long we’ve been talking about how to elevate your brand in an era of school choice. If you’ve liked what you’ve heard, it’s time to take action. I want you to start packing your bags. Because this year’s SchoolCEO Conference is just 3 weeks away and it’s not too late to sign up. Just visit SchoolCEO.com and use the code “podcast” to get $100 off the registration cost.  

The SchoolCEO conference is not like other conferences. Over two days in Little Rock, AR— Sept. 24th & 25th—we’ll bring together practical workshop sessions and keynote speakers to help you reach modern families, differentiate your district in order to attract students and families and build lasting connections through effective digital engagement. 

You don’t have to choose between sessions. Every attendee has the opportunity to hear all of SchoolCEO”s findings from our original research projects. You’re invited to every workshop on every topic to help you hone your skills. We’ll tell you how to give parents what they want in a way that’s actually practicable for your district. And every attendee will also hear from all five of our amazing keynote speakers, bringing multiple perspectives from multiple sectors, who will all be there to help you develop tactics and strategies to attract students and families to your schools. 

When we talk about what parents want, often we’re really talking about what mothers want. The fact is, mothers are the primary financial decision makers in the household and they’re usually the decision makers when it comes to what schools their children will attend, too. Katherine Wintsch and Lauren Fitzgerald of The Mom Complex will tell us how they’ve helped some of the biggest companies in the world such as Walmart and Airbnb market to moms. They’ll share marketing research insights that have helped drive moms to the places they’ve consulted to buy the products they’ve influenced. They’ll answer questions like “What are the most important talking points for mothers?”and “What tone strikes a chord with mothers?” At the end of their presentation, you’ll walk away with a better understanding of ow can you capture their interest and earn their trust in a competitive K-12 market. 

But you won’t just hear from private sector power hitters. We won’t shy away from one of the biggest elephants in the room: how the national conversation about public education is influencing school choice. To help us understand it, speaker Derek W. Black, author of Schoolhouse Burning and one of the foremost academic leaders in education policy, is going to give us a history lesson we can really use. The fact is, public education has always been a point of contention on the national stage, and it has survived this long for a reason. Because public education is an American institution. Black will help you understand public education’s incredible legacy and how to frame it for parents who are choosing between schools. 

Michael Bonner is a member of the team at the widely regarded Ron Clark Academy in the Atlanta area and he’s actually our only repeat speaker from last year because he absolutely brought the house down. To attract students and staff, you have to walk the walk. You have to get your organizational culture right. A happy team naturally attracts new people. With lots of energy and passion, Bonner will share bold ideas for making your school or district the kind of place your stakeholders love to be a part of. The kind of place that attracts newcomers on word-of-mouth alone. 

We often talk about school marketing at the district level, but what’s going on at the school level? William D. Parker is the host of the Principal Matters podcast. A former principal himself, he’ll join us to talk about the unique part principals can play in your districts. They have the ear of the central office and the ear of parents, making them a powerful go-between. They are the tone-setters for your school sites and play a really big part in shaping a family’s experience of your schools. Parker is going to share how to tap into your principals’ potential and leverage them to engage stakeholders and attract new students and families. 

You’ll never regret taking action, only not taking it. So don’t hesitate, be Netflix. 

Click the link in the show notes to sign up for the SchoolCEO Conference now. I’ll see you in 3 weeks.