Public relations in school administration

Trends during the past few years have indicated that citizens have come to rely on school leaders and workers for professional guidance and educational leadership. School personnel are learning that they must draw upon community resources in order to improve the learning experience of children. A good public relations program can be of great importance to the school as it attempts to meet the varying and changing needs of children and the community. A well planned public relations program will enable the school to interpret the conditions, needs, educational philosophy, policies, and program of the school to the parents and lay citizens of the community. Such a program will give parents and citizens an opportunity to gain a basic understanding of the work that the school has planned, and give them an opportunity to share in the development of many school activities. However, school public relations is not merely a job of keeping the public informed about all phases or activities of the school; it is also the job of the public relations officials to interpret the news of the home and community to the school. Education is conceived as a cooperative process between all agencies concerned with growth and development of the child. The writer of this paper is attempting to set forth certain basic ideas that will bring about harmonious relationships between the home-school-community.