Awards Award Winners NSPRA Front-Runner Honorees

Stony Brook University, BA in Political Science (2007); Stony Brook University, MA in Public Policy (2008); St. John’s University, JD (2013); Oxford University, Advanced Diploma in Local History (in progress)

I believe school PR/communications is a powerful way to engage parents in their child's education at a time when many may not be able to make it to the school. We open the classroom window to allow parents to see what students are learning. This can change the conversation from parents having to ask "What did you do at school today?" to being able to say "Tell me about..." We know that parents being engaged drives student success, so by sharing stories, we also help increase student success.

My greatest school PR success was being able to change the tone of conversation during a challenging time. After the tragedy at Parkland, we faced 5 non-credible threats to our high school within 6 school days. Through strategic, transparent communication, we were able to gain the trust of our parents. With each message, we slowly changed the narrative from "this is unacceptable" to "thank you for looking out for our kids."

My greatest school PR challenge is COVID-19. During the 2020-2021 school year, my job changed drastically from focusing solely on messaging and storytelling to also taking on COVID-related duties. I earned a certificate in contact tracing and tried to keep up with the ever-changing guidelines. The positive is that it was a reminder that we are capable of doing difficult things.

My favorite part of my job is being able to celebrate the good times and provide support in the bad. As a school PR professional, you don't know what you might face on any given day. The constant is that you are there for all of it. Everyone loves the good times and the fun events - I know I do! But I think it is equally important to be able to be someone who is called on to provide guidance and support for people in hard times.

The communication tool I use the most is Canva. It takes graphic design and makes it so much easier. It's also a great timesaver being able to re-use templates for multiple designs.

Reading High School (Go Red Knights!) and Temple University, BA in Journalism with a minor in African-American Studies (2002)

I believe school PR/communications is a compilation of small wins that make a big impact for students, staff, families and the community. It provides a strategic way to engage stakeholders, guide difficult conversations, highlight the amazing work happening in our classrooms and celebrate student success.

My greatest school PR success was being able to use storytelling and communications tools to build trust with stakeholders, shift the narrative of Reading School District and highlight the amazing students, staff and families in a positive way. It’s been amazing to watch how #RSDproud has grown from a simple hashtag to a full-fledged movement in our community. As a graduate of the school district, I know the work we did in the Communications Office had a direct impact on the city at large and encouraged students who were often overlooked or disregarded to work hard, believe in themselves and dream big.

My greatest school PR challenge is not taking things personally. We pour so much of ourselves into our work every day, and it can be difficult not to take it personally when something doesn’t go as planned, or we go “viral” for all the wrong reasons, or when they levy isn’t successful, or the negative social comments are stacking up. “The Man in the Arena” speech has reassured me on many days, and I try to remember there are no losses in #schoolpr, just lessons.

My favorite part of my job is making sure people feel seen, heard and valued. My favorite quote is by Dr. May Angelou: "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel" So every day, I'm grateful I can use my skills to share important news, celebrate the wonderful students, teachers and staff members who are shaping education, and shine a light on the innovative programs and cool projects happening in our schools.

The communication tool I use the most is Canva — it’s so clutch for quick, professional designs and videos. Oh, and I love using Eemojipedia.org because it provides a fun way to add a little smile, sparkle and shine to content and social media posts.

Iona College, undergraduate; Georgetown University, graduate

I believe school PR/communications is more visible and essential than ever. As we continue to grapple with this pandemic, the role of communicators is pivotal and has been highlighted and appreciated in this mostly virtual environment where we must ensure that schools can focus on the main thing: delivering a high-quality education, free of inequities - one that dismantles systemic racism and barriers to learning. Our role as communicators contributes to an understanding of our school division's mission and the overall success of students. If our students, families and staff do not feel heard or experience a lack of clarity, this leads to challenges with teaching and learning, engagement and that critical partnership with families. Communications must have a seat at the cabinet table to ensure that it’s embedded in every aspect of the school division.

My greatest school PR success was The Identity Project. Just three days into my new job at ACPS, while the nation was struggling with the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and social justice protests, many racial inequities in today's society led ACPS to take decisive action by launching its school renaming process, The Identity Project. This was the charge for me and my team, in my first days at ACPS. This campaign gained national attention and was completed successfully with significant results. The Identity Project has become a household name in the ACPS community. With the superintendent’s and School Board’s support, I gained their confidence to begin the process that launched in September 2020 leading to a unanimous School Board vote to change both names, three months after the process began. When I see how proud our students are to have been instrumental in this process and that they can take ownership of such a significant milestone in ACPS history, I know that I have done my job.

My greatest school PR challenge wasbeginning my current role as ACPS chief of school & community relations in the midst of the pandemic in July 2020. Bringing two teams together virtually, that had worked in silos for years, and starting this inaugural role without my team in person, was a tremendous challenge. Imagine being responsible for leading a department with staff you have not met in person. We needed to gel as a team and work together to reach families with consistent communications and family engagement virtually while re-imagining the new school year – one that remained 100% virtual until March 2021. Also, most of my interactions with my cabinet colleagues were virtual for most of the year. We have managed to come together as a team, do great work and support families through this challenging time and begin planning for the future. The commitment and support from my team and superintendent has pulled me through, even on the days when I said, “What was I thinking?”

My favorite part of my job is our students. This may seem like a cliché for all who work in education, and I would argue that any person who works in education who does not share that the students are the favorite part of their job, should re-evaluate their role. In my position, I have the fortune of visiting schools regularly with the superintendent and to see firsthand the teaching and learning in the schools. It warms my heart to talk to students and see the projects they are working on, the reactions they have to learning and our visits, and how incredibly bright they are at such a young age. When I need to fill my cup and be reminded of my “why” in this communications work that I am entrusted with, I just get in my car, head to one of our schools and visit with students. This is our purpose and they are counting on us to deliver the very best that education has to offer. I love being a part of that team that helps provide this for them. It is the reason I get up in the morning.

The communication tool I use the most is my voice. This is particularly true when I identify inequities in how our information is being communicated to our hard-to-reach families. A large majority of our students hail from other countries, some with language barriers, making it imperative that I become their voice. I work with my colleagues on a variety of projects and take on the role of the student/family voice to ensure that they are receiving accurate, timely and culturally appropriate information. At the start of the pandemic, I enlisted our team to establish a multilingual helpline to assist families with our virtual school reopening in September 2020. We planned for a one-month helpline to assist with school opening, and we found it to be so well-received by families that it still exists today. With the advent of testing and vaccines, we recently converted it to a multilingual COVID-19 helpline to assist with vaccine hesitancy, testing, appointments and quarantine questions.

B.A. - Mississippi State University; MPA - University of Georgia

I believe school PR/communications is what I was born to do! One of the biggest decisions a parent can make is where to send their child to school, and it’s an honor to share with our parents the engaging work that their children are doing under the guidance of world-class teachers and leaders. On any given day, in any given school, there are many stories to be told and I take that charge seriously. As school communicators played a key role in COVID-19 communications, storytelling was more important than ever – not only did I share information with parents about our protocols, but I also made over 80 visits to schools last year and told a variety of stories about how students were thriving with both in-person and distance learning options. I also worked with principals to determine best mitigation practices and helped make those pervasive, because positive action must be the foundation of what we are ultimately communicating. School public relations is incredibly complex and I love that each day brings a new challenge.

My greatest school PR success was completing 11 nationally-innovative school communication audits using a process of research, planning, implementation, and evaluation. I am now in phase two of this project and am attending school council meetings to garner feedback from parents about school-level communication and how I can better support the work of their schools. One of the most significant findings is that as students take more ownership of their learning, they also take more ownership in parent communication. Therefore, next steps are to better prepare parents for this transition and to also determine best practices from exemplar teachers and coaches at the secondary level so we can strike the right balance with parents feeling informed and fostering student independence.

My greatest school PR challenge is overcoming rigidity. Like many PR professionals, I am detail-oriented and a self-described perfectionist. It’s a blessing and a curse to see when something is one pixel off, but the greatest challenge I have faced in my 13 years in this field is to learn to be more flexible. I might have an aversion to Comic Sans or Curlz, but it’s not the end of the world if those are a font favorite elsewhere. What’s more important is the bigger picture – staff and parents feeling well-informed and students growing and learning in positive school cultures. Instead of telling someone their website isn’t formatted properly, I now make a 2-3 minute screencast if I think there’s a quick tutorial I can offer to provide ongoing professional learning. By being much more flexible, I have deepened relationships and become better at supporting the most important job that occurs in our school system: teaching.

My favorite part of my job is the relationships. I often say that there is no substitute for showing up, and that’s why I make so many school visits each year. From getting to hold a gorgeous monarch butterfly to watching a vibrant student musical to seeing 3-D printing in action from engineering students, I have witnessed countless unique opportunities, and these experiences are just a small piece of what our students get to take part in each and every day. If I didn’t take the time to form relationships, I wouldn’t know that what students value is knowing that the photos I take may show up in their yearbooks. I wouldn’t know the myriad of annual activities that teachers do across our schools because I wouldn’t have witnessed them firsthand. I wouldn’t know about the families of our principals or what they believe makes their school unique. All of that is invaluable because at the end of the day and at the end of this career, relationships are what will remain – both professionally and personally.

The communication tool I use the most is Canva! I would be a brand ambassador if they asked! I am not very mathematically-minded and it can be challenging for someone with an eye for good design – but not an eye for rulers and gridlines – to be a graphic designer. However, Canva has made it possible and I am able to create aesthetically-pleasing graphics with short turn-around times. I have trained communication ambassadors at our schools how to use it as well. Right after Canva, the tool I most use is iMovie. I am completely self-taught in videography and using iMovie and Canva together has made me someone who can add “videographer” to their list of expertise.

Idaho State University

My personal public relations motto is “Have I done any good in the world today?” With tears running down her cheeks, our beloved 91-years-young lunch lady muttered this as she hung up her hairnet for the last time during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Each day I look for opportunities to “do good” as my way of honoring our good friend, Edna Gerard.

I believe school PR/communications is critical to the success of a school district. It has never been easier to lose your community. These are trying times, and a good communications strategy can keep patrons engaged.

A strong school PR/communication program supports student success by creating a culture that celebrates student achievement. Our students know that their success in the classroom, on the playing field or in the auditorium and all points in-between will be celebrated as a district with our patrons and beyond.

My greatest school PR success was: My state requires a supermajority of the vote to pass bonds. Six months before taking this job, my district had run a bond for a new high school that failed to reach a majority of the vote and came nowhere near the supermajority threshold that it needed to pass. Six months after joining the district, we came within one percentage point of passing the bond. Six months later, we eventually passed two bonds, one for a desperately needed new high school and the other for a performing arts center and stadium.

My greatest school PR challenge is balancing work life with family life. My wife and two dogs are so supportive, and I couldn’t do any of this job without that support. They all get excited when it’s time for me to come home, whether that’s at 11:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. I have strategically placed a picture of them in my office so that I see it every time I get ready to head out to an event. This helps remind me that while building a community is great, nothing is as important as maintaining relationships with our loved ones.

I am inspired by way too many friends and mentors for me to even begin to fully answer this question. I am beyond blessed to have so many great people in my life. At the end of the day, I’m inspired by the youth of my district. It’s an honor to help tell their stories. I’ll often think back to my public school experience and ask myself what I would want from the Public Relations Department. It does make me smile when I see their retweets or likes on Instagram.

My favorite part of my job is when we go into schools and the kids are excited because they want to be part of the story we are filming. We love to see the kids’ smiles and their enthusiasm when it comes to showcasing the great things that are happening in their school. Even at a young age, they are building pride for their school and the district.

The communication tool I use the most is without question, my iPhone. I can’t imagine doing this job without it. We use it for Facebook Live videos and to gather news stories for a weekly newscast. Much of the editing is also done on the iPhone. iMovie and the ability to Airdrop.

The communication tool I rarely use anymore is press releases. This might sound blasphemous to some, but we focus almost exclusively on relationship-driven earned media. This very well could be a luxury of living in a smaller television market, but we make it a point to get to know new reporters when they come in. We’ll send a text to a trusted news reporter when we want coverage.

Here’s a tip from a former news reporter turned school PR professional: Find out when their morning news meeting is, and send your text to the trusted reporter about 15 minutes before the meeting is set to begin. They’ll appreciate having a news story idea to bring to the meeting and they’ll fight for it, especially if you make it easy for them.

My favorite professional fantasy is to have a dedicated television studio with all the bells and whistles, maybe even a production crew. While we are at it, our own broadcasting booth in our stadiums would be really nice too.

Membership in my state chapter SPRA helps me when I need to talk to someone who totally understands the struggle. That’s what membership in IDSPRA means to me. I’ve leaned on them a lot throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and I couldn’t be prouder of the work that is being done by the small but mighty chapter in Idaho.

Membership in NSPRA helps me: I was incredibly fortunate to find a friend and mentor early on in my school PR career at NSPRA. His name was Joe Krumm, and he was a mountain of a man. He taught me to take in every second of the annual NSPRA Seminar. I’d be lost without NSPRA. I was bummed when we had to cancel in St. Louis, Mo. Fortunately, NSPRA has plenty of tools to help keep its members engaged beyond the annual Seminar that we all love so much.

University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif. for undergraduate and Point Park University in Pittsburgh, Pa., for graduate school.

My personal public relations motto is “Be honest, be available, be strategic, be resourceful, be collaborative, and above all, be kind.” I define public relations as, “the state of the relationship between the public and the organization.” With everything I do, I try to focus on those relationship-building actions that will improve our connections with our customers and our community members.

I believe school PR/communications is essential. Media is no longer just the local TV news or local newspaper; if those still exist, they are most likely overshadowed by a variety of 24-hour news and social media networks. Our customer is now in control and decides when, where and for how long to read or view content they deem is engaging and worthy of their time. School PR professionals educate the public about the dramatically changing landscape of education and tell stories to inform, inspire and enact meaningful change.

A strong school PR/communication program supports student success by telling their stories. We at the County Office of Education support students, teachers, classified staff, administrators, schools and districts by knowing what makes them each unique and knowing it’s the people, not just the programs, who make a difference. We value each and every one of our residents, and we care about what connects them to the public education system. If you are a student/parent/staff member in the system, or a resident disconnected from the system, I want to know your story - the positive and the negative - so from it, we can learn where we need to, and must, improve.

My greatest school PR success was working with an outstanding district team to pass a school facilities bond in a community after 30 years of failed attempts. I learned a district can have great ideas and goals, but if they are not relevant and reflective of what the community needs and wants, no effort will be successful. Also, school PR professionals now have a tremendous responsibility to use our individual and collective voices to promote racial and social justice in our systems and in our communities. I hope my future successes are ones that work toward building respect for the worth, dignity, and equality of every individual in our beautifully diverse society.

My greatest school PR challenge is and continues to be finding a balance between work and life. School PR is an incredibly demanding job, but add on a pandemic-- and then throw in some wildfires-- and it’s been impossible to dedicate time to my mental or physical health, or my family. Burnout is real and it is overwhelming. I truly value my CalSPRA and NSPRA #k12prWell colleagues who remind me to breathe and take time for myself. I could not do all of the work I do without my own incredibly supportive family, including my generous and calm husband, David, who reminds me the challenge is never going to change, I have to change how I approach and respond to the challenge.

I’m inspired daily by my daughter, Annabelle, who at four-years-old, sees only the good in every person and teaches me to create my own superpowers.