About NSPRA
Become a Member
For teams of superintendents and communication professionals. Offered in partnership by the National School Public Relations Association and AASA, the School Superintendents Association.
Superintendents and school communication professionals share a common goal: To bring their school district's mission to life.
Join colleagues from around the country for the 2025 Leadership in School Communication program, the premier course tailor-made to empower the superintendent and communication professional team to advance district communication and engagement strategies together.
Register Now!
Now in its fourth year, the six-month, hybrid program for 2025 kicks off in March, bringing together superintendents and communication professional colleagues for monthly modules to learn more about effective communication strategies can help address timely issues like:
School Closures and School Choices
Synthesizing Safety and Security Plans
Launching a District Strategic Plan
Battling Chronic Absenteeism
Misinformation in the Generative AI Era
All sessions (both in-person and virtual) will be recorded and available for participants to watch on-demand for a flexible learning experience.
Highlights of the program include:
👨🏫 Experienced Presenters: Presented in partnership by NSPRA and AASA, The School Superintendents Association, seasoned education and public relations experts will provide participants with proven practices and strategies to elevate their communication efforts.
📚 Engaging Modules: Each of the program's six modules will focus on a timely topic designed to help superintendents and school PR professionals navigate the ever-changing and complex education landscape.
💡 Transformative Insights: Dive deep into how to best align communication efforts to support your district's overall strategic plan and day-to-day operations.
"The program's collaborative sessions are invaluable to school communication - superintendent teams!" — LISC Program Alumnus
— LISC Program Alumnus
The program's flexible registration options allow enrollees to register for the full program as a two-person team (1 superintendent + 1 communication professional) or as an individual to take advantage of all six modules. Individuals can also register for single-session modules.
Click the arrows below to learn more about each module.
Can't attend all the modules live? Each module will be recorded and available for participants to catch up on-demand for a flexible learning experience.
Using the Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures for School Communications published by the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA), participants will begin to understand the elements of creating a comprehensive communication program. These elements include supporting board policies, training for cabinet-level staff, creating a communication plan based in research, social media and branding. Participants will also see the importance of aligning the communication program with the district's strategic plan.
Hear from two school systems that recently faced school closures, redistricting, renaming of campuses or an overhaul of how they recruit and retain families to stave off enrollment decline. Speakers will share how strategic communications strategies helped them navigate these challenging yet necessary events.
Speakers:
Enroll in Full Program (Team)
Enroll in Full Program (Individual)
Module 1 will be presented as a Preconference Workshop at the AASA 2025 National Conference on Education (NCE) in New Orleans, La. This module is available to full LISC program participants and NCE Preconference workshop attendees (requires NCE 2025 registration) only. Learn more about NCE 2025 and the preconference workshop at https://nce.aasa.org/pre-conference-workshops.
When school shootings happen, communities raise questions about their own district’s responses should a similar event happen and whether they are doing enough to prevent one. Studies show even the most research-based comprehensive security plans may have gaps and fall short of preventing these worst-case scenarios.
Hear from a district that faced their community’s fears and skepticism head-on to establish a greater sense of safety and trust and a greater investment in security resources through a strong, targeted marketing campaign.
Enroll in Module 2
Building and maintaining relationships and open lines of communication with the board of education can be a challenge for district leaders, especially when board members are resistant or reluctant.
Hear from a superintendent and communications director who have weathered several changes in the district, on their board, and in their community and how they forged strategic and successful connections with their board members.
Enroll in Module 3
A strong strategic vision is critical to creating lasting, positive impacts for school districts. But once the district’s strategic plan is adopted, how do you convey the meaningful action steps in ways that your staff and community will support and understand? In this module, participants will hear how having a comprehensive communication strategy has helped a district's overall strategic plan succeed. Presenters will discuss the importance of using research, planning, thoughtful tactics and branding, and strategic storytelling to connect with all educational partners so that they can help you champion your district’s goals.
Enroll in Module 4
Addressing the alarming rates of absenteeism across all grades and schools has quickly risen to the top of priority lists in school districts across the country.
In this module, hear how one district launched a successful attendance campaign that targeted kindergarten parents beginning in August 2023 and grades 1-12 beginning in September 2023, with a particular emphasis on secondary students and parents. This award-winning campaign includes a resource-driven website, an aggressive social media campaign, attendance-related videos, other videos that emphasized the importance of belonging and connection, resources for parents, plus coaching and a Communications Toolkit for school administrators and staff.
Enroll in Module 5
Superintendents and communications professionals are responsible for being prepared for the unexpected. Strong communications plans can dismantle “traditional” misinformation, but what happens when generative AI is used to emulate district leadership or create fake district accounts? How do you address the media when you’re not well-versed in this technology? How do you share the innovative ways generative AI is being used in classrooms and departments?
Hear from districts who have faced this head on, and others who have developed a positive way to use generative AI in their communication efforts and classrooms. Participants will get hands-on media training from former reporters and practice the skill of bridging from a reporter’s question to your message.
Module 6 will be presented as a Pre-Seminar Workshop at the NSPRA 2025 National Seminar. Once registration for NSPRA 2025 opens in January, registration for Module 6 as an individual session (if opting not to register for the full LISC program) will also open at https://www.nspra.org/National-Seminar.
Expert Faculty and Course Presenters
Speakers subject to change
All registrants will receive a digital copy of the Rubrics of Practice and Suggested Measures publication (a $125 value!)
Full Program (Team)
Register for the entire program as a two-person team (1 superintendent + 1 communication professional) and take advantage of all six modules.
$2,000
Full Program (Individual)
Register for the entire program as an individual (either superintendent OR communication professional) and take advantage of all six modules.
$1,500
Single Module (Individual)
Register as an individual for single session modules.
Module 2
Module 3
Module 4
Module 5
If you have any questions, please reach out to pd@nspra.org.
Offered in partnership by
See How LISC Helped These Members Elevate Communication Strategies