Thomas K. DeLapp

Sr. Advisor

In California, if a situation in a school district is controversial, complex, or critical the one person most superintendents call is Tom DeLapp. Since 1996 when he founded his firm, Tom has served as communications counsel for over 400 school districts in California.

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Leadership Perspective

He has conducted over 1,500 workshops across the country, training nearly 250,000 educators on effective communications, community engagement, and media relations. Tom has helped school districts successfully communicate through sex scandals, budget cuts, ten teacher strikes, collective bargaining impasse situations, numerous campus shootings, bond campaigns, school closures, employee misconduct, health scares, marketing/branding concerns, student deaths, and curriculum battles. He has conducted communication audits and developed communication plans for over 50 school districts. Tom successfully dealt with controversial situations involving transgender students and teachers, including national media attention over the election of a transgender homecoming queen. The recognized “Master of Disaster”, Tom travels nearly 10,000 miles a month helping school districts enhance their communication capabilities.

A veteran of the communications industry with over 40 years of experience in both the public and private sectors, Tom DeLapp draws on a wealth of expertise and a national reputation as one of the premier school public relations professionals in the country. Mr. DeLapp is a highly sought after keynote speaker and workshop presenter on communication and education trends.

Thomas K. DeLapp on

Why Public Education

Public education is the egalitarian laboratory that builds a better society and creates a better our future. Our public schools are a national security interest and it must be nurtured and protected. In the Information Age knowledge, creativity and the ability to process complex ideas are vital skills and attributes needed in every citizen. Public school educators pass on to each generation the promise and strength of our democracy. This is a message worth telling.

Thomas K. DeLapp

Public School Flashback

Making a difference in difficult situations that are high stakes.