AASA/NSPRA Leadership for Public Trust

Crisis Leadership Track

As public education becomes increasingly shaped by political tension, competing community expectations, and heightened scrutiny, leadership teams must be equipped to navigate complexity while maintaining focus, alignment, and trust. This track explores how leaders incorporate communication awareness into decision-making so that actions are understood, supported, and grounded in community context.

Session 1: Decision-Making and Leadership Under Pressure (April 30, 2027 12 - 1:30 pm Eastern)

In moments of crisis, leadership teams must make high-stakes decisions quickly, often with incomplete information and intense scrutiny.

This session focuses on how leaders approach decision-making under pressure, balancing urgency, accuracy, and long-term impact while maintaining alignment across the organization. This session also emphasizes how leadership decisions – not just communication – shape outcomes during high-pressure situations.

Presenters: Celina Baguiao, director of communications, and Rubén Aurelio, superintendent | Vallejo City Unified School District (Calif.)

Session 2: Communicating with Credibility in Uncertain Moments (May 28, 2027 12 - 1:30 pm Eastern)

In a crisis, stakeholders are not only listening to what is said, they are evaluating how leadership shows up. This session focuses on how leaders communicate when information is incomplete and where credibility is shaped more by presence and consistency than by certainty.

This session also explores how leaders communicate with clarity, transparency, and consistency even when all answers are not yet known.

Presenters: Grace Becker, APR, director of marketing & customer experience, Josh Swanson, Ed.D., superintendent, and Dirk Tedmon, APR, executive director of marketing & communications | Eden Prairie Schools (Minn.)

Session 3: Sustaining Trust Beyond the Crisis (June 25, 2027 12 - 1:30 pm Eastern)

What happens after a crisis often determines whether trust is strengthened or eroded. Recovery requires continued clarity, consistency, and follow-through.

This session focuses on how leadership teams move forward by supporting their communities, reflecting on their approach, and strengthening systems for the future. This session also examines how districts use post-crisis moments to strengthen leadership systems, not just recover from the event itself.

Presenters: Ivan Duran, Ed.D., superintendent and Tove Tupper, APR, chief communications officer | Highline Public Schools (Wash.)

Pricing for the 3 virtual sessions as one package*: $750 

*Crisis Leadership Full Track registrants will receive calendar invitations with the Zoom links for each session.