Slashes, acronyms, and more.

My previous newsletters explored big ideas, fear, and barriers.

This one provides quick tips to make writing more readable and understandable. 

• Acronyms can improve efficiency or exclude people. When you use an acronym:

  1. Define it the 1st time people see it on each web page or document.

  2. Use the acronym consistently after that.

  3. Use 2 acronyms maximum per page. See a fun example below my signature. 

• Never use slashes. Sorry, I know you love "and/or". I discuss why in training. 

• Use parenthesis only to define acronyms. Some exceptions are okay.

• Use underlining for hyperlinks. No exceptions. 

• Use all CAPS only for acronyms...or if you're mad 😠.

• Use bold for emphasis, but don't use too much bold.

Contact me to explore training possibilities or to have me suggest ways to simplify your website or other critical communication. Having an honest, outside perspective can help, and I can do a lot in 1-5 hours.   

Here's a fun letter written by a District Accountability Committee Chair at a school district to show how many acronyms schools use!

Welcome to the DAC - which along with BEAC, LEAC, AEAC, SEAC, SBOE - is one of the ACs of our district.

As a DAC member, you might be on your CSC or SAC where your UIP discussions lead to conversations about CLOs, DDI, MTSS, OSSs, PBIS and whether or not your PPR based on SBB & ESSER will be able to fund the FTEs you’ll need for the ECE, PBIS, RJ, RTI, TSEL, STEM, CRE, ELA, ELA-S, TNLI or AN center programs you want. 

But, your AP, STL, SLT, ILT, SAL, IS, PTSA parents and SSPs might all have different ideas on what to do.  

And, then you might launch into discussions about CDE and how it will handle NCLB and whether iStation, READ Act, CMAS & ACCESS tests and ICAP tasks work for your AVID, ELL, GT & HGT, FRL students and students with IEPs and 504s.  

And IC might be giving you fits, so you need to call DoTS. 

And, then you’ll need to set aside time for your DCTA rep to talk about LEAP, RIBs, PD and PERA at one of your meetings.  

Good luck!