School leaders can gain vital skills for managing high-profile personnel issues during a four-hour pre-conference session at the National Conference on Education, scheduled for Feb. 12-14, 2026, in Nashville.
The session, titled “Ready for the Headlines: Media Response for Sensitive Staff Situations,” will provide superintendents and communication professionals with hands-on practice for responding to staff-related issues that become front-page news. Participants will learn to develop confident on-camera messaging, craft effective holding statements, and align media responses with internal and parent communications.
The program, led by School Spirit PR’s Lesley Bruinton, will feature Walter B. Gonsoulin, Jr., the 2025 National Superintendent of the Year from Jefferson County (Ala.) Schools, and Todd Jaeger, superintendent of Amphitheater (Ariz.) Public Schools and a former school board general counsel.
This high-impact session is part of the Leadership in School Communication initiative, brought to you by AASA and the National School Public Relations Committee, and is sponsored by Finalsite.
