Serving the Ring and Not the King (or Queen)
A wise mentor once counseled a frazzled school communicator to serve the ring and not the king. It was sage advice considering there had been changes in the superintendent’s office – ones that made the communicator anxious. Perhaps you’re new to the superintendency, or maybe you are onboarding a new communications professional. A clear understanding […]
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Elevating your District’s Community Stakeholder Relations
When it comes to facilitating your school district’s long term success, community stakeholder support is critical to reach and maintain those goals. Identifying key stakeholders, building meaningful relations and maintaining them heavily relies on trust and open communication. Creating a foundation based on trust requires transparency and ongoing communication practices for a successful relationship between […]
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Holiday Essentials for Leaders in Education
The holiday season filled with celebrations, religious observances, and overeating is upon us! We know you are making your lists and checking them twice. Here’s another item to add to your list of to-do’s: using the holidays to connect with your parents, students, staff and the entire school community. While students and fellow staff are […]
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Are You Grateful?
Are you grateful? With burn out, mental health, and the great resignation making headlines consistently, gratitude might offer one solution. Thanksgiving is here already, we can hardly believe it. However, it is a good reminder to practice and show gratitude. Slow down for yourself, maybe start the day with a personal gratitude list. It is […]
Read More »Breaking Your Own News
The days of “extra, extra, read all about it” are gone. Newsrooms have shrunk and consolidated and news consumers have other options in the palm of their hands. So what are superintendents to do when they have news of their own? Break it yourself. The changing media landscape requires districts to become their own newsrooms. […]
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Land Acknowledgement 101: Honoring Native American Heritage
School districts acknowledge numerous holidays, traditions, and observances throughout the year, but do we acknowledge the native land that our communities are on? One way to consider honoring Native American heritage throughout the year is to implement the practice of land acknowledgement at public functions. Kicking off school events and gatherings with acknowledgment of the […]
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Effective Communication Across Your District
One shoe does not fit all when it comes to communicating important messages to school districts and families. In fact, better communication with families fosters relationships centered in trust, ultimately improving the student’s success. In the effort to bolster communication efforts for your community, evaluating the current systems in place and considering new ones is critical. […]
Read More »Photography 101: Capturing Your District’s Story
We all know the power of photography and the importance of telling the district’s story. What image comes to mind when you think of your schools? We have a few tips to help! #photography As communicators, we must be able to tell the school districts’ stories as effectively as possible. Here are a few photography […]
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It Takes a Village: Tackling Rising Childhood Obesity
Nutrition serves as the building blocks of a solid foundation, making the issue of childhood obesity, highlighted during the month of September, increasingly important to educators. Impacting one in six youth according to the National Children’s Health Survey, obesity disproportionately affects minorities as well as low-income students. Remaining innovative in solutions by collaborating with community […]
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Beating them to the Chase in a Crisis
When found in the center of controversial claims, sometimes, beating your accusers to the punch can mitigate the consequences. Known as the “stealing thunder” technique, this crisis communication strategy involves revealing the negative facts/information about yourself or a situation before it is mentioned by the opponent or other individuals. According to Science Direct, “Stealing thunder […]
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