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The Beaver Dam Education Association in May put a new spin on the annual Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day, with help from the WEAC Public Relations Department and the Winnebagoland UniServ.
 Diane Lutz, seated, and Janet Shumaker of the Beaver Dam Education Association discovered that online tools at OnWEAC make it easy and inexpensive to conduct a local public relations campaign. |
BDEA pulled off a positive week-long public relations campaign, using resources that are available through WEAC. The same resources are available to all locals throughout the state.
"As a new local president, I was surprised and pleased to learn that so much help was available from WEAC,” said Janet Shumaker, a teacher at Beaver Dam High School.
“As teachers, we don’t have the time to put all of this together on our own,” added Diane Lutz, a member of the BDEA Public Relations Committee.
The event was so successful that BDEA members are gearing up for three public relations campaigns next school year. With WEAC’s help, the efforts are easy and inexpensive.
The BDEA spring campaign took the unique approach of using the week to say “thank you” to the community for its support of public schools.
Through WEAC, the 268 members of the BDEA arranged to give a pencil with the logo “Every kid deserves a great school” to each of the more than 3,000 students in the district. “This was a symbolic way for Beaver Dam teachers to say that we appreciate our students,” said Vickie Frome, a 1st-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School who coordinated the distribution of pencils for the BDEA.
 BDEA members Judy Hein, left, and Vickie Frome display some of the materials used in the association's spring public relations campaign. |
Also included in the week’s efforts was a half-page newspaper ad listing the top 10 things the BDEA members appreciate about teaching in Beaver Dam. “We are fortunate to teach in a community that appreciates that great schools benefit everyone,” said Nathan Curtis, a high school English teacher. “Great schools depend on great teachers and staff, but they also depend on a community that supports public education.”
Another part of the campaign was the placement of table tents in area restaurants showing teachers’ appreciation for community support. “Community involvement in Beaver Dam brings learning to life, and that means everyone – parents, business owners, retirees, workers, local government, and students,” said Judy Hein, a 2nd-grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary School, who helped plan the week’s activities.
Using OnWEAC for ideas and resources, the BDEA provided public service announcements that were broadcast on a local radio station, and press releases that were printed in the local newspaper.
BDEA members said their plans for 2007-08 include a back-to-school message based on finger-tipped shaped fliers found at OnWEAC to promote parental involvement in education.
“I think this kind of communication is very important,” Shumaker said. “We’re using the ‘Every kid deserves a great school’ message and we have received such favorable responses from the staff and community.”
For online tools you can use, go to OnWEAC at www.weac.org, log in to the Members Only site and click on “Tools for local programs," located on the right side of the page.
Posted June 14, 2007