Excerpts from "A Guide to Full Enrollment"
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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INTRODUCTION
WHY FULL ENROLLMENT WHAT IS FULL ENROLLMENT THE ENROLLMENT PROCESS The Inquiry First Response Follow Up Initial Visit Follow Up Application Meeting the Teacher Follow Up Enrollment Business Commitments COLLECTING THE FACTS ANALYSING THE FACTS AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS PROBLEM #1: NOT ENOUGH INQUIRIES? OUTREACH What Can the Parents Do? What Can the Faculty Do? What Can Administrators Do? Outreach Program that Works! What If the School Already Has Full Enrollment? PROBLEM #2: MISSED OPPORTUNITIES DELEGATING TASKS USING THE MEDIA FINANCIAL AID PARENT-TEACHER RELATIONS THE SCHOOL WITHIN THE SCHOOL |
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15 18 25 27 30 34 38 41 45 49 58 62 66 70 74 78 82 86 91 97 106 114 118 122 126 130 138 142 |
Excerpt Page 32
3. Follow Up
“I do not know what started it, but some schools feel that it interferes with the freedom of prospective parents to follow up the first contact with a phone call. No parent that I know has ever objected to hearing from the school after receiving the printed materials. They have sometimes objected to how the follow up was conducted. We generally are very good with our oral communications, which usually occur as follows:
“Hello, Mrs. Parent. I wanted to thank you again for considering the Waldorf school for your child. We sent you some material, which we hope will interest you. Did you receive the packet?”
“Yes, I enjoyed reading it. The pictures are lovely.”
“Did you have any questions that we could talk about?”
“Why yes. I have the impression the school is very focused on art and music. Do the children learn the normal academic subjects?”
“Oh yes, they do. By the time they reach the eighth grade they are generally ahead of the traditional educational approach. Of course, we focus very much on the needs and strengths of each individual child. Why don’t you come to our open house next Thursday and see for yourself how our curriculum enhances the development of each child. (or something like that. The important thing is the invitation.)
“I’ll ask my spouse and see if that’s possible. Do you need to know now?”
“Perhaps if we could talk a bit about your child and have some basic information it might help. Does your child currently attend a school?”
This usually gets the process going. Not too long! Remember to bring up the visit again, which could be a special occasion or one that is planned.
“I do not know what started it, but some schools feel that it interferes with the freedom of prospective parents to follow up the first contact with a phone call. No parent that I know has ever objected to hearing from the school after receiving the printed materials. They have sometimes objected to how the follow up was conducted. We generally are very good with our oral communications, which usually occur as follows:
“Hello, Mrs. Parent. I wanted to thank you again for considering the Waldorf school for your child. We sent you some material, which we hope will interest you. Did you receive the packet?”
“Yes, I enjoyed reading it. The pictures are lovely.”
“Did you have any questions that we could talk about?”
“Why yes. I have the impression the school is very focused on art and music. Do the children learn the normal academic subjects?”
“Oh yes, they do. By the time they reach the eighth grade they are generally ahead of the traditional educational approach. Of course, we focus very much on the needs and strengths of each individual child. Why don’t you come to our open house next Thursday and see for yourself how our curriculum enhances the development of each child. (or something like that. The important thing is the invitation.)
“I’ll ask my spouse and see if that’s possible. Do you need to know now?”
“Perhaps if we could talk a bit about your child and have some basic information it might help. Does your child currently attend a school?”
This usually gets the process going. Not too long! Remember to bring up the visit again, which could be a special occasion or one that is planned.
Excerpt Page 142
“By the time a man realizes his father was right, he has a son who thinks he’s wrong.” – Charles Wadsworth