If you’ve ever heard a teacher ask, “How did this kid end up in my class?” — you’re not alone. Miscommunication or lack of clarity between marketing, enrollment, and school staff happens at most schools.
And that confusion? It impacts the student and staff experience, as well as retention, and your school’s ability to thrive.
But there’s an easy solution to this common problem. In this webinar recap, you’ll discover actionable strategies presented by Andy Lynch, President and CEO, and Rudi Gesch, Director of Marketing, for inviting faculty and staff into the work of enrollment, building trust, and aligning teams around a shared vision of what it takes to bring right-fit families™ who truly belong at your school.
Connect Faculty and Staff to Recruitment and Retention
Faculty and staff are the backbone of any school. Yet they often don’t see how their day-to-day work impacts enrollment. The first step toward clarity is transparency.
- Share the break-even number: Help faculty and staff understand the financial realities of the school. How many students are needed to meet the operational budget?
- Set clear enrollment goals: Highlight recruitment and retention targets. Share where the school stands in achieving these goals and how faculty can contribute to progress.
- Build trust: Communicating the school’s financial and enrollment health fosters trust and creates a unified effort toward growth.
Clarify the Admissions Process
Circling back to that first question, “How did this student end up in my class?” — did reading it make you cringe a little? This question underscores a gap in faculty’s understanding of the enrollment process. With this in mind, it’s important to annually walk staff through the following.
- Admissions criteria: Showcase the attributes of a right-fit family and explain the filtering process that ensures alignment with the school’s mission and culture.
- Documented steps: Illustrate the admissions journey from inquiry to enrollment, demonstrating the careful consideration given to every applicant.
- Tough decisions: Highlight instances where the school says “no” to applicants who may not fit the community’s values or needs, underscoring the commitment to a healthy school culture.
Have you documented what a right-fit family looks like? If not, contact one of our solutions advisors to learn more about a Right-Fit Family™ Rubric and how to create one for your team.
Showcase Marketing Efforts
The work of marketing is both high visibility and behind the scenes, leaving many faculty unaware of its scope. By providing a high-level overview, you can raise awareness of the strategy and efforts required to attract mission-aligned families. Here are a few recommendations to highlight.
- Key marketing activities: Share updates on website improvements, digital marketing, social media campaigns, open houses, and parent ambassador programs.
- Enrollment timeline: Outline key dates and seasons, like re-enrollment periods and tuition assistance deadlines, to create a shared understanding of where you are in the cycle and what you’ll be focusing efforts on in the coming months.
- Tracking progress: Report on current enrollment data, highlighting successes and areas for growth.
Empower Faculty and Staff to Support the Mission
The Board, the Head of School, classroom teachers, coaches, counselors — everyone plays a part in school marketing and shaping the family experience. Yet expectations are rarely communicated, leaving faculty and staff with little clarity on their role. Here are a few practical ways for teachers and administrators to support enrollment efforts.
- Deliver excellence: The most impactful contribution faculty can make is excelling in their roles, creating an outstanding experience for students and families.
- Engaging during tours: Establish clear expectations for faculty interactions during tours, whether that’s greeting prospective families or continuing class activities seamlessly.
- Share stories: Encourage faculty to document and share classroom highlights and student successes with the marketing team.
Ready to “Clear the Fog” and invite faculty into your important work?
Fill out the form below to download our presentation template, as outlined in the webinar, to help facilitate the conversation. The framework includes slides to help you communicate:
- An overview of the marketing and enrollment team’s purpose
- A breakdown of the admissions process
- Data visualizations to showcase enrollment trends and gaps
- Practical ways faculty can s support marketing and admissions efforts