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What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is to build others so that they can grow and prosper. Leadership means to create opportunities for others to find new ways to move the organization forward. As a leader, we are thought partners and must generate confidence in our team and give them the platform to take risks so that tomorrow is better than today.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?

Communication is an integral part. There is nothing better than transparency and honest communication, one that generates confidence in the work that is occurring. We have designed:

- In-person communication vs. virtual communication: townhall meetings vs. Zoom parent meetings

- Formal gatherings vs. informal gatherings: Superintendent Advisory Committees vs. lunch meetings

- Written, personal communication via weekly and monthly newsletters, and townhall meetings/podcasts and radio shows

The strategic plan identifies communication as a goal and we have designed all our actions to meet that goal.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? 1. We have partnered with the local radio station and have a weekly 25-30 minute Friday morning show. We use these sessions to bring on teachers, students, staff and administrators to highlight programs and services and also to spotlight student/staff accomplishments to the community.

2. We have a similar weekly guest column in the local newspaper. We use this to highlight a program or an event and to create ongoing conversations of what is happening across the district. The Did You Know articles are printed each Saturday.

3. Hiring an established community PR firm as our PIO. This has been a game changer. With her support I am able to meet with local and elected officials who I otherwise would not know. She has opened the doors to various organizations to allow me to carry my message that schools belong to the community and education is the collective responsibility of everyone. MJUSD is no longer a silo. We are talking and they are listening. It's a great start!

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership involves guiding a collective of individuals collaborating as a unified team with a shared objective. Exceptional leaders enlighten others about their significance and contribution within a larger purpose. Success in leadership hinges on authenticity, the capacity to connect with diverse individuals, recognizing and celebrating the achievements of both individuals and the team, and a genuine passion for the work at hand. These qualities serve as the essential foundations for effective leadership. Additionally, exemplary leaders possess value systems that inform their decision-making and interactions with others. It is crucial for leaders to consistently nurture their personal character while fostering a culture of care among their team members.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? As part of our existing strategic plan, the Jackson County School System has introduced a full-time public relations officer responsible for overseeing the communication efforts of our school system. As we navigate through a new strategic planning process, our primary emphasis has been on fostering transparent communication and active engagement with both internal and external stakeholders. Notably, we conducted a community engagement meeting that attracted the participation of over 200 county residents and community members who were actively involved in our planning team meeting. The feedback received during our current planning process highlighted communication as a notable strength of our school system. Looking ahead to the next five years, our system remains committed to prioritizing effective, timely and transparent communication from both the school system and each individual school.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? In the summer of 2023, the Jackson County School System unveiled its inaugural annual report, a comprehensive 16-page magazine spotlighting the previous year's accomplishments within the school system. This informative publication offers a detailed overview of our Board of Education, the overall system and individual schools. As one of the fastest-growing school systems in the state of Georgia, the annual report serves as an invaluable resource for new families seeking to acquaint themselves with our school system, showcasing the remarkable achievements taking place. A straightforward yet impactful communication initiative that resonates with our community involves weekly reviews of the local newspaper. Each week, we carefully examine the newspaper's contents, and when our students are featured, we send a heartfelt letter of congratulations to the showcased student along with the article. This is a simple way for us to build community and show our appreciation to our students.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership to me is the art of guiding and inspiring others towards shared goals. It hinges on effective communication, ensuring clarity of vision, fostering understanding and building trust. A good leader listens as much as they speak, engaging in meaningful dialogues that empower and motivate their team. Ethical leadership is non-negotiable. It’s about integrity, honesty and fairness. It means making the right choices, even when they are difficult, and holding oneself and others to high standards. Ethical leadership builds a foundation of trust and sets a positive example for everyone. This approach not only drives progress but also creates a collaborative and respectful environment. Beyond just managing, leadership is about setting an example, being adaptable in the face of challenges and continuously learning and growing. It's a balance of strength and empathy, where success is measured not just by outcomes, but by the growth and development of the team.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?In our district strategic plan, communication has been integrated as a key pillar, emphasizing transparent, timely and effective information sharing. We've implemented multi-channel communication strategies to reach all stakeholders, including digital platforms, newsletters and community forums. Our district's strategic plan features a quarterly-updated Balanced Scorecard which is housed on our website, ensuring transparent, timely communication with all stakeholders on key goals. Emphasis is placed on two-way communication, encouraging feedback and active participation from parents, students and staff. Regular updates on district initiatives and decisions ensure everyone is informed and involved. This approach not only enhances community engagement but also fosters a collaborative environment where everyone’s voice is valued, contributing to the overall success of our strategic plan.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I am immensely proud of our district's communication tool, the Strategic Plan Balanced Scorecard, prominently featured on our website and updated quarterly. This tool exemplifies our commitment to transparency and accountability. By providing accessible, clear and up-to-date information on our district's progress and achievements, it fosters trust and engagement within our community. Sharing this scorecard with the Board of Education and the public each quarter ensures that our stakeholders, from parents to educators, are well-informed and involved in our journey towards educational excellence. This proactive approach to communication not only strengthens our community ties but also reinforces our dedication to continuous improvement and open dialogue in all aspects of student learning and district operations. As such, it fosters a culture of accountability and collaboration, integral to our commitment to excellence in education.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means giving of yourself to serve, to listen, and to engage stakeholders in co-constructing a vision for the future. Leadership requires constant self-reflection, personal awareness, humility and yet the confidence to know that you can accomplish what you set out to do. Leadership also requires courage and the conviction to stand up even in the face of difficulty and opposition. Lastly, leadership is the ability to inspire team members and unite them around a common cause.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?A key element to our strategic plan is to maintain a "public scorecard," which is a way for us to communicate the district's gains and opportunities with our students, staff and parents. We have embraced the challenge of telling our story of academic achievement through data presentations, newsletters and videos that focus on the work our teachers are doing to align their practice with our strategic plan. These resources are made available to families, community members and staff.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I am most proud of the rebranding of our website and social media. Our district has social media liaisons in every school and two years ago we began meeting with them to develop a vision for what we wanted to communicate to our audience. We decided to highlight our district's academic work and students' learning experiences. As a district comprised of a majority of students of color, we wanted to expand our social presence from a focus on music and arts to an intentional focus on science, technology and literacy. This was an important shift and one that parents and community members noticed.

What does leadership mean to you? To me, leadership involves inspiring and engaging others around a shared vision for the future. Ensuring our district’s vision was truly shared by our community required an intentional commitment to critical reflection and active listening. Through our Strategic Planning Summit, stakeholder surveys and many one-on-one and small group conversations with our students, staff, parents, community members and former students, we were able to integrate our stakeholder input into our final vision statement, core values, mission statement and a set of five year objectives and goals. All of this work illustrated the value we saw in our key stakeholders, an effort that ultimately created the necessary partnerships to successfully implement the strategic plan. As a leader, it is these connections and the shared vision you collectively create that propel you through the hard work it takes to get where you all want to go.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Recognizing the crucial role communication plays in developing trust, partnership and inclusion, our district approved the development of a full-time communications specialist position, which was a significant increase from our previous model of working with an outside communications consultant. This new role launched alongside our strategic plan in 2023. Within our new strategic plan, we specifically outline communications goals vital to meeting our shared vision for the district. Over the next five years, we will focus on: improved communications and partnerships with our feeder high school; expanding accessibility across our digital communication tools; increasing educational opportunities for families; and developing a vibrant yearly communications plan. All of the strategic plan efforts hinge on developing clear communications, identifying ideal modes of communication, establishing effective working relationships with peers, partners and parents, and ensuring two-way communication.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? One example of our communications efforts is the strategic plan dashboard, an easily accessible online resource that allows users to reference student achievement, financial and other data points, but also provides details on the progress made toward each of the strategic plan goals. This user-friendly interface was devised with a layered approach to reporting that allows users to dig as deep into the information as they have time and interest. We designed an instructional video to accompany the dashboard to provide users with pertinent information. Additionally, we invested in the production of a video to launch our strategic plan to our community. This video highlighted the process the district went through to arrive at the strategic plan, what it's key focus will be over the coming years and why these efforts were necessary.

What does leadership mean to you? Effective leadership requires the art of inspiring and guiding individuals or teams toward a shared vision and common goals. It goes beyond the traditional concept of authority and command, emphasizing unique qualities such as vision, integrity, empathy, collaboration, problem-solving, and effective communication. A successful leader not only sets a clear and compelling direction but also cultivates a positive and collaborative culture within the organization. Such leaders lead by example, demonstrating the values and expectations they espouse while fostering an environment where others feel empowered and motivated to contribute their best efforts. They navigate challenges with resilience, adaptability, and strategic thinking, promoting continuous improvement and innovation. Ultimately, successful leadership is about achieving collective success by unlocking the full potential of each individual and creating a cohesive, forward-thinking, and high-performing team or organization.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Communication – specifically, strategic communication – is integral to every aspect of our “Vision for the Future.” Open, transparent, and frequent communication with all educational partners has helped us to identify goals, plan our path forward, and maintain the trust and support we need to achieve our vision. Strong communication means more than just sending out press releases and posting on social media. We must also show through our actions that we are following through with the promises laid out in our strategic plan. As we communicate and engage our students, staff, and community in these efforts, we empower them and help them to see that they are not just passive recipients of information. They are the heroes of our district’s success story.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I am most proud of our ongoing efforts to effectively communicate the Vision for the Future with our entire district and community. We have woven the ideals and promises of our strategic plan into the fabric of our everyday work. We call this our Vision in Action, the steps we take, big and small, to realize our district goals. Each classroom and office displays easy-to-read infographics that outline our five focus area goals. Strategic storytelling efforts then bring these ideas to life as we show how we are turning ideas into action – one program, one classroom, one student at a time. We also use research-based, strategic communication for all major initiatives to make these efforts more meaningful for all educational partners. Our efforts to end chronic absenteeism, support literacy, maintain strong employee relations, and support student well-being, have all had solid communications at the heart of their success.

What does leadership mean to you? As a superintendent, I firmly believe that leadership is a conglomerate of many aspects. Having a student-focused mindset is paramount. Ensuring that every decision made is in the best interest of the students we serve and dedicating ourselves to understanding the unique needs, aspirations and challenges each student faces and working to educate all students is the ultimate goal. Leadership also requires being forward-thinking. Striving to envision a better future and inspiring others to join the journey alongside you is important. It takes embracing the challenges and collaborating with stakeholders to creatively determine the best solutions and outcomes that support students not only in the present but for years to come. I believe leadership also takes building trust amongst your team. Each staff member plays a vital role in the success of our school community. Having a passionate team to work alongside and rely on to move the division forward transforms challenges into success.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? In my transition to the permanent superintendent role, I have prioritized supporting ACPS’ areas of focus and the Strategic Plan: Equity for All, consistently communicating goals and strategies through various channels. This involves fostering a culture and school experience for all, displayed in the One Team, One Journey campaign, promoting programs rekindling student’s love for learning and invigorating enthusiasm for serving them. Addressing nationwide absenteeism is a top concern, and strategic efforts include the creation of engaging student-centric videos that are strategically released throughout the school year. Student engagement is integral, evident in campaigns like #TitansRising school visits, where I talk with students as young as elementary age about their future, along with a tangible reminder of the ultimate goal, such as special pencils imprinted with “Future Titan.”

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Implementing a new communications platform for the 2022-23 school year is one of the projects that I am most proud of for ACPS. Providing students, families and staff with a streamlined set of digital tools that supports real-time communication is critical for a division of more than 16,000 students with families who come from 119 countries and speak 121 languages. This tool allows our division to further enhance engagement between families and the division. ParentSquare has been vital in sharing messages regarding classroom activities, family engagement opportunities, facilities and operations services, ensuring that safety and security are timely, accessible, translated, recognizable and updated. ParentSquare has also been a key element in the division’s efforts toward student attendance. Utilizing the app to notify families of their student's absences promptly and allowing families to engage with the division in their preferred language has been instrumental in our progress.

What does leadership mean to you? I find quotes to be very motivational for helping develop leadership. A favorite comes from Lou Holtz, who once responded to a letter I sent him. His message to me was to W.I.N. in life and in order to do so, I must do “What’s Important Now.” In leadership, it is not about being at the front of the room, telling others what to do, or being the smartest person in the room. Leadership is the ability to understand W.I.N. and to adapt accordingly. That may be leading the school district/parents/school board through a tough topic/event or simply supporting a staff member who is passionate about implementing a beneficial program in the district. As the Marines say, “Improve. Adapt. Overcome.” If you consider W.I.N. and meet individuals where they are at, one can adapt to the situation and lead/guide/support the team to accomplish the goals set forth. My goal is to cultivate a culture of seeing challenges as opportunities to succeed, rather than roadblocks in our path toward success.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? In Hamilton Community Schools (HCS), communication is not just a piece of the puzzle; It's the glue that holds everything together. Our strategic plan emphasizes seamless, transparent communication at every level. We've established various channels — newsletters (Transcript), social media, a robust website, bi-weekly community meetings (“Scoop with the Supt.”) and stakeholder meetings — to keep everyone informed, engaged and aligned with our goals. Without educating the students, staff and stakeholders on accurate information, one allows the vacuum of information to be filled with misleading information. Additionally, HCS prioritizes active listening, ensuring that communication isn't just about broadcasting information, but also about understanding the needs and perspectives of our stakeholders. This integration of two-way communication into our strategic plan fosters a culture of collaboration and ensures that we continue honoring the “Community” in Hamilton Community Schools.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? HCS has been blessed with having many talented people who do amazing things daily. We have earned multiple awards in the area of communication, made national news twice (snow day call, student goes sledding), along with focusing on transparency for our stakeholders. I could list the “Scoop with the Supt.” meetings, a rolling Google Doc of bond meeting notes for the public website, or other items, but what I am most proud of is the culture which has been established over the past couple of years where communication is a two-way street. The community understands that their voice is valuable, will be heard and considered in the decision making process. While it may not be acted on, individuals know their voice has been heard and I will explain the rationale behind the decision to them. Earning trust is a valuable process which needs to not be taken for granted. Ensuring the bridge built with the community was a two-way street, enabled trust and a strong collaborative culture to be built.

What does leadership mean to you? I have always believed in an upside-down pyramid of leadership. The leader is not at the top, their role is to support and help ensure the success of all of the other people throughout the organization. In order to lead in that way, you really need to understand the needs of your team and what you can provide to ensure success in their roles. Leadership to me is creating relationships with each and every staff member. I’m a big believer in Conversational Leadership which is the art of engaging people beyond active listening to draw out what they are really trying to communicate or share. Through these conversations I learn about the true needs of the organization and how I can meet people where they are and identify strengths and help them grow as leaders.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? The Creighton Strategic Plan includes a goal titled: Community and Family Engagement. The goal commits the district to building and maintaining relationships through trust, engagement, and investment in the community. In order to create trust, you need effective communication with the community and staff. The ways we communicate our Strategic Plan with our staff and community is through our Friday staff newsletter (Creighton Connection), at quarterly Community Council meetings which host upwards of 150 families, Cafécitos at our schools, through our multiple committees, at bi-weekly Leadership Council meetings hosting all school leaders and Directors, Strategic Plan Steering Committee, our summer annual report to all Creighton residents, website updates, Monthly community e-newsletter, and through regular updates with the board.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? As a new Superintendent, two examples of communication initiatives that make me proud are during the first few months of school, my Comms Director and I scheduled 2-hours at each school to be available staff for questions, comments, or concerns. Through these Conversation Tours, we learned teachers' perspective and received feedback for improvements and what’s working. We then communicated the list of topics to all staff and provided next steps for the challenges that were expressed. This framed priorities for my Executive Team and me to tackle. We added a weekly newsletter sent to leaders titled: Leadership Links. Every Tuesday, the Executive Team meets to tackle sensitive topics, teaching and learning and the overall business of the district. To provide transparency, we email an e-newsletter recap to leadership of what was discussed that day and communicate topics to all staff through the Friday e-newsletter. This system streamlined communication district wide.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is about bringing people together with a common purpose. I have always believed that to be a great leader you must truly understand and value the people you serve. When I became superintendent, I was already familiar with this community as a parent and educator. And while I had my own ideas about how we should move forward as a district, it was important to me to hear from those we serve, especially those whose voices often go unheard, such as our classified staff. The Community Conversations series allowed me to connect with people at all levels of our district and truly listen to their needs and hopes. By building strong connections with our staff, parents and community and by lifting up the voices of those who may be overlooked, I can be an authentic and effective leader for Guilford County Schools.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?GCS launched its strategic direction in May 2023, which includes four focus areas and four shared commitments. Two key shared commitments are: maintaining open lines of communication and engagement, and prioritizing collaboration among stakeholders to address barriers to student success and achievement. We cannot bring about change without honest and thorough communication. As we begin the work to turn the strategic direction into a plan of action, communication will be key at every level.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? During my first year as superintendent, I hosted two student summits, one on safety and one on mental health. At each one, more than 100 students met with their peers and small group leaders in a tabletop format to express what they see each day in their buildings and what worries them most each night. I am proud of our efforts to reach our students and work with them to understand what they need from us as educators. We’ve secured nearly $20 million in funding to add mental health resources to our schools and adopted 12 comprehensive safety strategies. In addition, knowing the importance of community engagement to our success, I have created a new community engagement team. This expanded team is responsible for strengthening partnerships with businesses, community agencies, volunteers and donors, freeing the communications team to focus on internal and external public relations with our core customers of parents, staff, students and community members.

What does leadership mean to you?Leadership to me is fundamentally about influence. A great leader possesses the capacity to shape the actions and attitudes of others within an organization. As a student of leadership, I hold the belief that attributes such as strength, compassion, decisiveness, and effective communication are essential for a leader to bring about transformative change. In my role as a school superintendent, it is imperative that I lead in a manner that cultivates high expectations among all members of our school community. When facing challenges in our district, it becomes even more crucial for me to act as a visionary leader, initiating transformation that will positively impact our students both now and in the future. This involves a commitment to communicate early and often, as well as to seek innovative methods to engage our school community. The influence of leadership is a powerful force, and I take great pride in leading Hempstead ISD toward a brighter and more successful future.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?Communication is a key focus in our strategic plan, representing one of five key objectives. During the development of our strategic plan, our community emphasized the need for enhanced communication under the ethos of “Communicate to Build Trust.” Before my tenure, there was a perception within the community that communication channels were inadequate, often leaving them out of the loop. In response, our implementation of the strategic plan has been centered around innovative and pragmatic approaches to engage our community and keep them informed. We take pride in our communication efforts at Hempstead ISD, often reminding our community members that we are here to bridge that gap and facilitate better connections. Communication is not just a requirement but a crucial and enjoyable aspect of our district. Our goal is to celebrate, inform, and engage our stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is involved in our journey to Learning and Leading to Higher Heights in Hempstead ISD.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district?In Hempstead ISD, we have several communication initiatives that fill us with pride. From a complete rebranding of district logos and our website to overhauling our communication strategies, we have made significant strides. However, the initiative that stands out the most for me is our #HigherHeights Broadcast. In these videos, I have the pleasure of speaking directly with students about various topics, including school events, their achievements, and upcoming activities in the district. What makes this truly special is its interactive nature. It is a dynamic way to engage with students and understand their perspectives. The enthusiasm from the students is remarkable. Students frequently approach me eagerly asking, “When can I be in a video with you?” My response is always straightforward: “Let’s pick a topic and do it.” This approach has not only allowed me to maintain a strong connection with our students but also to celebrate their success while keeping the community involved.

What does leadership mean to you? To me, leadership embodies an unwavering dedication to education and fostering a collaborative, approachable environment focused on continuous improvement. I learned early on from my grandfather, who immigrated to the United States from Cuba, that one’s education should always be a priority as it’s something that can never be taken away. As Superintendent of Beaufort County School District (BCSD), I aspire to lead by creating positive impacts through education, collaboration, and adaptability. I prioritize teamwork and partnerships in supporting student and staff initiatives through a dedicated commitment to academic improvement, innovative thinking, and effective communication.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?Communication has been key in the design of our current strategic planning process, fostering transparency, engaging stakeholders, and utilizing various tools like focus groups, social media, email, and BCSD Connected. Conducting a communications review and undergoing a logo/messaging rebrand in tandem with our strategic planning process has demonstrated BCSD’s holistic commitment to continuous improvement and consistent refinement. Integral to our new strategic plan is the fostering of effective collaboration across departments.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? The initiatives I am most proud of are fueled by a transparent and engaging approach to community involvement. Successfully passing a $334 million referendum in 2019 and a $439 million one in 2023, with approval rates of nearly 70% and 72%, respectively, showcased the critical needs communicated to the public. I established the Citizen-Led Oversight Committee (CLOC), ensuring independent monitoring of referendum projects, fostering accountability. The BCSD African American History Education Conference, initiated in 2021, shares our rich history through oral stories, aligning with the Profile of a Beaufort County Graduate. This annual event draws widespread attendance, fostering a deeper appreciation for our community's heritage. The launch of BCSD University in 2023 invites community stakeholders to learn about district operations (finance, safety, curriculum, etc.), promoting ambassadorship. These initiatives reflect our commitment to transparency, education, and community engagement.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is about listening, learning and building capacity within others. It means finding ways to build relationships that cultivate trust in our work together toward common goals. Three leadership characteristics guide my work. 1) Optimism — leading with hope for the future. Seeing beyond the present with multiple paths into the future can inspire and guide others forward, especially during challenging times. 2) Relationships — focusing on people. In a constantly changing world, leaders must be able to show empathy and compassion, then make decisions that benefit the greater good. We can’t do this important work alone. We need to build teams and coalitions. We create success by building capacity and confidence in others. 3) Always learning — A good leader is a lifelong learner. Be adaptable in response to new challenges and opportunities. Be willing to take risks, embrace change, and learn from mistakes and failures.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?In 2022, we engaged a Strategic Planning Task Force to create a new Strategic Plan. The Strategic Plan focuses all district efforts on four priorities, and communication activities are included within each strategy. Strategy 1: Academic Growth & Success (key message of our communication plan) Strategy 2: Fostering Positive Personal Relationships with Family and Community Strategy 3: Improving Student and Staff Mental Health & Well-Being Strategy 4: Partnering with our Community for District Growth (marketing) Our District Communication Plan includes key audiences, measurable objectives, key messages, engagement strategies and consistent communication channels that tell the district’s story and report on our strategic priorities. Our key messages align with our core values — respect, responsibility, honesty, self-discipline and compassion. We leverage each of our communication channels to support our Strategic Plan.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Our community engagement practices have grown substantially over the last five years. In 2020, we started telling our budget story, meeting people in backyards, or presenting over Zoom or Facebook Live. In 2021, we invited people to join us in problem-solving. We shifted our messaging from the school’s problem to a community problem: how was the community going to fund their schools. It’s been a partnership ever since. Through our Strategic Planning process and various advisory committees, we set priorities and tackle challenges together. Working with opinion leaders and a cross-section of stakeholders, we have built relationships that prevent national or statewide activism issues from gaining traction. Focusing on trust, we follow through on commitments, and we are transparent with challenges.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is about creating the conditions for success. It does not occur in isolation but by developing capacity in others to be exceptional. It's about having a vision that others can be a part of that inspires every contributor to see themselves as part of something special and exceptional.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Our campaign for both our strategic and long-range facilities master plans are rooted in engaging our community. We entitled the work Visalia Unified Forward 2030: A Community-Driven Blueprint for the Future. The premise was that the community’s voice would help in the design of our plans. The way we engaged over 18,000 community members (students, parents, staff, and community) included:

- Listening session visits to 42 schools.

- Community listening sessions to communicate what a strategic plan is and to receive feedback from underrepresented areas of our community.

- Regularly updating our Board of Education and public at our board meetings on the progress of the strategic plan.

- Utilizing input from staff and community surveys to establish a key focus area on communications in the strategic plan

We will continue to engage our community through feedback loops as we implement the plans to assess our effectiveness.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district?I take great pride in our effort to transform the community's perception of our schools. To achieve this transformation, we strategically crafted a communications plan utilizing social media, press releases, and internal messaging. This approach involved showcasing our board and district initiatives, as well as the achievements of our students and staff. Consequently, our social media presence experienced an increase of over 2,500 new followers across all platforms, and the successes of our staff and students are regularly featured in regional print and TV media.

What does leadership mean to you?Leadership is a role we are all called to throughout our lives, both informally and formally. It means balancing a reality with intuition, listening in search of understanding and knowing when to humbly step back and let others lead the way when your leadership is most effective from a supporting position. Leadership may call on your courage and test your resolve. It will challenge your heart and mind, and often your capacity. When done well, it will model your commitment to doing what is right, what is in service of others, and what will leave a legacy that echoes with all voices of the community in which you serve. Leadership is a responsibility I am proud to bear, and humbled by daily.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Our strategic plan alone is a communication tool intended to inform any reader of the work we are committed to and actively engaged in on a daily basis in our district. More specifically, we have expanded our annual goals, tied to our strategic plan, to included targeted communications strategies to increase engagement with our community. This includes projects like a website overhaul (new provider, new format, new content with a regular content turn-over calendar), introduction of an app for parent use, targeted social media campaigns, District podcast, targeted bulletins with heavy visual and shorter blurbs for readability. We know from survey feedback that our parent audience is younger with a high interest in being informed, but in ways that prioritize brevity and accessibility. They want their content on the run and in a format that is easily accessed on their phone. We have worked to be responsive to this and will continue as we plan each year.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I am really proud of the work captured in our social media campaigns and our podcast. Kate Hughes (Communications Coordinator) and I have worked closely together to take in timely feedback from families and develop access points for information that makes our work digestible, clear and approachable. Much of the education world can be lost to families in a sea of acronyms and jargons. Our communications projects in the last two years have really been centered on a goal of making our schools and the work of our educators apparent and clear to anyone that is interested in learning more about us. I think by simplifying our work to be aimed at that goal, we have been successful in growing our following and maintaining a stronger base of understanding around our work.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means you initiate continuous improvement cycles to amplify the outcomes for the stakeholders impacted by your services. Anyone can lead from where they are! You don’t need a title to be a leader. Supervisors must create the conditions for everyone to feel empowered and included in the improvement process. Some individuals will take on roles that require a significant amount of time to improve key initiatives within the strategic plan. Others may step up for a brief moment when an unexpected situation arises. In both instances you are likely to find examples of how leadership was demonstrated. People are often asked about their leadership style. There is no right or wrong style, however, I would submit that it must be authentic in order to be effective. In addition to empowering others around them, leaders must demonstrate they value leadership styles different from their own. This helps promote inclusiveness and diversity which are necessary for optimal effectiveness.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Our district strategic plan has four pillars that are titled Our Students, Our Team, Our Connections and Our System. Within these four pillars the district has developed one-year action plans that outline how we will improve items that impact students, staff, families and the overall system. The Our Connections pillar of the strategic plan includes a commitment to actively collaborate with our families, community and business partners to enhance student success. One of the key action plans within this pillar is titled Family Engagement through Personalized Communication and Relationship Building. The overall goal for the action plan states that by the end of the school year the district will increase family satisfaction and engagement through student recognition, communication on relevant educational topics and implementation of a unified communications platform.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Each week our district provides a customized communication to staff and families that highlights the Top 5 items we need them to know. The staff update is called the Affton Insider and the family update is called Access Affton. Each week I insert a 2-3 minute video into each update where I speak directly to each group. In the video I summarize items that are in the update while also mentioning items that might not be in the update. This allows me to include staff and student recognitions or accomplishments that might have been featured in our social media posts throughout the week. Another initiative I am proud of includes our strategic approach to the engagement and satisfaction of students, staff and families. The district integrated a consistent process to survey stakeholders on an annual basis. Based on the survey results, improvement strategies and goals are integrated into district and school improvement plans. Each survey gives us a pulse on our communication initiatives.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is opportunity. I believe that leadership is an opportunity to serve others and an opportunity to grow other leaders. I believe to be a leader you have to be willing to be bold and courageous, be willing to do what is right in times when others have lost their way and in education, always doing what is right for children first.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Our strategic plan is centered around the children we serve because they are the "why" of everything we do. We utilize multiple methods of communication to solicit feedback on our progress in meeting the goals of our strategic plan and to share stories of our accomplishments related to our goals. Our communication methods include an updated website, text-based parent surveys and superintendent weekly emails to staff. In addition to the district's three social media platforms, I maintain two school-based social media accounts to provide "direct" communication with parents and the community. All of these methods allow us to show that #greathingshappenhere throughout our district.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Last year we began implementing Possip as a tool to promote communication opportunities with our parents. Throughout the year parents receive text messages asking a simple question such as "how satisfied are you with the school?" Parents are able to answer the questions on their phone through text and provide feedback on what they like and suggestions on what improvements could be made. The transition from an annual parent survey to an ongoing model of collecting feedback from our parents allows for genuine insight regarding the perception of parents, the opportunity to pivot when needed and promotes a culture of inclusion with the parents we serve.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is a dynamic characteristic and can be developed over time. We become better leaders by persevering through challenges, and by actively reflecting on successes and failures. It’s been said that a calm sea never made a skilled sailor; likewise, many skilled leaders have developed and honed exemplary leadership skills by persisting through difficult times and learning from every experience, positive and negative. Over my career I’ve been most impacted by leaders who are both transparent and visionary. To be a transparent leader means to be visibly honest, to communicate regularly and effectively, and to acknowledge mistakes. To be a visionary leader means to inspire, to bring out the best in others, to energize the team around common aspirations, and to support the growth of the organization by focusing on the future. Transparent leaders successfully communicate how things are; visionary leaders successfully communicate how they wish things to be. The best leaders do both.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Our strategic plan includes three overarching goals; Goal 3 (“Engage parents, staff & community to promote unique educational opportunities for students) intentionally prioritizes effective communication. Our staff works closely with the Board of Trustees to ensure that the community is regularly apprised of the district’s progress toward each of our goals. In support of our strategic plan, we prioritize community partnerships as a mechanism to drive innovation in schools, with a key focus on soliciting stakeholder input to respond to diverse community interests and needs. A point of pride for the Carlsbad community is our Graduate Profile. Supported by the school community and developed collaboratively with input from diverse stakeholders, our Graduate Profile describes learners who are effective communicators and collaborators; critical thinkers; self-directed individuals; and ethical and responsible citizens. The Graduate Profile is embedded throughout our strategic plan.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I’m most proud of the increased use of social media by our schools and our district. Educators and leaders have an obligation to widely share the wonderful things happening in schools, and social media is an indispensable tool for sharing the good news about public education. We’ve been clear with school and district leaders about expectations for regular social media use, ensuring that each school site and school site leader has at least one active social media channel (initially prioritizing Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, and now encouraging school leaders to think intentionally about how best to use other popular platforms like TikTok and Snapchat). By setting these expectations, providing opportunities for professional learning, and modeling positive and intentional use of a variety of social media tools, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in the volume and quality of crowdsourced storytelling and communication from our school sites.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is defined as the ability to make distinctive and sound decisions that work towards a common goal. I feel that we not only should teach the whole child, but we should also incorporate aspects of leadership development that will allow society to grow and survive. I model my leadership style of being caring, dynamic, energetic and focused on student achievement and safety to the entire school community of Suffolk Public Schools. It is my hope that our over 14,400 students will see themselves being leaders, and that we have a staff that will foster that leadership growth. I also believe that being a leader is not easy, but it is very rewarding when you can see the impact of your leadership.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? As we recently revised our Suffolk Public Schools strategic plan "Destination 2028: Connection, Educational Excellence, and Innovation," the ability to establish two-way communication remains at the forefront of our goals. Community engagement and communication that focuses on increasing engagement opportunities for families, school communities and business partnerships allows Suffolk Public Schools to strive for excellence in education, to celebrate diversity, and to be committed to students, staff and the school community. I believe that it is important for constituents, staff and students to participate in multiple forms of communication, and to also be able to interact with the school division and staff. Communication metrics such as surveys, family engagement events, advisory groups, associations and clubs allows both the community and school division to determine if communication strategies have been both efficient and effective.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I have been the most proud of improving communication methods that the school community was already familiar with to increase two-way communication. During my tenure in Suffolk Public Schools, I have held "Meet the Superintendent" town halls and established Facebook Live sessions since the community already used Facebook as a platform to share information about the school division. I believed that taking ownership of the platform has had a tremendous benefit. I have also created SPS Starcast, which are podcasts that highlight new and innovative things that are happening in the school division. I am also extremely proud of the increase in social media use by the school division. For example, when I began in 2019, the school division Instagram page had one follower, and now it has 2,300. Good communicators adapt their communication strategies to best fit the needs of the school community while keeping in mind usability, and frequency of use.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership – particularly in school settings – means setting the tone and establishing a clear direction. Leaders keep everyone focused on their organization’s core goals and values, and establish and cultivate the organization’s culture. They are the role models to whom everyone is looking and noticing – and they’re the catalysts behind every organizational action. Good leaders are careful and deliberate, and they deeply engage with the members of their organization. Organizations reflect these leadership qualities. Well-led organizations are joyful, busy with purpose, and productive. There is an implicit and inherent way of work and doing things, and people support and celebrate each other’s success. There’s strong communication and collaboration. Well-led schools are supportive and nurturing places where students can spend all day consumed in reading, discovery, problem-solving, and enjoying their community.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Portland Public Schools' Strategic Plan, adopted in June 2021, identified, "Implement[ing] a Proactive, Effective, and Creative Communication Practice" as one of our core strategic outcomes. Through 2025, we’ll develop a communications practice that proactively informs internal and external stakeholders while being timely, respectful, transparent, and accessible. We aim to reach linguistically and culturally diverse communities, and utilize a variety of data and media. Two years in, we’re making excellent progress. We’ve grown our communications team by hiring a talented array of professionals with deep experience in writing, visual storytelling, and media relations. We’re expanding and refining how we support communication by school leaders and central staff while holding firm standards for clear, accessible, and meaningful communication. Together, we’re telling our story – a story of high-quality teaching and learning, and growth and achievement by our brilliant students.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I’m proud of our attention to culturally-specific, multilingual communications. Language and cultural access are the heart of a socially-just education system. Our work has increased our standing within Portland’s culturally- and linguistically-diverse communities, and it makes us stronger as a district. Beyond our core commitment to direct translation and interpretation – not simply punching materials into Google Translate – we strive to ensure our leaders write or speak in plain language. This makes translation and interpretation easier while enabling our translators and interpreters to preserve intent, style, tone, and context. It also recognizes a basic right of every listener or reader, regardless of your spoken language: to understand the terms of your child’s education. Technical jargon, inside terminology, passive voice, and overly-long sentences all stand in the way of that worthy goal for English speakers as much as non-English speakers.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means being an effective listener, having a team- and goal-oriented work ethic, and effectively interacting with the learning community. Leaders must listen to the needs of the entire learning community. They must develop open lines of communication with administrators, staff, students and parents to measure how they are meeting the needs of all stakeholders. This can be done by being readily available and visible during the instructional day or by developing systems for gathering feedback on district programs and supports. We model this work ethic by facilitating opportunities for the learning community to align as one, striving for the same goals and objectives. Finally, a key quality for effective leadership is building relationships with the community. Being open and honest with the community allows us to build relationships founded on trust. These relationships are the bedrock from which we build and maintain a learning environment where the entire community succeeds.>

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Our district’s latest strategic plan was built on a foundational commitment to open, honest and transparent communication among all stakeholders. Rather than dictating our new plan from the top down, we worked to include as many voices from the Hawthorn community as possible. This was accomplished by utilizing a third-party facilitator to bring together these stakeholders and help us ascertain exactly what was most important to each group, and then synthesize that information into a strategic plan to guide our district moving forward. One of the key takeaways from our new plan is a renewed commitment to accountability. Our strategic plan incorporates four data-driven district goals with ambitious targets. Everything we do is measured against those goals, and our board of education and community are expected to keep us accountable to those goals.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I’m most proud of our Superintendent Communication Council. This quarterly council brings together representatives from each of our nine schools to share celebrations and bring questions or concerns directly to district leadership. Representatives solicit their buildings for celebrations and questions, and district leadership have given a commitment to answer or address anything that is brought to the council. We do ask building representatives to submit their questions ahead of time so cabinet can review them and make sure we have answers. At the meetings, representatives share celebrations from their building, and then we work through the submitted questions with department heads providing an answer to the group. We then discuss the issue as a council. Afterwards, everything discussed at the council is shared with all staff members. This creates an environment of open communication where decisions are not being made in a vacuum, and all staff members have an avenue to ask questions.

What does leadership mean to you?Leadership begins not with formal titles or positions, but with a drive to do better for the entire community. My interest in leading academic growth did not start with the title of assistant principal or principal. It began as a teacher. Schools and school districts need strong leaders at all levels to be successful. As superintendent, I am a servant leader. Servant leaders listen, build trust and understand that success happens when all stakeholders are empowered. My leadership has evolved. I am not afraid to take risks, establish bold aspirational goals and empower those around me to work as a team to accomplish those goals. Building strong teams of students, faculty, school leaders and district leaders has been a hallmark of my career. It matters that leaders are present, show care, concern, empathy and, when needed, direct leadership. Leading as a servant, being clear and consistent, and guiding others towards success should be foundational in all leaders, regardless of title.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Communication is a vital component of our district’s strategic plan. Before becoming superintendent, I initiated a plan to reach out to employees, families and community members through meet-and-greets called Listen & Learn Sessions. I wanted everyone to get to know me and my vision for the district, but, even more important, I wanted to get feedback from students, staff, families and community members. Each session had a theme, and participants could take part in-person or virtually. I incorporated my plan for Listen & Learn sessions into goal 7 of our strategic plan. This goal includes action steps to gather input from stakeholders, train staff to better communicate with families, enhance communication tools, increase outreach to community organizations and business partners, and build positive communication with students, families and employees. I also created a specific plan to engage all PCS staff in various activities to connect with the district’s core values.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? One of my top priorities as superintendent is to make sure that every employee feels valued. Since I was appointed superintendent, I focused on connecting face-to-face with staff members, with a goal of visiting employees in all areas of our Pinellas County Schools family. At the beginning of the school year, I launched an employee recognition program called PCS Praise. It’s a teambuilding initiative that gives all employees opportunities to recognize and celebrate colleagues who exemplify our strategic plan core values. When PCS Praise forms are submitted, supervisors are notified so employees can be recognized and celebrated by everyone in their department. I visit many of the PCS Praise nominees to congratulate them in person. I also review the submissions and pick Superintendent Standouts, who receive special recognitions at our School Board meetings. It’s an honor to recognize so many deserving employees on a regular basis.

What does leadership mean to you? All students deserve a quality education where choice, interests and engagement are valued. Making a difference for students should be at the heart of all decisions. Professional and personal integrity must be demonstrated by all educators at all times. We must hold ourselves personally accountable for the success of our students and our district. Connection through diverse, transparent and collaborative communication is key. Leaders must be an active, visible part of the schools, district and community. Learning at all levels is achieved through coaching, empowerment and experiences for growth. Organizational excellence is achieved through strategic, results-driven, shared decision-making. Lead by example, recognize excellence and serve boldly.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? We have locally developed goals. Edgewood ISD's Goal 1 is that Edgewood ISD will improve its two-way communication and parent engagement as indicated by improving its net promoter score from a negative net promoter score to a positive net promoter score by June 2028 (Baseline net promoter measure May 2022).

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? The purpose of Edgewood ISD’s “Women with Vision” is to provide a platform for our district’s most involved, collaborative and committed female, scholar family members to engage in critical discussions on district initiatives, programs and opportunities. EISD recognizes that the work of educating our scholars should not be done in a vacuum and that we must rely on our families to not only create, and discourse, over our district goals, but to also continue the work we begin in the classrooms, in their own homes when their scholars leave our campuses each day. When we work as a team to rally around our scholars, we will see successes in all that we do. ·Members should serve as the representative voice for their peers and share out recommendations for programming, changes they wish to see, concerns they hear, etc. with the organization during the meetings.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership means inspiring others to work together toward a common goal. It encourages and enables people to do their best work. Leadership is understanding your own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of the team, then leveraging individual strengths to compensate for individual weaknesses and overcome insurmountable challenges such as the ongoing pandemic. From my time in the U.S. Navy, I am often reminded about one of the Laws of the Navy: “On the strength of the link of the cable, dependeth the might of the chain, who knows when thou mayest be tested? So live that thou bearest the strain." We are all being tested in education, but we are undoubtedly stronger together.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? The unification of internal and external communications across various media helps our community understand the mission of our organization. Strategic communications aren’t only beneficial to our board of education and administrators but they are also critical for our employees. Integrated messaging from leadership provides employees with a clear roadmap of the organization’s future. In South Colonie, our families were asking for a more unified platform for communication between school and home and we wanted to make sure that our messaging was being heard in a timely manner. Integrating a communications plan that was clearly understood by administrators and employees and thus enabled us to better communicate with our families was part of our plan. Coordinating all messages into one unifying strategy fills each piece of communication with purpose — promoting action, engagement or change to serve our school district’s mission.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? In March 2020, we abruptly shifted to distance learning as everyone throughout the country were dealing with the pandemic. It was tough on everyone: educators, students, staff and families. Switching to remote learning drastically impacted the way teachers communicated with their students and families. As a school district, we had to adapt to find new ways to communicate our plans. At the advice of our Communications Specialist, we adopted ParentSquare as the one-stop shop for all things school related. Not only was it an easy platform to use, but it provided a clean and consistent platform to communicate with families across the K-12 continuum. It certainly helped us remain engaged with our families and improve the communication between home and school. I am proud of the way that our district embraced this new platform and the fact that as a leader, I was open to the suggestion to try something new, thus leveraging the talents of people within our organization to make it happen!

What does leadership mean to you?To me, leadership is the ability to inspire others to greatness by modeling character, commitment and excellence so that we can work together to reach collective goals and provide greater learning opportunities for our number one priority, our students. As leaders, we have a moral imperative and obligation to work tenaciously towards these goals so that our students have the best learning experience possible by building upon their strengths to maximize their potential as they become productive citizens in the global society we are preparing them for each day.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? In our district, the Local Control Accountability Plan serves as our district's strategic plan and we have been able to communicate the plan via all of our digital media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, district website and ParentSquare notifications) so that parents can participate in the development and feedback of the goals, action steps, budget and programs. We also utilize and communicate feedback of the plan through student, staff, and parent surveys via Qualtrix to increase participation and engagement. One key communication strategy we are now doing is taking presentations from our Board meetings and sharing them out so that parents have access to what's happening district-wide. Many of these presentations highlight the three goal areas within our plan such as the Conditions of Learning, Student Outcomes and Parent/Family Engagement. Through this process, parents consistently see how we are implementing the action steps within the plan.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? The initiative that I'm most proud of is one around the use of videos and postings on our social media platforms. We find that our students and parents are engaged and connected with the district when they see the great things happening across all of our schools. Being consistent is key to communication. Early in the pandemic, I was visiting schools and making small videos to share with the community of my visits. I also held live town halls through virtual platforms to engage our community and keep them informed. Now that we are in-person, we've been able to develop strategic professionally produced videos in coordination with our public relations firm that showcase many of our award winning programs. These are often embedded in the superintendent's communication digital newsletters that staff and parents receive each month.

What does leadership mean to you? I have noticed over the years of working in various positions that the definition of “leadership” seems to take different shapes depending on who you are leading. I have served as a teacher, principal, executive director, assistant superintendent and now superintendent. Each position exposed me to individuals at diverse levels of their careers. Each time, I found it beneficial to adapt leadership skills to fit the environment and needs. Regardless of the individual or the level, leadership called for me to encourage people to use their greatest strengths in service larger than themselves. I encourage people to reframe challenges as opportunities that create a chain reaction of value. I emphasize to people that they are in service to another regardless of employment position, economic or social status. Leadership is being aware of your environment and recognizing the strengths of the people around you and channeling those strengths to areas where they will be the most effective.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?The board and I recently launched the Balanced District Scorecard, a strategic plan developed with input from each community of stakeholders including employees, community members, parents and students. A series of focus group meetings and a survey provided feedback. The Balanced District Scorecard includes four priority elements: Students, Staff, Stakeholders and Stewardship. Each has an objective tied to communication. The Balanced District Scorecard, an evolving document, is a communication tool designed to share progress with the community. I continue to dispatch our leadership team to campuses to communicate face-to-face with assistant principals, principals and teachers. Our expanded communication channels, transparency and invitations for input have improved our culture. In 2021, the district was rated by its employees as #39 among the best employers in Texas according to Forbes magazine, which was up from #50 the previous year and #171 three years earlier.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district?Several communication initiatives are on-going at any time. Yet, I am proud of two communication initiatives that were a first for our district. The first was the launch of our district’s Student Voice Advisory Committee, which ensures that our district vision remains rooted in student needs. Our students have candidly spoken about their concerns, which has provided insight and the development of new initiatives. Also, I introduced two social media features – both firsts for our district. A social media coordinator position was created to ensure relevant information is posted and followers’ questions are answered promptly. Additionally, I hold Facebook Live Q&A sessions. The community submits questions which I answer live; remaining questions are answered and shared within 24 hours. Media outlets regularly use our social media posts and broadcast them to a broader audience.

What does leadership mean to you? As an inner-city public-school student from the Bronx, I learned firsthand the importance in having quality guidance and leadership. The support I received during adolescence proved to be most effective in my life. As a youth, coming up in the New York City public school system, I had many obstacles to hurdle in order to reach my full potential, and if it were not for the wonderful mentoring and support, I received from dedicated educators, I probably would not be in the position that I am in today: a life-long learner. I gained a tremendous amount of new insight; knowledge and confidence with each visit. I am a firm believer in giving back to community and I feel that it is my duty to provide students with the opportunities to succeed. Serving as Superintendent in the largest school district in Colorado allows me to engage with my passion of helping others at a larger scale. I entered education as a novice student and currently find myself as a life-long learning professional.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?Denver Public Schools launched a new strategic roadmap in August 2022, which specifically articulates how we will improve the experiences of our students, adults, and systems. Communication plays a vital role, from the initial communication to internal/external stakeholders to progress updates during implementation, to the specific goals assigned to communications department, the role of comms is essential as we commit to “Getting better at getting better.” Strategic roadmap goals are the shared responsibility of communications and our Family and Community Engagement team. I believe in the importance of community driven, district supported efforts, therefore, we leverage our Family and Community Engagement team to develop relationships with our community. We have advisory councils representing the voices of our often most marginalized communities. In addition to these advisory councils, I also have a student cabinet that meets in-person quarterly and virtually on an as-needed basis.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I developed a deliberate plan of meeting with as many family and community members, students, and staff as possible in my first 100 days. To be successful, the plan for the Listening and Learning Tour needed to cast a wide net of community participation and provide a benchmark for collecting information that could be used to help to develop a plan for the direction of the district. The Listening and Learning Tour was planned to strategically engage the all members in the City of Denver. I listened to the community about where they wanted to meet, including shelters, a mosque, parks, and language-specific meetings, and to ensure everyone felt safe and heard. I visited 68 schools and held over 100 meetings. The meetings captured feedback from 2,000 individual community members, students, and staff. In addition, over 10,000 stakeholders submitted responses to the online survey. We received the Golden Achievement Award from Colorado School Public Relations Association this plan.

What does leadership mean to you? To me, leadership means knowing and leaning into your strengths, keeping people at the forefront of every decision that is made and focusing on a spirit of service in all we do. Leadership is building a team that is engaged in meaningful work that makes a difference in the community. Leadership is all about relationships and it is all about people. We've heard the adage applied to the classroom, "they won't care how much you know until they know how much you care." The same principle applies to leadership; it requires service above self.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Communication is an integral part of our district's strategic plan and our daily work in Terrell ISD. We are guided by four pillars: expect staff to deliver and students to engage in rigorous learning for high achievement; expect a high quality and safe learning environment - both physical and emotional - for high student achievement; expect transparency and decisions that support long term financial stability; and expect engagement with families and the community for high student achievement. Each pillar directs our daily work and communication is the most critical component of that work. As a newcomer to the community, it was so important for me to establish trust with staff, parents, community leaders and business partners. Trust is truth over time and the strategic communication plan has been an ongoing way to build trust in our community.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Moving to Terrell in January of 2020 did not give me much time to become connected to the community prior to the start of the pandemic. We have utilized tools like Facebook live and video chats to connect with our community. Sitting on my porch with my Terrell Tigers hat on, I filmed multiple messages for our community during a very scary and uncertain time. That authentic approach has really allowed our community an insight to who I am as a person, outside of the role of superintendent. It has allowed people to get to know me in a time when we have been physically isolated or distanced. We launched a series called "Wednesdays with Warnock" to highlight students, teachers and programs. In addition to our district communications, I have learned so much from other teachers and leaders from interactions on TikTok (@subbingsupt) and Twitter (@subbingsupt). The ideas and feedback I glean from interacting with educators all over the nation have led to improvements in our district.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership is working with trusted partners to build a framework for progress and accountability. I feel fortunate that our Board of Trustees, staff, families and community partners wholeheartedly support our strategic goals by showing up each day to provide the education and experiences our students deserve. I believe that the core of leadership is commitment.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan?Beyond simply making robust communication, community engagement and advocacy a goal within the NVUSD’s five-year strategic plan, we ensure that expectations, progress and successes are communicated regularly with stakeholders. Our leadership does this through an approach that scaffolds information so all stakeholders are informed, in a sequence most beneficial to the organization. We share an update on progress made toward our six strategic goals with the NVUSD Board of Education each week. Then a bi-weekly All-Divisions newsletter is sent to faculty, staff and community advocates, and a Family newsletter is sent to our families. This ensures that our entire community is kept informed. Finally, there are a handful of times when the strategic plan and progress are shared publicly, typically during Board meetings, management/leadership meetings and at NVUSD’s annual “State of the District” event. The website is also regularly updated to help supplement these communication vehicles.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district?NVUSD is fortunate to have so many staff, families, board and community partners who care about advancing education for our children with a focus on equity and excellence. NVUSD’s ability over the last five years to increase community engagement—to truly hear and learn from our community—makes me feel incredibly proud. We have taken what we learned and developed a defined, consistent internal and external communications framework. This has ensured that not only is the messaging NVUSD wants to be communicated shared, but that we also have a framework in place to collect information and feedback from our stakeholders. This has resulted in robust listening-and-learning sessions, ongoing meetings with parents through a Coffee with the Superintendent series, expanded multilingual interpretation/translation services and so much more. Increased community engagement across our diverse demographics has enriched our school community and, thus, our students' learning.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership to me is all about connection. My focus is on building strong relationships with staff, students, families, and our community. These relationships drive the work that we do. Leadership is integrated and should be representative of the people you serve on a daily basis. A leader is also someone who supports and encourages everyone around them. A leader gives direction, sets goals, and acknowledges accomplishments. A leader has a responsibility to be someone you can look up to and be proud to follow.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Communication is connected to each initiative within the strategic plan. Instead of a separate outcome, it is integrated into each focus area. We, as a school division, have a responsibility to communicate all aspects of the strategic plan.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district?The communication initiative that I'm most proud of is focused on #TeamNewKent. We celebrate our staff, students, families, and community through the use of the Team New Kent hashtag. These celebrations include staff spotlight, teacher Tuesday, student spotlight, and more. The initiative shows that we are all working together towards a common goal. It has united our school district and our community.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership, to me, is primarily about motivating others to do something new, move forward or reach their ultimate potential. It’s best cultivated in an environment of trust, support and open communication between all stakeholders. Because this can be a tough path, it is also essential to have a clear and collectively embraced mission, an exciting and forward-thinking vision and a unified sense of purpose where goals are identified strategically and achieved collaboratively. Leadership is demonstrated through words but, perhaps more importantly, it’s modeled through behaviors reflective of a unified and embraced set of core values. It is about encouragement, relationships, positivity and attending to the personal and professional growth of individuals.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Ongoing communication was vital for the creation of our district’s strategic plan and will remain essential as the plan becomes a living and breathing component of our daily operations. District 15’s strategic plan was accomplished through a collective effort of many talented and dedicated individuals. Clear channels of communication and ongoing opportunities for feedback were important as stakeholders representative of students, parents, staff, board members, community members and district administrators all came together for a common purpose. A key focus area of the plan is high quality and timely two-way communication that fosters transparency. The district is working to create a digital platform available to stakeholders to access the strategic plan, communicate updates on progress and showcase the many important accomplishments and tasks we do everyday. Additionally, we are leveraging digital and social media to share key aspects of the plan with all of our stakeholders.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? As McHenry School District 15’s superintendent, I am proud to have had the opportunity to build a strong communications team to share our school district’s story, be transparent and establish strong and trusting relationships with our entire learning community. I started by successfully advocating for a brand new role in District 15, hiring our first ever communication and digital media coordinator. This person, along with the assistant superintendent and my executive administrative assistant work collaboratively with me to provide high-quality and timely communications while striving to effectively showcase the many initiatives taking place throughout our district. We have been able refine our communication practices leveraging a variety of marketing tools inclusive but not limited to all social media outlets, commercial radio, timely newsletters, in house and external video development and community promotions

What does leadership mean to you? When I think of leadership, the Rotary International motto "Service above self" comes to mind. As leaders, we prioritize the needs of scholars, teachers, staff, leaders and community above our own. Personally, I take a students-first approach to being a leader while also ensuring that there is a balance - for my teachers and staff and for myself. There is much to be said about service yet I want to focus on balance. Even pre-pandemic, balancing joy and accountability had an intentional focus as part of my leadership style. Joy is one of my personal core values and I encourage members of Team Selma to find their joy and share it. This is not about being blind in denial of the challenges that we face but rather it's facing them with a sense of optimism and courage. It's knowing that there are better days ahead and that we are better when we work together in support of one another. This leads to collective efficacy over time. I am a joyful leader who practices service above self.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? During the early part of 2021, my team and I decided that our current strategic plan, "A Framework for Excellence," needed a reboot. The pandemic changed our needs, including how we communicate. The relaunched plan is extended to 2024 and includes expanded communication in Area II (Culture, Climate & Community), customer service excellence in Area III (Leadership & Governance) and lifting student voice through self-care and mindfulness in the new Area IV (Safety & Wellness). Expanded communication includes adding more intimate, personalized spaces for focus groups through virtual advisories. Improved customer service is listening and being responsive to our internal and external needs from school lunch to tech support. Lifting student voice happens through restorative circles, wellness rooms, mentoring and peer mediation - all a part of Project SAFE, our Student Advocacy Framework for Equity. Communication must include listening and we provide a variety of ways to engage all stakeholders.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Team Selma has a robust social media presence and I am proud of our YouTube channel, the weekly news articles that I write, our Talk Supt, Chat and Chew, daily Morning Joy (MoJo) emails and flipped board meetings. What I am most proud of, though, was when decided to go "old school" with our "Did you Know?" campaign. A few summers ago, we took our message to the streets and went door-to-door. Board members accompanied us when we walked in their district. Our community engagement specialist created flyers that served as brag sheets with facts about the accomplishments and new initiatives of our district. We were greeted with surprise and gratitude for taking the time to have authentic conversations with our community members. In the process, we found new PTO members, volunteers and student leaders. Over the last two years, we have gone virtual and used the same "Did you Know?" messaging with videos and flyers to share details of our relaunched strategic plan and to tell our story.

What does leadership mean to you? When I think of leadership, the Rotary International motto "Service above self" comes to mind. As leaders, we prioritize the needs of scholars, teachers, staff, leaders and community above our own. Personally, I take a students-first approach to being a leader while also ensuring that there is a balance - for my teachers and staff and for myself. There is much to be said about service yet I want to focus on balance. Even pre-pandemic, balancing joy and accountability had an intentional focus as part of my leadership style. Joy is one of my personal core values and I encourage members of Team Selma to find their joy and share it. This is not about being blind in denial of the challenges that we face but rather it's facing them with a sense of optimism and courage. It's knowing that there are better days ahead and that we are better when we work together in support of one another. This leads to collective efficacy over time. I am a joyful leader who practices service above self.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? During the early part of 2021, my team and I decided that our current strategic plan, "A Framework for Excellence," needed a reboot. The pandemic changed our needs, including how we communicate. The relaunched plan is extended to 2024 and includes expanded communication in Area II (Culture, Climate & Community), customer service excellence in Area III (Leadership & Governance) and lifting student voice through self-care and mindfulness in the new Area IV (Safety & Wellness). Expanded communication includes adding more intimate, personalized spaces for focus groups through virtual advisories. Improved customer service is listening and being responsive to our internal and external needs from school lunch to tech support. Lifting student voice happens through restorative circles, wellness rooms, mentoring and peer mediation - all a part of Project SAFE, our Student Advocacy Framework for Equity. Communication must include listening and we provide a variety of ways to engage all stakeholders.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Team Selma has a robust social media presence and I am proud of our YouTube channel, the weekly news articles that I write, our Talk Supt, Chat and Chew, daily Morning Joy (MoJo) emails and flipped board meetings. What I am most proud of, though, was when decided to go "old school" with our "Did you Know?" campaign. A few summers ago, we took our message to the streets and went door-to-door. Board members accompanied us when we walked in their district. Our community engagement specialist created flyers that served as brag sheets with facts about the accomplishments and new initiatives of our district. We were greeted with surprise and gratitude for taking the time to have authentic conversations with our community members. In the process, we found new PTO members, volunteers and student leaders. Over the last two years, we have gone virtual and used the same "Did you Know?" messaging with videos and flyers to share details of our relaunched strategic plan and to tell our story.

What does leadership mean to you? When I think of leadership, the Rotary International motto "Service above self" comes to mind. As leaders, we prioritize the needs of scholars, teachers, staff, leaders and community above our own. Personally, I take a students-first approach to being a leader while also ensuring that there is a balance - for my teachers and staff and for myself. There is much to be said about service yet I want to focus on balance. Even pre-pandemic, balancing joy and accountability had an intentional focus as part of my leadership style. Joy is one of my personal core values and I encourage members of Team Selma to find their joy and share it. This is not about being blind in denial of the challenges that we face but rather it's facing them with a sense of optimism and courage. It's knowing that there are better days ahead and that we are better when we work together in support of one another. This leads to collective efficacy over time. I am a joyful leader who practices service above self.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? During the early part of 2021, my team and I decided that our current strategic plan, "A Framework for Excellence," needed a reboot. The pandemic changed our needs, including how we communicate. The relaunched plan is extended to 2024 and includes expanded communication in Area II (Culture, Climate & Community), customer service excellence in Area III (Leadership & Governance) and lifting student voice through self-care and mindfulness in the new Area IV (Safety & Wellness). Expanded communication includes adding more intimate, personalized spaces for focus groups through virtual advisories. Improved customer service is listening and being responsive to our internal and external needs from school lunch to tech support. Lifting student voice happens through restorative circles, wellness rooms, mentoring and peer mediation - all a part of Project SAFE, our Student Advocacy Framework for Equity. Communication must include listening and we provide a variety of ways to engage all stakeholders.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Team Selma has a robust social media presence and I am proud of our YouTube channel, the weekly news articles that I write, our Talk Supt, Chat and Chew, daily Morning Joy (MoJo) emails and flipped board meetings. What I am most proud of, though, was when decided to go "old school" with our "Did you Know?" campaign. A few summers ago, we took our message to the streets and went door-to-door. Board members accompanied us when we walked in their district. Our community engagement specialist created flyers that served as brag sheets with facts about the accomplishments and new initiatives of our district. We were greeted with surprise and gratitude for taking the time to have authentic conversations with our community members. In the process, we found new PTO members, volunteers and student leaders. Over the last two years, we have gone virtual and used the same "Did you Know?" messaging with videos and flyers to share details of our relaunched strategic plan and to tell our story.

What does leadership mean to you? Leadership encompasses many things, not just being the head of an organization. It is the effective influence that motivates, inspires, and results in achieving goals. Leadership includes building the capacity of those around you and on your team. Great leaders serve, are passionate and committed, work alongside and support others for productivity and effectiveness. No one can do the work alone. Leadership allows you to make a difference collectively with the assistance of those around you.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? Among our district goals is to provide world-class communication. We seek to have clear and timely communication among all stakeholders. We have integrated a continuous process for receiving and disseminating information. We articulate our district’s successes, values, and priorities through various platforms. I provide monthly reports at school board meetings, and weekly newsletters to the school board and parents. I believe in transparency and having genuine two-way communication. Meetings with advisory councils of students, support staff, administrators, and teachers provide specific time for feedback and suggestions. We intentionally created focus groups during the strategic planning process for the purpose of communication, collaboration, feedback, and input. As a result, we have a 5-year strategic plan with a clear vision and defined strategies to accomplish our identified goals.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? I am most proud of our initiative to implement a comprehensive communication plan, which addresses our goal to have a high level of family and community engagement. The plan provides multiple opportunities to reach a diverse audience. Information is disseminated through call alerts, text messages, emails, press releases, our website, and social media. I hold Listen and Learn sessions with businesses, community leaders, parents, and staff. We engage in candid conversations, asking questions, and giving feedback. Each session’s questions and answers are turned into a presentation, emailed to stakeholders, and posted on our website. Among our communication efforts are Table Talk, a weekly video production on district updates and highlights; the Pride in 55: Connections podcast, which includes interviews with stakeholders; IMPACT 55, a video series featuring students sharing how Laurens 55 impacts them; and Spotlight Teacher, a video series showcasing teachers' love for teaching.

What does leadership mean to you? When I think of leadership, the Rotary International motto "Service above self" comes to mind. As leaders, we prioritize the needs of scholars, teachers, staff, leaders and community above our own. Personally, I take a students-first approach to being a leader while also ensuring that there is a balance - for my teachers and staff and for myself. There is much to be said about service yet I want to focus on balance. Even pre-pandemic, balancing joy and accountability had an intentional focus as part of my leadership style. Joy is one of my personal core values and I encourage members of Team Selma to find their joy and share it. This is not about being blind in denial of the challenges that we face but rather it's facing them with a sense of optimism and courage. It's knowing that there are better days ahead and that we are better when we work together in support of one another. This leads to collective efficacy over time. I am a joyful leader who practices service above self.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? During the early part of 2021, my team and I decided that our current strategic plan, "A Framework for Excellence," needed a reboot. The pandemic changed our needs, including how we communicate. The relaunched plan is extended to 2024 and includes expanded communication in Area II (Culture, Climate & Community), customer service excellence in Area III (Leadership & Governance) and lifting student voice through self-care and mindfulness in the new Area IV (Safety & Wellness). Expanded communication includes adding more intimate, personalized spaces for focus groups through virtual advisories. Improved customer service is listening and being responsive to our internal and external needs from school lunch to tech support. Lifting student voice happens through restorative circles, wellness rooms, mentoring and peer mediation - all a part of Project SAFE, our Student Advocacy Framework for Equity. Communication must include listening and we provide a variety of ways to engage all stakeholders.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Team Selma has a robust social media presence and I am proud of our YouTube channel, the weekly news articles that I write, our Talk Supt, Chat and Chew, daily Morning Joy (MoJo) emails and flipped board meetings. What I am most proud of, though, was when decided to go "old school" with our "Did you Know?" campaign. A few summers ago, we took our message to the streets and went door-to-door. Board members accompanied us when we walked in their district. Our community engagement specialist created flyers that served as brag sheets with facts about the accomplishments and new initiatives of our district. We were greeted with surprise and gratitude for taking the time to have authentic conversations with our community members. In the process, we found new PTO members, volunteers and student leaders. Over the last two years, we have gone virtual and used the same "Did you Know?" messaging with videos and flyers to share details of our relaunched strategic plan and to tell our story.

What does leadership mean to you? When I think of leadership, the Rotary International motto "Service above self" comes to mind. As leaders, we prioritize the needs of scholars, teachers, staff, leaders and community above our own. Personally, I take a students-first approach to being a leader while also ensuring that there is a balance - for my teachers and staff and for myself. There is much to be said about service yet I want to focus on balance. Even pre-pandemic, balancing joy and accountability had an intentional focus as part of my leadership style. Joy is one of my personal core values and I encourage members of Team Selma to find their joy and share it. This is not about being blind in denial of the challenges that we face but rather it's facing them with a sense of optimism and courage. It's knowing that there are better days ahead and that we are better when we work together in support of one another. This leads to collective efficacy over time. I am a joyful leader who practices service above self.

How have you integrated communication into your district’s strategic plan? During the early part of 2021, my team and I decided that our current strategic plan, "A Framework for Excellence," needed a reboot. The pandemic changed our needs, including how we communicate. The relaunched plan is extended to 2024 and includes expanded communication in Area II (Culture, Climate & Community), customer service excellence in Area III (Leadership & Governance) and lifting student voice through self-care and mindfulness in the new Area IV (Safety & Wellness). Expanded communication includes adding more intimate, personalized spaces for focus groups through virtual advisories. Improved customer service is listening and being responsive to our internal and external needs from school lunch to tech support. Lifting student voice happens through restorative circles, wellness rooms, mentoring and peer mediation - all a part of Project SAFE, our Student Advocacy Framework for Equity. Communication must include listening and we provide a variety of ways to engage all stakeholders.

What communication initiative are you most proud of that have you implemented in your district? Team Selma has a robust social media presence and I am proud of our YouTube channel, the weekly news articles that I write, our Talk Supt, Chat and Chew, daily Morning Joy (MoJo) emails and flipped board meetings. What I am most proud of, though, was when decided to go "old school" with our "Did you Know?" campaign. A few summers ago, we took our message to the streets and went door-to-door. Board members accompanied us when we walked in their district. Our community engagement specialist created flyers that served as brag sheets with facts about the accomplishments and new initiatives of our district. We were greeted with surprise and gratitude for taking the time to have authentic conversations with our community members. In the process, we found new PTO members, volunteers and student leaders. Over the last two years, we have gone virtual and used the same "Did you Know?" messaging with videos and flyers to share details of our relaunched strategic plan and to tell our story.