Improving Communication Strategies for K-12 Districts

Use these three toolkits to create a streamlined strategic communications plan, improve your district's image in the community, win stakeholder support for important referendums, and more.

In 2018, the District Leadership Forum convened a cohort of districts from across the country for our inaugural District Communication Collaborative. It was a pleasure to get their input on what communication-related issues mattered most to their schools—and after talking to other districts about how they solve the same challenges, our researchers got to work. We've created this resource center to host three toolkits that help districts handle their most pressing communication-related issues. Across the resources, you can find dozens of tools, audits, templates, and other resources to help leaders brand their districts, win community support, and communicate about student safety before, during, and after crisis events. Creating an Effective District Communications Plan: Five Tools to Help Communicate Your District’s Value Historically, public school districts have not engaged with their community with the same frequency and intensity that they do now and have not relied heavily on creating a strong public presence. Often, the first step is setting up your communications team: This toolkit provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to better engage with the community, as well as a variety of tools to support districts in these efforts. Use these tools to create an effective communications plan that aligns with your district's mission and goals. Download the toolkit. Back to top Winning the Public Vote: Ideas and Resources for Developing a Successful Referendum, Bond, or Levy Campaign Securing community support is vital to win the public vote to meet your district's needs. Success hinges on understanding community support from the outset and engaging the community…