Q: Does Your School Have A Brand? A: You Bet It Does!

by | Oct 30, 2012 | Blog, Guest Blog

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the power branding has on our understanding of companies around the world.  When one thinks about companies like Apple Computers, for example, it’s not unusual for people to associate words like hip, trendy, youthful, rich, and educated.  This association is by no means an accident, and is another example of the power of effective branding.  As proof of this I’m reminded of a story I read this summer about the US-based travel website Orbitz, which would channel visitors using Apple computers to more expensive hotels and vacation packages because it was believed that these users would prefer options that started on the higher end. I believe that few would argue that branding is an important part of any business or organization (heck I’ve even taken a lot of time to think about what brand I’m creating at Learn[ed]Leadership)…but what about a school?  As I’ve interviewed various school leaders over the last year, some have seemed to be uncomfortable using the word brand while others have fully accepted it.  Either way I believe, whether we realize it or not our schools create a brand in our community for better or for worse.  However, unlike multi-national companies that can spend billions on building their brands and reputation, our schools’ brands are built on their standing in the community. I had a chance to speak with Nick Kent the current Assistant HS Principal at Concordia Shanghai, who put it this way: “[I find that when I] try to have conversations with people about marketing & PR of their schools, their immediate inclination is to think...

The Complaint Box Versus The Ballot Box

by | Apr 26, 2012 | Blog, Guest Blog

I’m excited to introduce our  first guest blogger at Learn[ed]Leadership.  Patrick Love is a upper school counselor at Brent International School in the Philippines.  In addition to college guidance and counseling services, Patrick has a real passion on the role of school counselors as leaders, and has been embodying that through designing a school wide social and emotional counseling  program and championing data driven change.  Outside of school Patrick is a talented and accomplished travel  photographer who’s been published in various national and international publications (view his work at patricklovephotography.com). The Complaint Box Versus The Ballot Box By Patrick Love Teaching our students to solve problems and find solutions is one of the overarching goals of education.  However, most individuals and schools out there have room to improve in this category.  What can leaders in education do to improve their problem solving skills?  Surprisingly, the answer may lie with our students. Solving problems and working towards school improvement is always a challenge.  As a school counselor, I believe that advocating for others is a key part of my job.  Much of what I do tries to forward the academic, social and emotional development and well being of my students.  Simply put, I want my school to be a great place for students to learn and develop. Of course, I am not alone in this, I work as part of an amazing team.  We have found that almost anything can be fixed or improved upon.  However, success often hinges upon whether the people working together are willing to join together to work on the issue at hand.  This should be...