Building goodwill across the community
PROJECT
Niles Community Schools turned to Lambert for reputation management support after tumultuous teacher contract negotiations and several failed millage votes had damaged the community’s confidence in its schools. Additionally, shortly after Lambert was engaged by the board, the district’s principals led a successful campaign to replace the superintendent, presenting further challenges to repairing the district’s reputation.
Working closely with the interim superintendent and the eventual full-time superintendent, Lambert was able to help build goodwill across the community, which ultimately led to the passing of a $40 million bond millage. Today, positive support for the district continues throughout the community.
TACTICS
- Monthly byline articles from the superintendent in the local daily paper
- Monthly radio segments with the superintendent
- Communications materials to inform district staff and media through leadership changes
- Conduct story mining with principals and community contacts to garner information surrounding events and programs in the district, including:
- Reading Month activities
- Senior profiles
- Teacher Appreciation Month activities
- School art projects and neighborhood beautification efforts
- Develop relationships with local media, inviting print, TV and radio journalists into the district to cover the positive activities and engaging programs taking place
- Strategically manage NCS social media properties, including Facebook and Twitter
RESULTS
Lambert’s work with Niles Community Schools garnered over 150 positive television, radio, online and print stories in local, regional and national media during the 2018-19 school year. The same year, the District’s Facebook likes increased by seven percent.
