About NSPRA
The Superintendents to Watch award recognizes school district leaders who have fewer than five years of experience as a superintendent and who demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core.
Dr. Carlondrea Hines has led St. Louis Park Public Schools through a period of transition and renewal since becoming superintendent in July 2024, with communication serving as a central tool for building trust, guiding change and engaging the community. During her first year, she focused on listening deeply, stabilizing district culture and launching a new strategic direction grounded in shared purpose and student-centered priorities.
Listening First, Then Leading
From the start of her tenure in 2024, Hines prioritized hearing directly from families, staff and community members. She held community listening sessions, established a Superintendent Parent and Community Advisory Committee and sought out voices that are often left out of district conversations. The feedback gathered through those efforts was used to shape district priorities and guide decision-making, particularly during a challenging budget cycle.
Her approach emphasized not only sharing information, but also explaining decisions and the reasons behind them while maintaining open lines of communication. When tackling budget reductions, she turned to her guiding principles and used the feedback she gathered throughout her listening to bring people together with shared purpose. She started the budgeting process early so families and staff could be a part of the decision-making throughout the process. She maintained open lines of communication, explaining not only what decisions were being made but why. The results of this process led her to look at solutions that would account for the budget while also addressing concerns about academic rigor. Under her leadership, she moved to change school schedules, reduce substitute teaching costs and eliminate extraneous spending.
“Dr. Hines doesn't just listen. She responds by integrating feedback into district priorities and demonstrating accountability through transparent follow-up communications.” — St. Louis Park Public Schools Executive Director of Communications Ashley Sukhu
Building a New Strategic Direction
Under Hines’ leadership, the district launched a new strategic plan focused on becoming One St. Louis Park, aligning people, resources and actions around a shared vision for students. Dr. Hines knows that thoughtful, transparent and inclusive communication with all stakeholders is critical to this work.
"In just one year, Dr. Hines has made a profound impact on our district through her visionary leadership and commitment to effective communication for the purpose of racial equity. As a district that is focused on dismantling racially inequitable barriers, Dr. Hines knows that thoughtful, transparent and inclusive communication with all stakeholders is critical to this work." — Silvy Lafayette, Ph.D., Executive Director of Assessment, Research and Evaluation, St. Louis Park Public Schools
Communication is embedded throughout the plan, including through a new Portrait of a Learner framework, which defines what students should know and be able to do. Key components of that framework include:
Prior to adopting the Portrait of a Learner, Dr. Hines ensured that she heard from families to ensure that the language would be digestible. She developed multiple channels for families, staff and community members to see themselves in the strategic plan, including branded visuals, storytelling through newsletters and social media, and school-based showcases that highlight how students are embodying ASCEND traits in real-world contexts. For example, stories about students demonstrating authenticity are regularly featured on the district’s platforms, reinforcing the vision through examples rather than abstract language. The Portrait of a Learner is now integrated into curriculum, professional learning and classroom walkthroughs, helping align academic goals with communication strategies.
Working with the communications department, Dr. Hines also oversaw the implementation of a new end-of-school-year event that thanked staff for their contributions. The "Feel Good Finale" event served as both a recognition event and an internal launchpad for the district’s new strategic plan. The program was designed to communicate progress, celebrate accomplishments and strengthen a shared sense of purpose across St. Louis Park Public Schools. Every school and department reflected on progress made toward district goals, and prepared presentations showcasing data, research, and personal stories that highlighted growth and innovation throughout the year. By sharing these stories, communication lines were opened so staff could celebrate each other's successes and learn about the work that took place across the district.
Strengthening Two-Way Communication
Hines has built multiple vehicles for dialogue and feedback across the district, including superintendent updates, advisory committees, school presentations to the board and regular data conversations that connect district goals to measurable outcomes. Each of these venues serves as an opportunity to celebrate progress, acknowledge challenges and reinforce shared accountability.
One of the most distinctive examples of her communication leadership is her “Tiny Mic Interviews” series on Instagram, where she takes time to interview students and staff in short, unscripted conversations across the district. These brief exchanges, conducted in hallways, classrooms, cafeterias and playgrounds, serve as genuine opportunities to listen and learn from the people who make up the heart of the district.
Dr. Hines has also shown an exceptional commitment to legislative engagement, recognizing that advocacy is an extension of leadership and communication. She actively partners with organizations such as the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), the Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) and the Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) to elevate the voices of students, staff and the broader St. Louis Park community in state-level conversations.
“Dr. Hines understands that effective communication is not just about platforms and messages, but it’s about relationships and trust.” — Patricia Magnuson, Executive Director of Business Services, St. Louis Park Public Schools
Internally, she models excellent communication for staff by maintaining clarity in messaging, encouraging proactive information, sharing and celebrating successes through district channels. Whether through newsletters or school visits, her words consistently align with the district’s values of inclusion, transparency and collaboration. Her leadership also extends to internal teams that are often underrepresented in district conversations, including nutrition, transportation, facilities, finance and emergency preparedness.
A Visible, Relational Communicator
Hines models communication through her daily presence and engagement. She meets regularly with staff and community members, participates in leadership and budget meetings, and uses creative approaches to elevate student and staff voices across the district.
“By integrating the voices of all departments into the district’s communication and leadership structure, Dr. Hines models a holistic approach to leadership that strengthens our organization as a whole.” — Patricia Magnuson, Executive Director of Business Services, St. Louis Park Public Schools
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.