The Surrey School District is nearing the end of a review of its communication techniques, and wants to hear from parents and students.
“With so many options to communicate these days, Surrey Schools wants to know if parents, staff and students are getting the information they need, when they need it and in the way that works best for them,” reads a post on the district’s website.
The review intends to “ensure we are communicating with you effectively and efficiently,” it adds. “A critical part of the review is our online survey so we can hear directly from you what works well and what doesn’t.”
The anonymous online survey is open at surreyschools.ca until 11:59 p.m. on Monday, May 28, and the results will guide the district in making changes to communicate more effectively.
District spokesman Doug Strachan said in the 15 years he’s worked with Surrey Schools, this is the first comprehensive review of its communication techniques.
“We had seen a change in the nature of parent communication as well as staff communication over that time with the use of technology,” he explained. “We were really quite overdue to take a look at how we’re communicating and what tools parents, particularly, prefer. There’s a variety of online tools, and apps, available to parents.”
Attention parents, students & staff! We're reviewing our communications efforts & want to know your thoughts on the info you need from the district & how you receive it. Please take our quick survey. The deadline is May 28! https://t.co/JgTdeNoLAI #sd36learn #SurreyBC #WhiteRock pic.twitter.com/59fGRed6v1
— Surrey Schools (@Surrey_Schools) May 18, 2018
While the district has its School Link app, school websites and emails to parents, Strachan said “some schools have different apps that they use for parents and student committees, so they’re the best people to tell us what’s most effective in reaching them, not just effective but also not annoying, not doubling up in too many places.”
Strachan said the district has been working with a consultant in doing an audit of its communications both internally, and externally.
“We’ve met with and had focus groups and interviews with everybody from the superintendent to the president of our District Parents Advisory Council, with trustees, with PACs and staff and that helps inform the survey and now, this (survey) is kind of the final stage to get direct input from as many people as we can.”
The roughly 15-minute survey is also open to the community outside of schools. Once the survey is completed, respondents can enter a draw to win an iPad.
Click here to take the survey.