The Washington Post takes note of a radio ad campaign aimed at “stemming the decline in public confidence” in DC schools:
“Did you know,” the announcer intones on the ads, which aired last month on WPGC (95.5 FM) and are scheduled to run again next month, “that the only school in D.C. to earn a national ribbon for excellence last year was a D.C. public school? Go public and get a great free education!”
The ribbon of excellence bit refers to Key Elementary, which as one commenter on the Post’s piece notes, is not a demographically typical DC school, with only 9% eligible for free lunch, and 16% Latino and African American compared to a 92% average for District schools.
”It ain’t bragging if you can do it,” the great Dizzy Dean once quipped. But the bragging is supposed to come after the doing it. I want to see Washington, DC’s schools go from worst to first as much as anybody, but claims about a “great free public education” are a tad premature. If you’re providing a great free public education, you won’t need a radio campaign to spread the word.
PR 101: Underpromise and overdeliver. If there’s a problem, tell people how you’re addressing it, not that there’s no problem.
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