Beyond the Gut
Lesley Bruinton, APR, President and CEO of School Spirit PR, led practitioners through the “Ethics All-Star Challenge,” a four-hour intensive designed to transform “gut feelings” into defensible strategies.
Beyond the Hamster Wheel
Lesley Bruinton, CEO of School Spirit PR, shares the BOOST framework at TSPRA 2026, helping school PR professionals move from outputs to strategic outcomes.
Cracked but Not Broken: Rebuilding Trust Through Communication
Trust, like fine china, is fragile. Careless communication can chip away at relationships with school stakeholders.
Media Response Prep Offered Before National Education Conference
Join school communication experts to gain hands-on skills for managing high-profile personnel issues and crafting confident, aligned media responses.
Beyond the Like Button: Social Media Survival for School Districts
School leaders can learn to turn social media from a source of crisis into a powerful asset by following key steps like establishing clear policies, maintaining separation between personal and official accounts, and avoiding the legally risky mistake of blocking online critics.
The Three Bananas of Crisis Communication
While the specifics of each situation will differ, a helpful framework for understanding and addressing crises involves the metaphor of three bananas: green, yellow, and brown.
From Newsroom to Boardroom
Given the right circumstances, the transition from journalist to school district communicator can be seamless. While journalists possess strong writing and storytelling skills, it’s important to recognize that the role of a school district communicator extends far beyond traditional journalism. Media relations, though important, are often just a small part of the job. (This advice…
Finding Your Communication Unicorn
As superintendents and human resources professionals, you’re tasked with finding the right person to lead your district’s narrative. But how?
Bridging Statements
In addition to well-crafted talking points, school district leaders can also leverage the power of bridging statements to navigate challenging conversations. Bridging statements act as a bridge, allowing you to redirect the discussion back to your key messages and priorities. When faced with a difficult question or unexpected situation, a bridging statement might sound like…
Striking the Right Balance
Communication is the lifeblood of any school district, with superintendents and leaders serving as the vital conduits between administrators, teachers, students, families, and the broader community. In theory, overcommunication may be the key to transparency and engagement. However, in practice, a constant flood of information can overwhelm stakeholders. School superintendents and leaders must curate communication…