School and commercial photography have become more important than ever. Have you ever considered what things would look like without school photography or commercial photography?
How effective would school administrative software to be for administrators, guidance counselors, resource officers, and the district without our images? Would school administrative or safety directories even be a possibility? Would schools even have a yearbook? Would students have ID cards? Would there even be a sports program book? How would you honor seniors and student achievement at schools and in newspapers? How would coaches remember their athletes? How would grade schoolteachers remember the class?
School photography is woven into the fabric of schools and education. As an industry, however, we have not done a great job at communicating that value and educating districts, schools, coaches, teachers, families, and students what life would look like without school and commercial photography. That stops today! The School Photographers of America is growing by leaps and bounds and excited to serve the great number of companies we help represent.
We are very excited to announce several initiatives will forever shape our industry and help ensure that our member companies have the tools and resources they need to provide world-class photography and services to the schools and organizations they partner with.
US Department of Education – FERPA – (August 2021)
All SPOA members and business partners will be invited to join in on a webinar hosted by the U.S. Department of Education on federal laws and requirements for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). The webinar will cover the basics of FERPA, what you need to know this legislation and what your company can do to ensure compliance.
National Education Association exposure
SPOA will be forward-facing for our members, helping give educators information about our members at their national conferences and in their newsletters and communications. SPOA already presented at AASA and will be in Chicago for the NAESP Conference July 7-9, 2021. SPOA is not only giving new exposure to companies small and large, we are creating partnerships that will help grow our members’ business.
One universal export for all school-related software
SPOA will meet the second week of July with the software industry to finalize the new standard and guidelines.
National advertising campaign for standards
Late this July and early August, we will be facilitating a national advertising campaign along with emails, letters, and drop-offs, in partnership with our member companies to district administrators, school administrators, and yearbook advisors across the United States about the new national standards for deadlines, as well as the new standards for school administrative software.
Mark your calendars – June 9-11th, 2022 Houston, Texas – SPOA’s National Conference on School Photography and Yearbooks
Highlights will include:
National School Photography and Yearbook Awards
Trade Show and Exhibits led by the new Industry Partner and Supplier Advisory Council, a trade show and exhibit hall led by exhibitors and industry suppliers.
General Sessions featuring national educational leaders, U.S. Department of Education, and Fortune 500 company leaders in marketing and culture.
The American Foundation for School Photography and Yearbooks
The foundation’s mission is to “increase accessibility to school traditions and memories for all children," featuring a national giveback program supporting our entire industry and will impact millions of displaced and low-income students and families. Participating companies will be able to have their schools be eligible to receive grants for picture packages and yearbooks.
We have so many things in the pipeline to be excited about. None of this would be possible, however, without the leadership and support from our member companies and our business partners. If you and your company are interested in learning more or joining, please visit us today at www.schoolphotographersofamerica.com or schedule a meeting with me or one of our board members. We are more powerful together than we are on our own. Join the cause and be a part of the solution to making our industry healthy and profitable again. This is a fun business and gets in your blood. Let’s spread that word and have this an industry people are running to and not running from.
Best wishes
David Crandall
Executive director
School Photographers of America