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If you oversee district communication or support frontline staff who interact with families every day, this track is designed for you. Learn how to strengthen key communication touchpoints, equip staff for everyday and challenging interactions, and build systems that make great customer service the standard.
Leading a communications team requires a shift in focus from managing tasks to guiding people, setting direction, and building systems that support the work.
The Communications Team Leadership track is designed for school communicators who lead a team or department and are responsible for both strategy and execution. This experience focuses on strengthening leadership practices, improving team alignment, and building structures that allow communication efforts to be more consistent, effective, and sustainable.
Participants will explore how to lead with clarity, manage competing priorities, and support team members in ways that build capacity and confidence while still meeting the demands of the role.
Enroll Your Way: NSPRA Academy offers flexible purchasing options! Enroll in the full course for comprehensive development or select individual modules that to meet your specific training needs.
Registration Information
By the end of the Communications Team Leadership track, participants will:
Participants will work with the course facilitator on completing their capstone project, a research-driven strategic communication plan for their school, school district or educational service agency.
Enroll in the full course for comprehensive development, or choose individual modules tailored to your needs.
Each live, virtual module will be two hours in length, beginning at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT, 12 p.m. MT, 11 a.m. PT).
Can't attend a module live? All modules will be recorded and available for participants to catch up on-demand for a flexible learning experience.
Sessions will be facilitated by NSPRA Manager of Professional Development and Member Engagement Melissa McConnell and led by NSPRA members with expertise and experience in each module's focus area.
Module 1: Monday, September 21, 2026 (2 - 4 p.m. ET, Virtual): Defining Your Role as a Team Leader
Stepping into a communications leadership role requires more than overseeing projects, it requires a different mindset. In this opening module, participants will examine how their role changes as they move from individual contributor to team leader. Through practical examples and reflection, they'll identify where to focus their time, establish leadership priorities, and create greater clarity around their responsibilities. Participants will leave with a stronger leadership foundation to guide the rest of the series.
Module 2: Monday, October 12, 2026 (2 - 4 p.m. ET, Virtual): Managing People, Projects, and Priorities
Leading a communications team means making difficult decisions about competing priorities, limited capacity, and constant interruptions. This module explores practical systems for aligning work with organizational priorities, managing requests, and creating workflows that help teams stay focused without sacrificing quality. Participants will examine real-world leadership practices that improve visibility, strengthen accountability, and help teams accomplish the right work, not simply more work.
Module 3: Monday, October 19, 2026 (2 - 4 p.m. ET, Virtual): Building a Strong and Sustainable Team
Exceptional communications leaders influence far more than the work of their own department. In this culminating module, participants will explore how to build credibility with executive leadership, serve as trusted advisors during complex decisions, and elevate communications as a strategic function across the organization. The session focuses on increasing influence, strengthening leadership relationships, and positioning communication as an essential part of organizational success.
Module 4: Monday, November 9, 2026 (2 - 4 p.m. ET, Virtual): From Communication Leader to Strategic Advisor
Exceptional communications leaders shape more than messaging, they help shape organizational decisions. In this culminating module, participants will explore how to build credibility with executive leadership, influence strategic conversations, and position communications as an essential leadership function. Drawing on the leadership, operational, and team development strategies explored throughout the series, participants will leave prepared to lead with greater confidence and organizational impact.
Register: Module 1 (Sep. 21) Defining Your Role as a Team Leader
Register: Module 2 (Oct. 12): Managing People, Projects and Priorities
Register: Module 3 (Oct. 19): Building a Strong and Sustainable Team
Register: Module 4 (Nov. 9): From Communication Leader to Strategic Advisor