Sometimes the culture of business leaders and academy leaders can seem as far apart as interplanetary species. This session is for both business partners and academy leaders and will help to bridge the cultural gap with the goal of creating meaningful interaction. Come learn how to navigate through business jargon and “edu-speak” to find common ground and mutual goals. Presenters: Sonja Brouwers, Ann Fields, and Daryl Walker, Miami-Dade County Public Schools

2. Ann Fields, Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Dayl Walker, Connecticut Business & Industry Association
Sonja Brouwers, Clark High School AOF Advisory Board

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The Languages of Business and Education
Partners Can Be As Far Apart as the Planets

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Identify the problem
• School and Business Cultures have fundamental
differences
• From acronyms, to conflicting calendars to the
differences between business writing and educational
jargon, business and education are worlds apart
• Business partners collaborate; teachers rely on
themselves – team approach vs. silo mind-set
“Collaborative behavior isn’t routine in the school
environment.”David Moore, Senior Vice President, National
Academy Foundation

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Why is this a problem?
Just like personal relationship building, communication
is key to achieving goals.
Business Partner Frustration ? Academy Directors not
following through with work-based learning leads –
nationally and locally
Academy Director Frustration ? School Site
Coordinators not following through with Academy
Director procedures
School Site Coordinators – Why can’t they understand
that we are testing and we are not in our classrooms?

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Intergalactic Disharmony:
Communication Disconnect Between
Education and Business
•School Hours vs. Business Hours
•School Year vs. Calendar Year
•Business CEO’s Choose Staff; School CEO’s Assigned
Staff
•Advance Planning Time vs. Bureaucracy/Red Tape
o Extended Classroom Experiences
o Student Attendance at special events
o Administrative/district/school board approvals

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Best Laid Plans of Business and Education
Internship Providers Orientation
snarled by a little traffic . . .

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From the Other Perspective
Dr. Lupe Ferran Diaz, Director
Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Sandra Edwards, President
SageMark Sales and Marketing
Chair, AOHT Board
Soley C. Gonzalez, Community Relations
S FL Educational Federal Credit Union
Vice-Chair, AOF Board

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Why Do We Need to Address
This Problem?
I’m Very Busy and This Will Require A Lot of Work, So….

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Business: What’s In It For Me?
A Big Return on Investment!

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Business ROI
• Added Value to Your Brand and Perception in the
Community
• Benefit to Your Employees
• Creation of a More Highly Skilled Workforce
Pipeline for Possible Future Employees

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Educators: What’s In It For Me?
A Super Hero!

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Educators Receive Meaningful
Assistance
• Support for Your Program from Influential
Business Leaders
• You Provide the Academic Rigor to Students;
Business Supplies the Relevance
• Unique Opportunities to Enhance Your
Program
• Expert Advice and Services
• Opportunities for Funding
• The Power of Networking
• Internships!

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It’s All About the Students

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Communication is Important to Bring
the Business-Education Relationship
Into Balance

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Communication
• One person responsible for school and one for
business
 Email, cell phone, office phone
 Find a champion if you can
• CC all involved people
(volunteers, teachers, principal, office)
• Changes – let people know immediately
• Timeliness – check emails 2x day

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Initial Email
• Who: Students - #, grade, type
Adults – teachers, volunteers, others
• What: lecture? Hands-on demo? Tech needs
• When: Date, time, contingency plan
• Where: where to park, sign in, meet, room #
• Why: Goals for school/goals for business
• CC: principal, AA, teachers,

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Respect Each Other
• LISTEN
• Business people
 Volunteers
 Return to offices with emails/calls/work waiting
 Business needs are a priority
• Teachers and schools
 Fewer resources
 Older technology
 Little control over schedule
 Teach the children who walk through their doors

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Honor Commitments
Business volunteers
• Show up if you say you will
• Call immediately if you have to cancel
Schools
• Be sure the students are there
 Tutoring/mentoring
 Class activities
• Understand that business needs take
precedence

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Feeling Welcome
• Business people may be nervous
 Parking, entrance, room #, where to meet
• Students greet visitors
 Handshake, eye contact, say name clearly
 Smile, tell them why they love school
• Name tags
 Helps students address the visitors by name
 Helps business people address students by name
and remember them
• Principal
 Stop by to say, “Thank you”

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Gratitude
• Charm School Lesson #1: Say, “Thank you”
• Charm School Lesson #2: Write thank you
notes
 Teachers vs. students
 Handwritten vs. electronic
 Proof for grammar and punctuation!!
• Make them feel good about the time and effort
they spent.
 Photos
 PR

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Say, “Thank you”

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Start Small
• Work out the kinks under the radar screen
• Find the champions
• Make people feel good –
students, teachers, business people
• Use the students
• Do evaluations
 Facilitates continuous improvement
 Use data to give companies feedback

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Start Small: Career Posters

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Start Small: Career Poster to Tutoring

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Start Small: Tutoring

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Start Small: Tutoring to Lunch with
Young Engineers Program

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Start Small: Lunch with the Presidents

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Interns and Business Sponsors –
Photo sent to all companies, school system, etc.

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Any Questions??