#488 – Present with Purpose: Engaging Boards and Communities in Meaningful Ways, with MaryEllen Bunton

If you are listening to the podcast with your instructional team or would like to explore this topic more deeply, here are guiding questions to prompt your reflection:

• Why is storytelling such a powerful tool when communicating with school boards?
• How can you balance data and personal stories in a presentation?
• What steps would you take to get on a school board agenda in your district?
• How does knowing your audience change the way that you present information?
• What is the difference between informing and influencing in a presentation?
• Why is follow-up critical after presenting to decision-makers?
• What story from your classroom is worth sharing, and who needs to hear it?

• AVID Educator Exchange (AVID)
• AVID (official website)
• AVID Certified Educator (AVID)

#488 Present with Purpose: Engaging Boards and Communities in Meaningful Ways, with MaryEllen Bunton

AVID Open Access
30 min

Transcript

The following transcript was automatically generated from the podcast audio by generative artificial intelligence.  Because of the automated nature of the process, this transcript may include unintended transcription and mechanical errors.

MaryEllen Bunton 0:00 There’s never a bad time to tell a good story about student learning and instruction. Sometimes people don’t feel like their story is worth telling, and they are. So don’t be hesitant to tell your story and the stories of your students.

Rena Clark 0:18 The topic for today’s podcast is “Present with Purpose: Engaging Boards and Communities in Meaningful Ways” with MaryEllen Bunton.

Rena Clark 0:29 Unpacking Education is brought to you by AVID. AVID believes in seeing the potential of every student. To learn more about AVID, visit their website at avid.org. Welcome to Unpacking Education, the podcast where we explore current issues and best practices in education. I’m Rena Clark,

Paul Beckermann 0:51 I’m Paul Beckermann,

Winston Benjamin 0:52 and I’m Winston Benjamin. We are educators,

Paul Beckermann 0:56 and we’re here to share insights and actionable strategies.

Transition Music with Rena’s Children 0:59 Education is our passport to the future.

Rena Clark 1:04 Our quote for today is from Molly Ouche, an AVID educator and high school principal, and she says, “I truly believe what happens in the classroom is what changes lives.” So Paul, how do you respond to that? What are we thinking?

Paul Beckermann 1:24 I think that’s right. Students spend so much of their day at school — just add up the percentage of their young adult lives that they spend there. It’s significant. It has to shape them in some way. And I love it when the good things happen in the classroom, because that has a positive impact on kids. AVID is one of those good things that can happen to kids, but not everybody knows about it. Not everybody gets to experience it. And I think that’s where it ties into today’s topic about advocating to school boards, talking to your community, letting them know about the good things that are out there — because if they don’t know, they can’t get excited about it, and it’s probably not going to become a reality.

Rena Clark 2:08 Absolutely. It’s actually timely, because in my school at this moment, we have confusion about what the AVID program is. It’s a matter of how we communicate that to families, to parents, and even to teachers. From elementary to middle to high school, it’s so important to keep those lines of communication open. So I’m excited to dig in today and welcome our guest, MaryEllen Bunton, to Unpacking Education. She is the director of curriculum in Danville District 118. Welcome, MaryEllen. We’re so glad to have you today.

MaryEllen Bunton 2:41 I’m happy to be here. I always love to talk about AVID, so this is a great opportunity for me. I appreciate it, and I appreciate it on behalf of our district.

Rena Clark 2:50 To ground our listeners, could you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your background, so we know what perspective you’re coming from?

MaryEllen Bunton 3:00 I’m at the point where it’s easier to tell you how many years I have left than how many years I’ve been doing this. I’ve been in our district for all but a year and a half, when I taught in Missouri. I taught middle school and elementary at multiple grade levels in both states — science, social studies, and English in middle school. Then I was an instructional coach for a period of time, then a curriculum coordinator, and now director of curriculum.

When I became the curriculum coordinator, I also inherited the AVID district director role, which is probably one of my favorite parts of my job. I’ve been doing that — I think probably 11 or 12 years now — and I also had the fortune of being an AVID staff developer, which has been an amazing experience as well.

Rena Clark 3:59 I have to follow up on that, because for fellow staff developers — we’ve all been staff developers — what is your favorite chant or clap? I have to ask.

MaryEllen Bunton 4:11 It’s the penguin clap. It’s my favorite one. I even won at one of the Summer Institutes’ pre-meetings — I won Best Clap. That was amazing for me, because I never win anything in a contest like that.

Rena Clark 4:33 And I know this is only audio, but you’re going to have to try to explain what the penguin clap is.

MaryEllen Bunton 4:36 So the penguin clap — I’ve done this with people who teach older kids, too, like high school and middle school, and whether they like it depends on your group. Basically, you get in a circle, and your left palm touches the right palm of the person next to you, and vice versa. Your arms are down at your sides like wings, and you move them back and forth like you’re clapping each other’s hands while you do a little waddle — like a penguin. At first, everyone says, “I’m not participating in that,” and then they love it.

Rena Clark 5:18 All right, well, thanks for that follow-up question.

MaryEllen Bunton 5:25 No problem.

Paul Beckermann 5:26 I don’t know if we’ll be clapping like penguins at school board meetings, but that is our topic today. I’ve had experience presenting to a local school board, but I know many teachers have not — it’s like a foreign land until they experience it for themselves. Getting on the agenda can feel a little intimidating and a little hazy, like, “What is this going to be like?” So from your experience and perspective, how and when should educators seek an opportunity to present, and why does it matter to be proactive rather than just wait to be invited?

MaryEllen Bunton 6:04 There’s never a bad time to tell a good story about student learning and instruction — it’s something to be proud of, which makes those presentations easier to make. In my position, I speak to the board regularly, and they already know how I feel about AVID. So the more people I can encourage to get in front of the school board and tell about the impact AVID is having in their classrooms and experiences, the better that message lands.

Because we have AVID in all of our schools — K through 12, even our alternative school — having elementary, middle school, and high school voices, both elective students and students who benefit from AVID more broadly, plus teachers and families sharing their stories, creates a real sense of shared ownership. The more people who tell the story, the better. There’s never a bad time to do it, but there are probably protocols in your district that you’ll need to follow, and those can sometimes be harder to figure out than the actual content of your presentation.

Paul Beckermann 7:31 So let’s say you have a story to tell and you want to share the good news. How does someone actually go about getting on a school board agenda? It seems like this mysterious thing that just appears from another world.

MaryEllen Bunton 7:46 Depending on how your district works, if you’re a teacher, I would start by going to your building administrator first to make sure they’re aware and on board. If you’re a building administrator, your AVID district director is another great person to involve, as they can support that work. The board secretary is also a good place to start, since that’s where information typically needs to be submitted.

It’s also important to be aware of the chain of command and make sure you’re not skipping anyone who should know you want to do this — because that can sometimes derail the whole process.

Rena Clark 8:34 Absolutely. So let’s say you’ve gone through those chains of command, done all the right steps, and now you’re presenting to the school board. Many teachers are doing this for the first time, and they’re nervous — and maybe the students or family members you’ve invited are nervous too. From a strategic standpoint, where should presenters begin, and what are the most important things to share when the board is your audience?

MaryEllen Bunton 9:12 The key is to know your audience. This applies to every situation where you’re talking about AVID — whether it’s a board meeting, a community event, or anywhere else. You want to understand who you’re presenting to and how they like to receive information. Even if you don’t enjoy spending your evenings at board meetings, there are people who attend regularly and can help you understand the board’s preferences.

If they’re very data-driven, keep that in mind. If they’re more anecdotal, understand that too. You always want to include both data and anecdotes, but how you balance them depends on your audience.

Then ask yourself: what is your goal? What message are you trying to send? Make sure you stay on message, and that everyone presenting with you stays on message as well. We were always taught early on that less is more — give them a focused amount of information and allow them to ask questions. That said, it may not be the case in every situation or with every board, so you’ll want to know that ahead of time. And if someone in your group tends to be verbose, make sure everyone presenting understands their specific role and how they’re contributing to the overall goal.

Rena Clark 11:07 I think it’s also really important to be aware of whether you’re there to share information or to drive influence. Do you have any pointers for listeners around that difference — especially if you’re trying to keep an AVID program, introduce AVID, or bring in a voice from a neighboring district?

MaryEllen Bunton 11:39 When you’re sharing, you want to be super concise, because if the message gets too broad or drifts in a direction you didn’t intend, you can lose the audience. When you’re trying to drive influence, you need to be very strategic. People love hearing from students and hearing stories that make them feel proud. But when driving influence, it’s critical to have multiple voices and multiple pieces of data that all hone in on your core message.

You’ll want to be careful about relying too heavily on anecdote in that context — five students or five parents coming up to share how great something made them feel is meaningful, but it leaves open the question of what about everyone else. When you have data showing how the AVID system is impacting the school, district, or elective classes as a whole, that’s powerful — especially paired with a few well-chosen anecdotes.

Paul Beckermann 13:04 You’ve mentioned a couple of times now bringing others in to present with you. How do you make that meaningful rather than just having token guests along for the ride?

MaryEllen Bunton 13:18 It always starts with the goal of why you’re speaking, and making sure everyone who’s presenting is balanced around that goal. In my case, the board already knows how I feel, so I make sure my voice isn’t the loudest or the longest.

I also go to each person individually — face to face — and ask them to be part of the presentation. I tell them exactly what we’ll be talking about, that there will be others presenting, and I lay out what to expect so they go in with clear expectations. Having a practice meeting beforehand is never a bad idea. It makes everyone more comfortable. We have access to our boardroom, so we bring people in ahead of time so they can see the space and get comfortable in it. Our board meetings are also posted publicly, so people can watch in advance to get a sense of the format. All of that preparation, combined with everyone understanding their specific role, helps things go smoothly.

Paul Beckermann 14:39 So there’s a plan when you go in, and everybody knows it.

MaryEllen Bunton 14:43 Absolutely.

Rena Clark 14:47 It’s almost like a good lesson plan.

MaryEllen Bunton 14:50 Yes, absolutely! We’ve actually had students spontaneously include board members in their presentations — doing on-the-spot AVID strategies — and it was amazing to see. The board members loved it and had a hard time saying no to participating.

Rena Clark 15:16 Your district has a strong history with AVID, but some of our listeners may be in schools that have never had AVID and are just starting out. From your perspective — having been in a lot of these meetings — what differentiates a strong AVID presentation, one that really resonates and moves decision makers, especially for those who are newer to the process?

MaryEllen Bunton 15:47 I wasn’t in that exact situation myself — I had to revive and expand a program — but I did have a lot of those conversations in buildings that didn’t yet have AVID. In those cases, you have to know the goals of the district or campus and clearly articulate how AVID will help advance them. Even when a school improvement plan has specific goals, AVID takes those goals further — and you need to paint a picture of how that happens. What is the vision? What do you see for students?

Rena Clark 16:41 In districts I’ve worked in, we would actually align AVID directly to our evaluation system or strategic plan — showing how the goals support each other and outlining concrete action steps to move them forward. That alignment piece is really powerful.

MaryEllen Bunton 17:05 Yes — AVID supports and strengthens the systems you already have in place.

Rena Clark 17:13 I love that mindset. Now, I’m also curious about the flip side — you’ve probably seen presentations that didn’t go so well. What are some common pitfalls to avoid?

MaryEllen Bunton 17:29 One of the biggest things is this: when you don’t know the answer to something, it is absolutely okay to say, “I want to make sure I give you the most accurate answer I can, and I’m going to need a little time to do that — but I’ll be happy to get back to you.” It’s hard to argue with that, and it’s hard not to see it as a positive. You don’t want that to be your answer to every question, but having it in your back pocket for something you’re not prepared to answer is important.

Along those lines, you want to anticipate what questions might come up and how you would respond to them. Working with people who are familiar with the board can really help with that.

Rena Clark 18:15 It’s like anticipating misconceptions.

MaryEllen Bunton 18:17 Yes, exactly.

Paul Beckermann 18:22 So let’s say you’ve anticipated your misconceptions, prepared, rehearsed, and the school board presentation went great. Done — check it off, right?

MaryEllen Bunton 18:46 Oh no — now the work really begins, in some ways. The most important follow-up step is extending an invitation: an invitation to a classroom, to an event, to whatever you have going on that ties back to your goal. And don’t stop at one invitation — keep inviting board members and community members to events so they continue to see the work in action.

I also think a thank-you note to the board is important, and having students involved in writing those notes is wonderful — they’re learning about the value of sending them while also reinforcing the connection.

If you were asked a question you weren’t prepared to answer, make sure you follow through and get back to everyone with a response — and consider including additional positive information along the same lines. And then think about timing: when is the right moment to take the next step in keeping people informed about what’s happening?

Paul Beckermann 20:09 What’s the impact when presenters don’t follow up — when there’s no continued engagement after the meeting?

MaryEllen Bunton 20:22 It can still feel genuine in the moment, but boards are dealing with so many things. If you come once, they might be excited for a week or two — and then ten more things happen, some of them quite heavy. So figuring out an appropriate cadence of follow-up that isn’t overwhelming, but keeps the message visible, is huge. And it matters that the follow-up comes from different people — you don’t want the same presenter showing up every time.

Rena Clark 21:07 Absolutely. And the size of the district makes a real difference too — a district of 29,000 versus 1,000 has a very different community feel. So before we close, I want to mention that AVID is launching the Educator Exchange website as a space for educators in AVID schools to share resources and learn from one another. What can you tell us about the Educator Exchange?

MaryEllen Bunton 21:40 I’m so excited about this. One of my favorite things about being a staff developer is that I don’t always have to be the expert in the room — there are so many experts in the room, and I get just as many good ideas as I give out. I love that back-and-forth. The Educator Exchange is exactly that: a digital way to exchange ideas.

I went to all of our site coordinators and asked them to submit resources that we’re really proud of and that would be helpful to other districts. I can’t wait to see what we gain from it in return. One thing I did submit is a step-by-step guide — developed collaboratively with several other AVID folks — on giving presentations about AVID. Hopefully that will show up on there soon and be useful to others. I can only imagine all the great resources that will be shared.

Paul Beckermann 22:49 If someone is listening to this and they want in on the Educator Exchange — they want to give and take — they can come to our show notes where we’ll have a link. Otherwise, I believe it’s accessible through My AVID. Does that sound right?

Rena Clark 23:17 Yes! Check the show notes, or if you’re an AVID member, go to My AVID and you’ll find this fabulous resource. That actually sounds like a tool, Paul.

Paul Beckermann 23:20 Oh yeah, it does.

Rena Clark 23:21 Which gets us into our next segment — the Toolkit!

Transition Music with Rena’s Children 23:42 What’s in the toolkit? Check it out, check it out, check it out, check it out. What’s in the toolkit? Check it out. What’s in the toolkit?

Rena Clark 23:42 It’s time to ask: what’s in the toolkit? Paul?

Paul Beckermann 23:42 This is pretty straightforward: engage with your local school board. That can look different for different people. You don’t have to be a presenter — you could attend a meeting, watch online, get to know a board member, or have a conversation with one at an athletic event or school function. Maybe you’re involved in a curriculum adoption cycle and can be part of that board presentation. Maybe it’s a special program like AVID you want to promote, or maybe something great is happening in your classroom and you just want to share it.

Any avenue you use to get a little more connected to your school board will give you a better understanding of how decisions are made in your district — and a little more influence as well.

Rena Clark 24:36 Another tool: depending on your district, you may have a communications director — someone whose sole job is managing district communications. Many times I’ve gotten our stories out on social media and in the community simply by writing up the article myself, submitting pictures, and sending it along. And now we have tools that can help with the writing piece. Getting your stories into the community through social channels can be a great foot in the door, especially if you’re in a larger district.

MaryEllen, do you have anything to add for the toolkit?

MaryEllen Bunton 25:23 Based on what you both said, I’d add: start where you’re comfortable, and then challenge yourself to grow — because that’s exactly what we ask our students to do. And sometimes people don’t feel like their story is worth telling. It is. Don’t be hesitant to tell your story and the stories of your students. Start where you’re comfortable, and go from there.

Paul Beckermann 26:00 I love that. Let’s jump into our One Thing.

Transition Music with Rena’s Children 26:04 It’s time for that one thing, for that one thing. It’s that one thing.

Paul Beckermann 26:16 Time for our final takeaways. Rena, we’ll start with you.

Rena Clark 26:22 I’m going to carry on from what MaryEllen was just saying: it’s never a bad time to tell a good story. When you’re in the classroom every day, you can lose sight of how remarkable what you’re doing actually is. Other people come in and think it’s amazing. So don’t forget how awesome you are — and don’t forget that the squeaky wheel gets the oil, or in this case, the funding.

Paul Beckermann 26:50 I like that. And “never a bad time to tell a good story” sounds like… Rena?

Rena Clark 26:56 A t-shirt.

Paul Beckermann 26:57 Yes — that should be on a t-shirt.

MaryEllen Bunton 26:59 That’s awesome.

Rena Clark 27:00 I really like that one.

Paul Beckermann 27:03 I do too. I’d echo what you said, Rena, and I also want to highlight the importance of persistence and follow-up. Presenting to a school board is vital and integral to moving ideas forward — but if we really want to show emphasis, we follow up and we keep the push going.

MaryEllen, you get our final word today. What’s your one thing?

MaryEllen Bunton 27:33 Know your audience and know the goals of the organization or board you’re speaking to. Yes, you have something to share — if you’re doing AVID, you have something to share, and so do your students. Just be clear on your objectives and make sure your message aligns with the goals of the organization you’re addressing. That will help things go smoothly and help the message really hit home.

Rena Clark 28:06 I love that. We have never tackled this topic before, and it has been a great conversation. MaryEllen, I really appreciate you being here with us, and I look forward to hearing more from you — and especially to seeing some work from you and your district on the Educator Exchange.

MaryEllen Bunton 28:27 We’re very excited.

Paul Beckermann 28:29 And where can listeners find that again, Rena?

Rena Clark 28:32 We’ll link to it in our show notes, or you can find it on My AVID.

Paul Beckermann 28:40 Thanks again, MaryEllen.

Rena Clark 28:41 Thanks for joining us.

MaryEllen Bunton 28:42 Thank you.

Rena Clark 28:44 Thanks for listening to Unpacking Education.

Winston Benjamin 28:48 We invite you to visit us at avidopenaccess.org, where you can discover resources to support student agency and academic tenacity to create a classroom for future-ready learners.

Rena Clark 29:01 And remember — go forth and be awesome.

Winston Benjamin 29:05 Thank you for all you do.

Paul Beckermann 29:07 You make a difference.