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Marketing Assignment #2

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The school leader as a marketer- what might be some of the challenges and tensions inherent in this role and what might a leader do to overcome them?
- Board/owners pushing for profit vs. teachers/community pushing for quality student base
- ”marketing” being a dirty word in education
- Balancing time dedicated to marketing the school and being a curriculum and programs leader
Some of the challenges or tensions that are inherent in having the school leader as a marketer come through clearly to me as I have had varying opinions as a teacher when my school leaders engaged in strategic marketing activities within my previous schools.  Coming from public schools in the US, where marketing or business thinking is thought to have no place in education.  School leaders should be completely focused on curriculum and developing learning opportunities and environment.  “Marketing” was a dirty word and went against my idealistic views.  As I grew older and had more experience in international schools, however, these values have softened considerably.  This comes from the knowledge and understanding of how the markets within the international schools fluctuate and competition arises.   
The biggest tension that can come from this, whether perceived or real for the school leader, is that of being the intermediary between the board/owners pushing more revenue or profit and that of the teachers/community pushing for a higher quality learning environment (generally asking why the school is letting in below average students or low-level language students).  In all of the schools that I have been in, this has been the biggest moaning point and in some cases, exodus point.  
These two issues, marketing as a dirty word and board/owners vs teachers/community, are both matters that can be addressed through communication and education about the how and why the school is taken the measures that they are.  Providing stakeholders with as much information about how vital marketing in the current education landscape is and how the school’s marketing plan is targeted to developing programs and systems that bolster student learning is critical to engaging in the efforts that the school is undertaking.

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