Session Description: Policymakers and the media are paying attention to education reform efforts, and as part of that, to what education entrepreneurs have to say – about the problems they are addressing, about the impact their work is having on students and communities, about the lessons they’re learning, and how all that can influence the way public education works nationally. Now that they’re listening, what goes into making a message compelling? In this session, panelists discussed the fundamentals of effective communication, including the development of clear and consistent messages, the power of engaging the media, and the importance of compelling research and data in storytelling. Speakers:

• Alan Arkatov, President, Changing.edu and former Chief Strategy Officer, The Rogers Group (moderator)
• Tim Daly, President, and Ariela Rozman, Chief Executive Officer, The New Teacher Project
• Steve Mancini, Director of Communications, Doris & Donald Fisher Fund

Part 1: In this video, Tim Daly discusses the The New Teacher Project‘s communications strategy around their major publication The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness. http://vimeo.com/13764354 Part 2: In this video, Steve Mancini of the Fisher Fund details four strategies for dealing effectively with the media. Part 3: In this video, Ariela Rozman discusses The New Teacher Project’s focus on data in external communications and the need to help journalists more fully understand the topics they’re covering. Part 4: In this video, moderator Alan Arkatov opens the floor to questions from the audience. Mike Milkie from Noble Network of Charter Schools in Chicago asks the panel for their thoughts on using social media effectively. Next, an audience member asks about what role messaging is playing in the debate over tying teacher pay to student achievement. Part 5: In this video, Rozman tells the audience it’s important to keep informed about arguments against their own positions. Next, Mancini discusses how he placed an op-ed in a difficult to reach market. Part 6: In this video, Mancini plays a video of KIPP co-founder Dave Levin on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report. Return to the top of the page Return to the Summit Agenda page