100 episodes

WE LOVE SCHOOLS highlights success stories in school communications campaigns. We address the issues, obstacles and benefits of communicating with your community in today’s all-access social media-driven world. Subscribe to our podcast for inspiration, best practices and critical industry news.

We Love Schools Carole Dorn-Bell & Joel Gagne

    • Education
    • 5.0 • 15 Ratings

WE LOVE SCHOOLS highlights success stories in school communications campaigns. We address the issues, obstacles and benefits of communicating with your community in today’s all-access social media-driven world. Subscribe to our podcast for inspiration, best practices and critical industry news.

    Dr. Matthew Montgomery, Superintendent at Revere Local Schools

    Dr. Matthew Montgomery, Superintendent at Revere Local Schools

    We talk with Dr. Matthew Montgomery, Superintendent at Revere Local Schools, in Richfield, Ohio.
    They are fully opened up, unlike his counterpart up in northeast Ohio, Dr. Lloyd, who went fully remote. Here is a link to that episode.
    He gives us a little perspective of what superintendents are going through, how they're handling being fully open, where their preparations are for being online if they need to go online, and the general challenges that they're now facing in this era of COVID-19.
    School districts are obviously facing tremendous pressure.  School administrators have been under tremendous pressure since March with very little leadership at the gubernatorial and national level, as well as giving them kind of the support that they need.
    This hits the schools particularly hard.
    And this has put tremendous pressure on our school administrators. So we agree with Dr. Montgomery's suggestion that a little kindness does goes a long way when there is any discussion between parents and stakeholders, and school districts, administrators and teachers.
    We spoke with Dr. Montgomery in an earlier episode about about how to manage a school construction project.
    We Love Schools is a podcast produced by Joel Gagne & Carole Dorn-Bell that highlights and investigates success stories in school communications campaigns.
    Through interviews with today’s educational and communication leaders address the issues, obstacles and best practices of communicating with your community in today's all-access social media-driven world.

    • 23 min
    Chris McCully, Superintendent at EHOVE Career Center

    Chris McCully, Superintendent at EHOVE Career Center

    Chris McCully, Superintendent at EHOVE Career Center (Milan, OH), is our guest.
    EHOVE Career Center is a leading career tech school in Milan Township that offers advanced training for high school and adult education students in Erie, Huron and Ottawa Counties. The career center serves 16 school districts in the northwest Ohio area.
    In this era of COVID-19, vocational education, and how it is done, has taken a real hit. They're having to innovate on the fly.
    I get to talk with Chris about the impact they're seeing there and how viable career centers are in this era of the pandemic. And they are very much needed and in demand.
    One of the big takeaways you will get from this episode is one of the big takeaways is innovation that is going on, seen and unseen.
    And ultimately we all need to be patient with our administrators. And administrators and teachers need to be patient while working through unusual time together.
    More information is available at www.EHOVE.net.
    We Love Schools is a podcast produced by Joel Gagne & Carole Dorn-Bell that highlights and investigates success stories in school communications campaigns.
    Through interviews with today’s educational and communication leaders address the issues, obstacles and best practices of communicating with your community in today's all-access social media-driven world.

    • 19 min
    Dr. Jim Lloyd, Superintendent at Olmsted Falls City Schools

    Dr. Jim Lloyd, Superintendent at Olmsted Falls City Schools

    Joining me in this episode is Dr. Jim Lloyd, Superintendent of the Olmsted Falls City Schools.
    What we cover is how their school district is handling the COVID-19 crisis that is affecting public education.
    He has a fairly unique story about going fully remote, and the fact that he needs to hold a standard to inspire and empower the district to what they call the "Triple-A" experience.
    OFCS is committed to providing our students with a comprehensive“Triple-A” experience that develops and fosters the district's Academic, Artistic and Athletic growth.
    And obviously, though they are doing it differently, that expectation has not changed.
    And learn what a "Blizzard Bag" is!
    We Love Schools is a podcast produced by Joel Gagne & Carole Dorn-Bell that highlights and investigates success stories in school communications campaigns.
    Through interviews with today’s educational and communication leaders address the issues, obstacles and best practices of communicating with your community in today's all-access social media-driven world.

    • 20 min
    Prepping for a School Year When You Don't Know What It Will Look Like

    Prepping for a School Year When You Don't Know What It Will Look Like

    The truth is, administrators start planning for the next school year in January and February.  Here we are at the end of the 2019-2020 school year, a year stifled by COVID-19. 
    And we are still in the dark on what the next school year can and will look like.
    We certainly encourage school leaders to some time off to take a breath, but not too long.
    In this episode, Carol and Joel cover four areas to focus on as you continue your school year planning.
    1) What are the different scenarios schools are walking into for next year?  We cover three scenarios that are being discussed. 
    2) Communicate your expectations and what you know. And it still may be "we don't know."  Keep over-communicating, but keep this over many social channels and accounts - Facebook, Twitter, email, etc.
    3) Plan out your communication.  Expect it to be much different than in year's past.  And expect it change, so be nimble.
    4) Financial conversation.  Ultimately, you will only survive this financial situation when you communicate what is going on to your stakeholders, your parents and community as a whole.
    We Love Schools is a podcast produced by Joel Gagne & Carole Dorn-Bell that highlights and investigate success stories in school communications campaigns.
    Through interviews with today’s educational and communication leaders address the issues, obstacles and best practices of communicating with your community in today's all-access social media-driven world.

    • 14 min
    Agile Leadership In Uncertain Times

    Agile Leadership In Uncertain Times

    In uncertain times, how important is agile leadership? Our guest is Diane Egbers. She's pretty much our resident leadership guru here on the podcast. And she heads up a company called Leadership Excelleration.
    Why is agile leadership so important during times like these?
    Agile leadership, right now, means leaders need to move from uncertainty to clarity, from stability to agility.
    But overall, agile leadership requires us to be humble learners.
    Change can provide opportunities, if we seek them, that can be better for all involved. Through agile leadership, It can help guide decisions that were uncertain, to what really needs changed.
    How do leaders balance stability and agility?
    LEI Consulting is offering online learning Agile Leadership Virtual Series.  Details here.
    We Love Schools is a podcast produced by Joel Gagne & Carole Dorn-Bell that highlights and investigate success stories in school communications campaigns.
    Through interviews with today’s educational and communication leaders address the issues, obstacles and best practices of communicating with your community in today's all-access social media-driven world.

    • 10 min
    The Looming Fiscal Crisis for Schools: Four Ways to Talk with Your Community About Finances

    The Looming Fiscal Crisis for Schools: Four Ways to Talk with Your Community About Finances

    In our first of two episodes on the emerging fiscal crisis facing schools, we talked about the 2008 fiscal crisis, the Great Recession, as it was called, and what schools experienced. It is instructive as we look forward to this current crisis and what we might face.
    In this episode we talk about how schools can best prepare as they work through this next phase of the pandemic crisis.
    Have a financial conversation with your community.  It is critical. There are still many unknowns about the fiscal crisis headed our way. That includes revenue and expenses.
    How do you have that financial conversation?  Here are four way you must talk with your community about finances:
    Schedule it. Develop a calendar and rhythm to your messaging. Broadcast it.  Touch as many mediums as possible. Message it.  Stick to what you know and the facts. Plan it. Show your plan to reflect the new austerity. We will continue to be with you every step of the way throughout the evolution of this COVID crisis on all our social media platforms, this podcast, and our website. 
    It is helpful to reflect back to 2008. There are some real lessons learned and schools will certainly be looking to that to see how they might proceed.
    It's just so important for you right now to be engaging with your public about the financial conversation of you're hearing and seeing. Don't count on them to just know and to be aware, but be very real and authentic when you're talking with them.
    We Love Schools is a podcast produced by Joel Gagne & Carole Dorn-Bell that highlights and investigate success stories in school communications campaigns.
    Through interviews with today’s educational and communication leaders address the issues, obstacles and best practices of communicating with your community in today's all-access social media-driven world.

    • 10 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
15 Ratings

15 Ratings

DougWP ,

Smart and a nice range of topics

I really enjoy the range of topics covered, both as a parent of a young child who will be attending public schools soon and as someone interested in local politics. Great work!

Lai13603 ,

Very Helpful

The “We Love Schools” podcast series is incredibly informative and helpful! Parents, students, and educators should subscribe to this series!

12341551543 ,

A Technology Makeover in Your Schools

Great podcast. I'm a parent and heavily involved in my community's school district, but am very involved with teaching and learning department. This podcast explains how our schools are with technology in the classroom and how it's tied to learning. It was good to hear the strategies Mentor School District uses (as they are a top district in Ohio) and to know that my district is doing similiar things. I did have a few takeaways that I need to follow up in my school district. ;)

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