FCPS striving to provide Friendly Committed Personal Service
Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, August 29, 2011
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Value and respect, which are perennial building blocks in successful organizations, are the cornerstones of the Superior Customer Service Initiative in Fayette County Public Schools.
“When you look at the best companies, those concepts need to be implemented here in the school system because we are a business,” said Barbara Connor, chair of the task force commissioned by Superintendent Stu Silberman and the subsequent small work group coordinating the efforts.
Seven schools and five departments participated in last year’s pilot phase; more will gradually join in until the entire district is aboard. It’s another step in becoming a world-class school district where everyone – from students and families to employees and community members – feels good about what FCPS stands for and the principles it embodies.
The customer service initiative promotes positive interactions that foster authentic relationships, and these stronger emotional and social ties should bolster students’ cognitive involvement at school, ultimately helping to close achievement gaps.
The initial time commitment includes three hours of specialized staff training and three hours of preparation for two major components: the spring’s Move-Up Day and summertime home visits. The consensus among pilots was that both worked extremely well to ease students’ apprehensions and to let families know how much FCPS cares about their children.
Betsy Rutherford, principal at Russell Cave Elementary, raved about Move-Up Day during a status report to the school board.
“That is the most awesome experience for kids,” she said. “The beginning of our school year has been so smooth. Students knew where to go, they knew who their teacher was, we did home visits in the summer so teachers were able to meet the parents and see the kids again. So on the first day of school, it was smooth as silk.”
On Move-Up Day, students in each grade spent time with their next year’s teacher, including eighth-graders visiting their new high school, where they learned about sports and club options and toured the building. During the subsequent home visits, teachers and families talked casually in comfortable surroundings.
“I was there to open up dialogue between the parents and me and the child and to really get to know them,” said Millcreek Elementary teacher Tammy Drury. “I found myself really trying to create that relationship so when they come into my room the first day of school, we’ve got a connection.”
Penny Owens, who teaches at Crawford Middle School, noted how the home visits broke down barriers and emboldened parents to contact the school, where they know of a trusted advocate.
“Now they’ll call a little bit faster, and it can only benefit the student,” Owens said.
Tara Isaacs, principal at Dixie Magnet Elementary, also cited other helpful facets of the customer service initiative, such as keeping “backstage conversations” behind closed doors and making the most of recovery opportunities after a mistake.
“It’s not about being right. It’s about working together and building those relationships,” she said.
Collecting feedback is part of the process. At each pilot site, including “It’s About Kids” Support Services, visitors may fill out brief surveys rating the staff in such areas as professionalism, eagerness to help and knowledge level. They can also mark whether the building is clean and well-maintained and whether procedures are clear and simple to follow. The service initiative also offers check-up surveys to gauge employee satisfaction.
Many of the pilot schools also developed individual plans to fit their needs. For instance, at Booker T. Washington Academy, which consists of two buildings separated by a busy street, employees now use Skype – making voice and video calls via the Internet.
At Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, crews reconfigured the front office area to be more welcoming. Dunbar also aims to strengthen a familiar bond by having students keep the same homeroom teacher through all four years.
“We’ve discovered the formula, and it’s very simple: You treat people the way you’d want to be treated,” Principal Betsy Rains said. “If we live by that and we work by that, then we’re meeting the needs of everybody.”