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.
Superintendent Touchet has led Lafayette Parish School System through a period of major transformation, using communication, clarity and consistent presence to align a large, complex district around shared values. His leadership connects school safety, financial responsibility, educator support, and community trust through systems that keep people informed, involved, and focused on student success.
“I have witnessed a leader whose clarity of vision and genuine care for people have transformed our district.” — Jennifer Gardner, Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Operations, Lafayette Parish School System
A Clear Vision, Backed by Action
One of the defining features of Superintendent Touchet's leadership has been his belief that effective communication builds trust and trust builds stronger schools. From the start of his tenure as Superintendent of the Lafayette Parish School System, Touchet recognized that clear, consistent, and transparent communication was essential to connecting families, educators, and the community to the district’s mission.
To make this vision a reality, he strategically invested in a dedicated communications team, hiring two professionals whose sole focus would be strengthening how LPSS shares information and celebrates success. This intentional decision has reshaped how the district communicates, both internally and externally. Under Superintendent Touchet’s leadership, the LPSS Communications Department was revived with a renewed focus on storytelling, accessibility, and trust. One of his first actions was to reintroduce a district newsletter, which had been dormant. The revitalized publication now highlights student and school accomplishments, features recognition, and provides timely updates to parents and the community each quarter. Since its relaunch, newsletter subscriptions have more than doubled.
Superintendent Touchet's decision to hire a former journalist and news anchor to lead the department brought invaluable expertise and credibility. Her strong media relationships and deep understanding of news storytelling have led to a surge in positive coverage of LPSS schools and programs. Local media now frequently feature stories that spotlight the opportunities available to LPSS students and educators, coverage that strengthens community pride and helps position Lafayette Parish as a leader in public education.
Recognizing the power of digital communication, Touchet also prioritized social media outreach. The second communications hire was tasked with expanding LPSS’s online presence, ensuring regular updates and a consistent tone across platforms. With the superintendent’s full support, this effort led to the creation of a School Media Liaison Network, a team of representatives at each campus who share stories, post school updates and identify potential features for external media. This grassroots approach has transformed how the district celebrates student success and has created a unified, authentic voice for LPSS.
Touchet’s communication strategy extends beyond public outreach. Understanding that strong internal communication is just as vital, he supported the creation of a staff-only newsletter to ensure that information reaches every employee, not just school leaders. This publication highlights staff achievements, district updates and practical resources.
Looking forward, Superintendent Touchet continues to innovate. The district is in the process of transitioning to a new, more user-friendly website platform and developing LPSS’s first-ever mobile app, designed to make information more accessible for parents and families. He has also championed plans to implement a new district communication tool based on survey feedback.
Through intentional leadership and thoughtful investment, Superintendent Touchet has built a culture of open, transparent and effective communication. His vision ensures that every parent, educator, and community member not only knows what is happening in LPSS, but feels connected, valued, and informed.
Communication as a Strategic Function
Touchet has reshaped how communication works inside the district by making it part of leadership, not an afterthought. He ensured that messaging, engagement and transparency are built into how decisions are planned and shared.
Key elements of this approach include:
“Superintendent Touchet positioned the Communications Department as a key part of senior-level planning, ensuring that every initiative includes clear messaging, stakeholder input and transparent outreach.” — Jacob Simon, Digital Marketing Manager, Lafayette Parish School System
“Whether standing in a classroom, addressing civic leaders, or speaking on air, Superintendent Francis Touchet, Jr. models the belief that communication is not a task to be delegated, but rather the essence of leadership. Through intentional visibility, authenticity, and consistency, he has set a new standard for superintendent engagement.” — Tracy Wirtz, Communications Director, Lafayette Parish School System (La.)
A Superintendent Who Leads by Listening
Touchet is known for being highly visible and accessible. He spends time in schools each week, speaks directly with students and staff, and maintains active relationships with community organizations and local media.
Key ways he stays connected include:
“Mr. Touchet is one of the most visible and accessible superintendents in Louisiana.” — Jacob Simon, Digital Marketing Manager, Lafayette Parish School System
“Every decision he makes, whether operational, instructional, or financial, is guided by what is best for our students. He communicates directly and follows through. That combination has earned him deep respect across every level of our organization.” — Jennifer Gardner, Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Operations, Lafayette Parish School System
A Culture Built on Care and High Expectations
Touchet’s leadership emphasizes that student success is about more than academics alone. His focus on relationships, emotional well-being and educator support shapes the culture across the district.
“What sets Mr. Touchet apart is his understanding that student success is about more than academics. He recognizes that the social and emotional health of our children is inseparable from their ability to learn.” — Jennifer Gardner, Assistant Superintendent of Administration and Operations, Lafayette Parish School System
“He has built a culture where transparency and collaboration guide every decision. His innovation, authenticity, and commitment to people have united our district and strengthened public confidence in Lafayette Parish Schools.” — Jacob Simon, Digital Marketing Manager, Lafayette Parish School System
Through his emphasis on clarity, communication, and community connection, Touchet has helped Lafayette Parish School System move forward with greater trust, alignment, and purpose.
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.