6--Carrie+Salvatore+Interview

I interviewed Carrie Salvatore on November 30, 2011. The key points from that discussion are as follows:
 * 1) Agrees that Service Learning, Community Service and Diversity are the right focus areas for the "Culture Pillar"
 * 2) But we need to do more to define what the expectations of responsible citizenship are. We should not be too prescriptive, but we should know what the tangible measures are of a student who has been educated in a culture of respect (in the same way that we measure the effectiveness of an individualized education by students getting into colleges that align with their interests, skills, etc). We should also define the expectations of faculty and parents who are part of a community where the mission statement talks about human and cultural diversity, and responsible citizenship.
 * 3) Does not think we have quite achieved respect for others at King, even though we are close
 * respect for diversity is strong, not just racial, but also socio-economic, family composition, etc (assemblies and groups like Milestone have really pushed students to expand their thinking)
 * but we are not quite there on respect for the "stewardship of King" - kids don't respect the physical plant, the staff, the maintenance crew, etc.
 * respect for "stewardship" is important because parents are looking for a safe place which they associate with cleanliness and other things like that
 * faculty need to hold kids to a higher standard if King is going to become a more visible "school of choice"
 * 1) STRENGTHS
 * Diversity is a big differentiator for King, especially in a county where diversity is limited
 * On the admissions application, we ask parents how they are involved in their child's current school. This sends a message about the expectations at King
 * 1) WEAKNESSES
 * None stated
 * 1) OPPORTUNITIES
 * Need to market our story more effectively - internally and externally; we are a hidden gem that should no longer be hidden
 * Our internal team needs to know how to tell our story more effectively
 * Externally, we should not be afraid to pat ourselves on the back; we have an extremely strong academic program and should market it more effectively
 * Right now we are attracting a broad spectrum of applicants mainly by word of mouth
 * Going to the next level is not about doing an advertisement, but more about improving our ability to tell the stories of our kids
 * We should also talk to parents more during the admissions process about getting engaged at King and about the many ways that they and their children can get involved (Note: we should find out if we have a brochure or anything that gives an overview of how parents and students can "live" King's culture of respect, civility and service)
 * We should also look for ways to get class parents and grade level parents involved
 * 1) THREATS
 * The college counseling list is a challenge; not that there's anything wrong with our list, but we have to get people in the door to listen to the "story of our list" in order for some people to understand