In a recent conversation with a fellow head of school, I was told I was too involved in the redesign of my school’s new website. “You are down in the weeds,” he told me.
Since project kickoff, I have overseen every step of the website strategy, design, and programming process. I have personally reviewed every page of existing content and those edited by our copywriter. I am beta-testing with our digital marketing and communications platform, Finalsite, along the way. If these are the weeds, I am certainly cultivating them.
Yet, as the head of school, shouldn’t I be? In today’s digital age, a school’s website is its new front porch. How many school leaders would let the entrance to their school be redesigned without being deeply involved?
Not many.
This made me wonder, however, in a time when attracting millennial parents has become critical, how involved should a head of school be in the development of a school’s website?
I reached out to some colleagues for their perspectives.
“I was incredibly active in a recent website design. As the chief storyteller and steward of our mission and brand, I felt it was vital for me to be deeply involved in the process. While I didn’t get involved too deeply in all the specifics of the design and layout, I worked to ensure alignment with our goals and evaluate the user experience from the perspective of a potential family. I also helped edit content to make sure that it was meaningful and conveyed the most accurate portrait of our program. I wanted to be sure our school’s brand felt cohesive, clear, and completely aligned with the mission.”
—Jamie Williamson, Head of School, Marburn Academy (OH)
“As the head of a small PK-8 school, my communications office has one person, and my advancement and admission offices have one person each. The result is a group effort on all things related to marketing. We meet weekly to discuss everything from the website to the weekly communication and social media needs. In my experience in larger schools, the ability to have a dedicated website person changes the way the work is managed and supervised. I think it is ideal if the head does not have to be involved, but I know that in smaller schools that is not always an option.”
—Shannan Boyle Schuster, Head of School, The Swain School (PA)
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