> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.smdp.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Communicating to the masses - URL: https://www.smdp.com/communicating-to-the-masses/ - Published: 2007-09-06T15:00:00.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-24T02:46:55.000Z - Author: Kevin Herrera - Tags: Education, Malibu, #archive-import *School district hopes to reach the people* SMMUSD HDQTRS Communication is the key to any healthy relationship, which stands to reason why the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District has been under fire recently for failing to keep the community informed about the appointment of a new school board member and other issues. The district has been without a public information officer for several years, a position that was cut because of budget constraints. This has made it difficult for parents and the media to get information they need in a timely manner. That changed Tuesday when on the first day of school, parents joined with district officials, union representatives and school board members in announcing the launch of a new marketing and communications campaign that is intended to keep the community informed, while simultaneously promoting the achievements made by students and faculty. The district will still be without a public information officer for the time being, but volunteers will work closely with district staff to create information bulletins and fun facts that will be made available to not just parents with children in SMMUSD schools, but to the cities of Santa Monica and Malibu as a whole. Volunteers will also work to set up a Web site where parents would be able to access the latest information on test scores or changes in leadership, as well as post bulletins about events taking place around the district. “You could call it a marketing campaign, but the intent is to really foster more communication because that is where parents feel the district as a whole is lacking and we want our parents to feel more of a connection to the district and have pride in their schools,” said Kathy Wisnicki, school board president. “It’s really just filling a void that we’ve had for a number of years.” The campaign is already in effect, with volunteers hanging large red banners at all of the schools with the slogan, “Santa Monica- Malibu: World Class Public Schools.” Those involved in the campaign want to highlight the many achievements of students as well as other accomplishments, such as having highly-qualified teachers in every classroom or providing students with multiple extracurricular activities. “As long as we take to heart what we teach our kids in Kindergarten regarding teamwork and cooperation, there’s no telling what we can accomplish,” Superintendent Dianne Talarico said in a statement released by the district. Volunteers said the campaign is in small part a response to the negative publicity the district received earlier this year regarding confidentiality agreements that some parents of special education students were forced to sign in exchange for extra services. The district was also criticized this summer for failing to post information about a school board meeting in which candidates to fill a vacancy on the board were interviewed. Since there was nothing posted on the district’s Web site about the interviews, it came as a surprise to many when Ralph Mechur was selected as the new school board member. “I know that the PTA talked about (that), but it wasn’t the focus” for the campaign, Wisnicki said.“Last year we had a lot of good news coming out like the completion of our Facilities Master Plan or the (California High School Exit Exam) results. But any good news we had to tell seemed to be overshadowed by the negative …So many positive aspects get overlooked because I guess it’s more exciting for the media to print stories that were negative.” Volunteers said the campaign will not just focus on what is right with the district, but will also point out what is wrong and offer suggestions for change. “This is not a white-wash campaign by any stretch of the imagination, however, when we get a coalition of folks in a room, the overriding sentiment is about how amazing our schools are,” said Rebecca Kennerly, president of the Santa Monica-Malibu Council of PTAs., who was one of the driving forces behind the campaign this summer. “We don’t have a great information system in place to let parents or the community know what’s going on,” Kennerly said. “I really feel that it is the responsibility of every public organization to let the community know what they’re doing. The district hasn’t been able to do that as effectively as we would like. “My hope is that we will be able to build a foundation and a system that will be available to the district should they be in the position to hire someone they can take over the system and build on it.” Wisnicki said that Assistant Superintendent Mike Matthews, who is in charge of human resources, is the district’s point person for the campaign and will be made available to answer questions that parents or the media may have about the district. The school board is also looking at ways to update the district’s Web site more frequently so that parents can access information easily. The school board will also continue to look at the possibility of hiring a public information officer if funds become available, Wisnicki said. Patrick Adams with Secret Weapon Marketing, a Santa Monica-based firm that has created memorable ad campaigns for Jack in the Box and Honda, said schools could definitely benefit from a well-run marketing scheme, but they would have to venture out into the community and try to capture the attention of those who are not already sold on how great SMMUSD is. That includes parents who send their kids to private schools, which drives down enrollment in the district, which in turn hurts the district’s finances. “It’s all about what medium you are using and who you are trying to reach,” Adams said. “If you are placing banners on the play yard of an elementary school, you are reaching people too late. You have to get to people who haven’t made a decision yet on where they want to send their kids to school.” ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/55/9f/559f9abc-8372-4a2e-8c2d-27386da4e363/content/images/2026/10/090607-01_02.jpg) (Photo: Photo courtesy) *Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on September 6, 2007.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/090607.pdf?ref=smdp.com)