Serving the customers: Parents:
Great customer service at public schools should not be newsworthy but, sadly, it still is.

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John Baracy, Scottsdale Unified School District superintendent, has made improving customer service, with the parent considered the "customer," a top priority of his first two years on the job.

Remember how Baracy attracted national attention by renaming the district receptionist "the director of first impressions." Another key district official has the title "director of exceptional customer experiences." Kooky, but he made his point.

Now Baracy has folks talking about a possible "secret parent" initiative. He would model the "parent" after the "secret shoppers" used by department stores to gauge how responsive and helpful the retail staff is to patrons. The secret parent would report on his or her experience with the school officials.

One might think that excellent customer service would always have been the norm at public schools, but it really took the legislative reforms of the 1990s, such as open enrollment, to hammer home its importance. Some school administrators understand this and some district officials, incredibly, still don't. Baracy does.

When Baracy came to Scottsdale, the district's enrollment was sliding, which translated into a significant loss of state funding. He immediately zeroed in on one contributing factor: inadequate customer service.

Parents in Arizona now have many educational choices: traditional public schools, publicly funded charter schools, private and parochial schools, and even home schools. Teachers, principals and receptionists who treat parents shabbily run the risk of driving them away.

Just like in the competitive retail world, poor service costs school districts money.

A lot of people laughed at Baracy's unorthodox job titles, but they sent a message to the staff members about the priority he puts on keeping the customer satisfied.

A "secret parent" program would put employees on further notice that they had better take it seriously. Bad service has consequences for everybody.

That Baracy is still so focused on boosting customer service a year and a half after he took the Scottsdale job illustrates just how hard it is to change workplace culture and attitudes.

He's on the right track. Keeping parents and students from fleeing is fundamental to keeping the district's enrollment figures healthy.

- Monday

From phoenixnewtimes.com
Originally published by Phoenix New Times 2005-03-10
©2005 New Times, Inc. All rights reserved.

The Name Game
Hey, what's in a name?
By Robrt L. Pela

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Once upon a time, folks who kept their checkbooks balanced and hung up their clothes when they weren't wearing them were considered well organized. Today, these people are Obsessive Compulsives, the scourge of the nation, strapped into recovery programs and ridiculed on Maury Povich because they occasionally polish their shoes and take out the trash. Gone, apparently, are the days when people who wanted to drop 10 pounds of post-holiday fat were referred to as "dieters." Today, these people are Eating Disordered, a group that appears to include all persons who have ever eaten (or thought about eating) anything tasty that can be gotten from a drive-through window.

We are a generation of people who crave change, perhaps because craving anything else might get us slapped with an acronym implying a mental illness. While we are busy hiding our desire for neatness and a side of fries, our leaders are also busy, renaming our formerly benign activities, because calling something by a different name makes it better. Dr. John Baracy is one of those leaders. The Scottsdale School District superintendent has recently renamed each of the key positions in his office to reflect our changing times -- or, as Baracy insists, because bigger and better job titles bring about a bigger and better sense of pride in one's job.

And what receptionist wouldn't be proud to be known as the Director of First Impressions, which is what she's called in Baracy's office these days? Thanks to the superintendent's new program, the once-lowly bus driver is today called the Transporter of Learners, although probably not by the kids he schleps to and from school each day. And Baracy's assistant can't help but shine from under his new name: Executive Director for Elementary Schools and Excelling Teaching and Learning (although by the time he's finished rattling off this officious title, the dismissal bell will have rung).

Dr. Baracy may be on to something. The folks at Tempe Elementary School District are still using the similarly zany titles he gave them five years ago, during his tenure as superintendent of that agency. And Baracy displayed some kind of amazing word power when I visited him last week, to inquire about the magic of renaming things. Because although I enunciated clearly, none of his intelligent, upbeat answers seemed even remotely related to the questions I was asking. Perhaps my new title should be Executive Director of Profoundly Stupid Pretend Journalists, because I left more confused than I'd been before I arrived.

I went home and shampooed with Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific (I used to use Prell, but is a shampoo with such a short name really getting my hair clean?) and ate a muffin clotted with I Can't Believe It's Not Butter (because margarine seemed suddenly inadequate), and thought about what Baracy had told me. And here is what I came up with: Names are fleeting. Titles can empower us. And change is good. Especially when it justifies salary increases for oneself and one's employees.

New Times: I'm sure you've been asked this a lot lately, since you started renaming all of your staff members: Are you nuts?

Dr. John Baracy: Well, when I came to the district, everyone wanted to know who I was going to fire. I told them I planned to listen to the hopes, expectations and dreams of our community. A lot of parents were saying, "Dr. B, I left your district because I stood in line for 45 minutes waiting to be waited on." It became clear to me that we needed to provide better customer service. We needed to build a culture in the district that would value service more.

NT: How does changing titles help you to do that?

Baracy: The changing of the titles alone did nothing, and we never claimed it would. It's part of a process of changing the culture of our district. This is one step in a many-step process to make Scottsdale a district that places teachers and children in the center of our efforts.

NT: I don't know that changing the title of the receptionist translates as putting kids' needs first.

Baracy: [The new titles] make a statement about what we value internally in our culture, and helps build that culture in our district. Simple things, like the title Executive Director of Facilities for Learners, which sends a message to grounds persons that says, "You know what? Don't cut the grass at 12:30 in the afternoon when kids are studying. Cut it before or after school."

NT: What? How does that title send that message?

Baracy: Well, it changes the nature of the district office to one that's supportive to schools, as opposed to one that's directive. Now, the Director of First Impressions? She's not a director, but the title is symbolic for her. It makes her want to do more than just answer the phone or say hello.

NT: What if the employee doesn't like her new title?

Baracy: I'm told the Director of First Impressions has really embraced [her new title]. People tell us they see a new tone in how they're served. That's a good thing. The board approved [the name changes] unanimously. People think we made these changes for hyperbole or just to be cute.

NT: Or for publicity!

Baracy: Yeah. But I did this five years ago in Tempe and there wasn't a single newspaper article about it. We didn't seek a single article. But this is Scottsdale.

NT: What's the response been from parents?

Baracy: Those who have questioned this are those furthest away from our district. Those who've called to tell me I'm an idiot, I've called them back to explain the history and why we did it, and they seem to understand. The first thing they want to know is how many thousands of dollars did we spend on that?

NT: I'd like to know, myself. Because letterhead and business cards and those nice name plaques must have cost the district a pile of money.

Baracy: We actually saved $100,000 in administrative costs, and redirected those dollars to support teaching positions. We had high-paid administrative positions open that we decided not to fill, and we redirected the money to the classroom, which is why we did this -- to support the teachers and create a new culture that isn't a top-down bureaucracy.

NT: I wonder if the different subsets of children -- I mean "learners" -- won't start adopting new names. I see a future filled with prepubescent cheerleaders who want us to call them "life coaches," and stoners who want to be called "differently adjusted students of higher learning."

Baracy: No. Our purpose is to create a culture among our staff that creates a more nurturing, supportive environment for teachers, students and parents, one that provides better experiences for them. I'm not hung up on titles.

NT: Here's my favorite new title: "Transporter of Learners."

Baracy: Well, they aren't just bus drivers. Okay? When you were in school, they were the first person you saw in the morning when you went to school. They're transporting our most precious resource. There's nothing more precious than our children.

NT: Does this mean that the principal is no longer our pal?

Baracy: No. He is still your pal. We haven't gotten to renaming at the school level.

NT: So what's your new title?

Baracy: I'm still superintendent. Unless you've got a better suggestion for me.

NT: I wouldn't dare say. But I would sort of like a new title myself.

Baracy: Yeah, okay. All right.

NT: I was thinking Omniscient and Sovereign Emperor of the Universe would be a good title to have. And according to your theory, it would lead to everyone eventually doing whatever the hell I want them to. Right?

Baracy: Well, my theory is this: When we place children in the center of our universe and allow people to take risks, it creates a culture where everyone is pulling in the same direction. People tell me that they see a difference. And people aren't afraid to tell me anything. I get e-mails and phone messages that tell me to take a flying leap, that I'm an idiot or all the other things they like to say. I hear a lot of that.

Another idea of Dr. Bracy:

Kindergartens in workplace?
Idea being considered in Scottsdale
Anne Ryman, The Arizona Republic
Nov. 23, 2004 12:00 AM

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SCOTTSDALE - Scottsdale schools Superintendent John Baracy is considering locating satellite kindergarten classes at Scottsdale's largest employers as one way to boost student enrollment.

The idea, which Baracy stresses is just in the talking stages, would target employees who live in Scottsdale and those who work here but live in other cities.

If the Scottsdale Unified School District decides to go in this direction, the satellite kindergartens wouldn't happen until after the 2005-06 school year, he said.

Baracy said the school district, employer and employee would all benefit. The school district would save money by having the business pick up the tab for teacher salaries and space. The employer could use the on-site kindergarten as a way to attract and keep employees. And employees would have their children nearby.

"They could take their child to work and not have to arrange child care," Baracy said. "It would be right at the site. And it would be a quality program."

Baracy said he hasn't approached any of Scottsdale's major employers yet.

The idea is one of many he is considering to increase enrollment in Scottsdale schools.

Enrollment dropped 530 students last year and is down another 160 this year. The state pays school districts based on enrollment, so each student lost is worth about $3,200 in classroom funding.

Baracy said large employers in Scottsdale such as General Dynamics and Scottsdale Community College would be obvious places to approach about satellite kindergartens. The idea is for the employer to provide space, pay teacher salaries and ensure enough employee interest to fill a classroom of students, Baracy said.

Kay Sperduti, communications director for Scottsdale Healthcare, the largest employer in the city, said she sees a lot of positives in the idea.

Scottsdale Healthcare employs 4,900 people, and 85 percent are women. On-site kindergartens could help with employee retention and offering them more flexibility, she said.

"We'd definitely like to sit at the table and talk about it," she said.

The idea of having kindergarten classes in the workplace is believed to be unique in Arizona, but not in the United States.

There are more than 50 workplace schools in the United States, said Lisa Snell, director of education for the Los Angeles-based Reason Public Policy Institute. Snell studied the trend and wrote a paper on the subject in 2000.

The idea first emerged in 1987 in Miami-Dade County Public Schools as a way to relieve crowded schools. Since then, other workplace schools have opened in places such as downtown Des Moines, Iowa, and in the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in south Florida.

The movement has been slow because of logistics and legal issues. Some states, such as California, have strict school zoning. Others have laws that prohibit public schools from limiting enrollment to a select group.

One satellite school in Miami ran into challenges because its playground for students was across an alley. Laws governing schools prohibited the teacher from walking the kids across the alley to the playground, Snell said. The kids had to be put in vans and driven to the playground. In another instance, a school at Miami International Airport to serve the children of airport employees closed after Sept. 11 because of safety worries over possible terrorist attacks.

"A lot of people have thought about it and not done it," Snell said.

Baracy said that so far, he hasn't found any laws that prohibit satellite kindergartens in Arizona.

Snell said the most common arrangements are for the school district to pay for teachers, supplies, curriculum and insurance. The employer provides space, utilities and maintenance costs.

Snell said Baracy's idea of having the employer also pick up the cost of teacher salaries is rare, and that could make it a tougher sell to businesses. The average teacher salary with benefits is about $50,000.

Most satellite schools in the United States are kindergarten through third grade and have 100 to 300 students, she said. Many begin with a single grade level and add more grades depending on demand. Companies often do a survey first to see if there is enough employee interest.

Sue Kaminskas, president of the local teachers union, said satellite kindergartens sound interesting.

"I am totally open to looking at that," she said, adding she would be willing to survey teachers sometime in the future.

Reach the reporter at anne.ryman@scottsdalerepublic.com (602) 444-6881.

We at parentadvocates.org would like to hear from parents who would like to be a "secret parent" at his/her child's school. Please contact us at betsy@parentadvocates.org.