STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION PLAN
Strategic Vision
Strategic Priorities Overview
Accountability and Transparency
Priority 1: Internal Standard of Excellence
Priority 2: Strong Partnerships
Priority 2: Strong Partnerships (Continued) Priority 3: Multilingual Access
DeKalb County School District’s vision is to prepare students for success as lifelong learners and responsible global citizens. Our mission is to promote the academic, social, and emotional growth of each student by fostering a safe, supporting, and engaging learning environment.
PLAN SUMMARY
The 2025–2029 Strategic Communication Plan for the DeKalb County School District (DCSD) Communications Department outlines a clear vision for building a culture of transparency, accessibility, and excellence in communication. Grounded in findings from the 2024-25 National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) audit and aligned with DCSD’s Strategic Plan and MIRACLES in Action Framework (District Internal Improvement Process), this plan is designed to strengthen internal alignment, elevate multilingual access, and inspire engagement through storytelling.
STRATEGIC VISION
By 2029, the DCSD Communications Department will be nationally recognized as the standard for excellence in school communications. We will be known for consistent, effective messaging that strengthens trust and supports student success. Through strong partnerships, multilingual access, and innovative campaigns, we will foster a vibrant culture where every stakeholder is informed, connected, and inspired to proudly champion the district’s story.
Slogan: Communication that Strengthens Student Success
STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OVERVIEW
4 Innovative Campaigns
Drive engagement through stakeholder-driven messaging, cross-department storytelling, and bold digital campaigns. PRIORITY 1 Internal
Establish a unified internal communications framework and culture of excellence through SOPs, strategic planning, training, and streamlined operations.
Foster meaningful internal and external partnerships by collaborating with departments, schools, and community organizations.
Ensure clear, accessible communication for all families by leveraging translation tools, training staff, and engaging multilingual media.
ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY
The implementation of this plan will be phased over four years, with foundational work in the first year laying the groundwork for long-term sustainability and growth.
The Communications Department will maintain accountability through weekly team meetings and quarterly reviews to assess progress and make necessary adjustments. Progress updates will be shared regularly through monthly MIRACLES presentations (DCSD’s internal continuous improvement process), monthly Academic and Operations Reports, mid-year and annual Superintendent evaluations, and annual Strategic Plan updates to the Board of Education.
The Communications Department is part of the Community Engagement and Innovative Partnerships Division, and oversees communication channels, such as:
Channel Primary Use
Campaign and Marketing Plans
DCSD Website
DSTV/Video/Podcasts
Face to Face
Graphic Design/Branding
Media
Newsletters and News Flashes
Photography
Professional Learning
School Messenger
SharePoint
Social Media
Zoom
Promote key initiatives and actively engage stakeholders
Official announcements, documents, and district-wide updates
Live board meetings and special interest stories
Town halls, events, and public participation
Special purpose publications, logos, and branded visuals
Public relations, news releases, and crisis communications
Internal communication with staff and families
Recognition and event documentation
Communication training for school and district leaders
Emergency alerts and reminders (email, phone, text)
Internal staff resources
Real-time updates, celebrations, and engagement
Virtual meetings for staff and community engagement
Primary audience: Students
DCSD engages a diverse array of internal and external stakeholders to support its mission to promote the academic, social, and emotional growth of each student by fostering a safe, supportive, and engaging learning environment.
Internal
• Superintendent and Cabinet
• Board of Education
• District Office Staff
• School Administrators
• Teachers and Support Staff
External
• Parents and Families
• Alumni
• Community Members and Taxpayers
• Partners and Local Businesses
• Prospective Employees and Residents of DCSD
• Elected Officials and Government Agencies
• Higher Education
INTERNAL STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE
Establish a unified internal communications framework and culture of excellence.
Strategic Plan Alignment: Goal Area 2.3 | MIRACLES in Action Framework Connection: Commitment to Accountability, Attract and Retain High Quality Staff
Strategy
A. Develop and implement Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
Create clear, consistent guidelines and tools to support effective communication
• Define key communication areas
• Develop written guidelines
• Communicate SOPs internally
• Update and launch new online communications request form
• Share and train staff on communication toolkits
• Create professional learning calendar for district leaders
• Defined scope of SOPs
• SOP documents created
• Trainings held and materials shared
• Form launched and tracked
• Toolkit usage documented
• Calendar published
• Number of completed tickets
• Number of individuals utilizing procedures
July 2025
July 2025
2025-26
2025-26
Deputy Chief Communications Coordinator
DCSD Communications Team
C. Strengthen staffing and professional development
B. Launch a comprehensive Strategic Communication Plan
Design and manage a plan that drive excellence, transparency, and growth
• Develop the plan including rollout specifications
• Conduct beta test and gather input
• Establish an evaluation process
• Align funding and resources
• Conduct annual surveys and/or focus groups
• Publish an annual Communications Department Report
• Plan completed and shared
• Feedback collected
• Monitoring tools in place
• Budget updated
• Survey data reviewed
• Report distributed
• 1-year survey data comparison shows improvement
2025-26
July 2025
June 2025
June 2025
2025 – 2026
November 2025
July 2026
July 2026
Deputy Chief Department Representatives
Expand individual and team capacity through appropriate staffing and intentional learning
D. Improve departmental efficiency and productivity
Enhance internal operations to maximize creativity, collaboration, and data-driven impact.
• Evaluate current staffing model
• Develop cross-training and a succession plan
• Comparison with peer districts
• Documented plan created
2025 – 2026
2026 – 2027
Deputy Chief Managers
• Training calendar in plan
2025 – 2026
• Determine team and individual professional learning plans
• Conduct mid-year and annual evaluations
• Streamline internal cloud-based storage
• Create a central repository of graphics/templates
• Subscribe to relevant AI tools such as ChatGPT for content development
• Develop departmental calendar of key events
• Collect and analyze strategic impact data
• Growth documented
• Google analytics
• Number of meetings facilitated with peer districts
• Structure launched in OneDrive/new platform
• Share drive accessible
• Calendar published
• Reports generated
• Number of times files are accessed
2025 – 2026
Spring 2026
July 2025
July 2025
2025-26 Production Manager Graphic Designer Social Media Specialist
• Internal polls: helpful; how working; is service worth continuing
STRONG PARTNERSHIPS
Foster meaningful internal and external partnerships to support communication goals.
Strategic Plan Alignment: Goal Area 2.2 | MIRACLES in Action Framework Connection: Commitment to Accountability
Collaborate with Family and Community Engagement, Adult Education, Grants and Partnerships, and the Foundation to increase community awareness, participation, and support.
B. Establish connections with schools and district departments
A. Build a stronger connection with CEIP departments
• Review departmental plans for opportunities to partner and to support
• Co-create campaigns
• Develop a CEIP-wide division calendar
Expand and formalize relationships by promoting shared goals and engagement opportunities.
• Opportunities identified
• Joint campaigns launched
• Calendar published
• Percent of positive reviews on follow-up surveys
2025 – 2026
Deputy Chief
Improve message consistency and responsiveness through designated liaisons, shared resources, and regular engagement opportunities.
C. Build external partnerships
D. Facilitate administrator engagements
Equip school and district leaders with communication tools, professional learning, and messaging strategies to help them become trusted ambassadors.
Communications Coordinator
Production Manager
• Create a site contact database with persons responsible and social media handles
• Engage with AVTF, CTAE, and marketing programs in schools
• Attend school career days to share with students about opportunities in communications
• Spreadsheet maintained
• Events logged
• Percent of positive reviews (rate my service)
• Events attended
2025-2026
2025-2026
2026-2027
Communications Coordinator
External Communications Specialist
Communications Specialists
Deputy Chief
Communications Team
• Identify and track potential partners
• Create a partnership opportunity form
• Determine partnership benefits and features
• Partnership list created
• Form launched
• Benefits and features implemented
2025-2026
2026-2027
• Facilitate job-alike communications groups
• Create and implement an outreach campaign
• Establish college/university partnerships
• Meet with superintendent and cabinet members to establish roles and expectations
• Host professional learning (PL) sessions
• Create a menu of offerings with key messages and tools
• Group meetings held
• Campaign conducted
• Number of Partnerships established
• Amount of funds donated
• Number of volunteers
• Meeting conducted
• Calendar published
• Menu distributed
• Percentof positive ratings on PL sessions
August 2025
2025-2026
2026-2027
Executive Director, Foundation Grants and Partnerships
Communications Specialist
Graphic Designer
Communications Specialists
Communications Coordinator
Communications Team
STRONG PARTNERSHIPS (CONTINUED)
Foster meaningful internal and external partnerships to support communication goals.
Strategic Plan Alignment: Goal Area 2.2 | MIRACLES in Action Framework Connection: Commitment to Accountability
E. Collaborate with the School Board Office and members
Enhance public visibility of Board members and their work through storytelling and outreach initiatives.
• Create additional opportunities for the Board members to be visible to the public
• Number of communication tools used Levels of engagement from registration numbers, attendance records, and sign-in sheets
• Number of views on DSTV
MULTILINGUAL ACCESS
Ensure access to information for families and stakeholders in their home languages.
Strategic Plan Alignment: Goal Area 2.4 | MIRACLES in Action Framework Connection: Motion Towards Equity
A. Leverage translation tools
Persons
Ensure all families receive clear, accessible communications in their preferred language.
Provide guidance for schools and departments in providing consistent, multilingual communication.
C. Establish a key communicator network for most frequently languages
• Record phone messages in multiple languages for schools with high multilingual populations
B. Create a multilingual checklist
D. Train front office staff
Equip staff with the tools and training to effectively welcome and support families in multiple languages.
• Outline expectations for schools, departments, and divisions
Create a network of trusted bilingual stakeholders to support accurate, culturally relevant communication.
• Identify bilingual staff, parents, and community members to serve as cultural and language liaison
• Multilingual phone logs
• Number of times used
• Number of locations using
• Checklist completed and distributed, review annually
• Checklist shared in PL sessions
• Number of schools and departments using checklist
• Percent of users cite usefulness of checklist
• List of cultural liaisons developed
• Outreach to schools and departments regarding languages spoken
• Number of cultural liaisons participating
2025-2026
Communications Coordinator
2025-2026 2026-2027
Communications Coordinator
Bilingual Comms Specialist
2025-2026 2026-2027
Share district news and stories in culturally relevant and multilingual formats.
• Facilitate training sessions on responsive customer service and the use of language support tools
• Training completion artifacts (agenda, materials, registration)
Family Engagement Team
Bilingual Comms Specialist
English Language Learners Team
E. Engage affinity-based media
• Develop a “welcome protocol” in multiple languages
• Build relationships with diverse media outlets (print, radio, digital) serving DeKalb’s communities
• Share press releases and district news in multiple languages
• Training Protocol developed
• Percent of favorable post-training survey results 2025-2026
Collaboration with Family Engagement Team
• Coverage secured in targeted media
• Positive/negative impact data
• Advertising dollars spent
• Information reach data
• Media contacts directory updated 2026-2027
English Language Learners Team
Bilingual Comms Specialist
Communications Coordinator Bilingual Comms Specialist
INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGNS
Inspire engagement through fresh, bold, and inclusive storytelling.
Strategic Plan Alignment: Goal Area 2.1 | MIRACLES in Action Framework Connection: Commitment to Accountability
A. Use stakeholder feedback to guide strategy
Solicit feedback from stakeholders about needs and expectations.
B. Co-create cross-department campaigns
Partner with Human Resources, Transportation, Special Education, and customer service on communications planning.
C. Showcase DCSD stories
Create inspiring stories featuring students, staff, and alumni.
D. Redesign district and school websites
• Define stakeholders
• Survey and interview groups about their communications needs and preferences
• Monitor social media for ideas and inspiration
• Review departmental plans for opportunities to support
• Identify targeted areas for support
• Co-create campaigns for proactive communications
• Develop a monthly, thematic storytelling calendar for features
• Collect nominations via form
• Produce video spotlights and feature articles
• Communications SOP
• Survey/focus group reports
• Social listening reports
• Number of likes and comments on social media platforms
• Completed campaigns
• Communications Plan created
• Departmental feedback 2026-2027 Deputy Chief Communications Coordinator Internal Communications Specialist
• Creation of calendar
• Nominations submitted
• Stories posted monthly
• Share storied on social media, website, and with media
• Create design, update content and move to new site
Enhance user experience, improve accessibility, and showcase dynamic, multilingual content that reflects the district’s values and community.
E. Create special days with staff and families
• Add content to site
Social Media Specialist
• Social and website data (# of clicks, opens, and shares) 2025-26 Communications Specialist Video Production Manager
• Page review
• Website report data (usability)
• Number of clicks, opens, and shares
• Continue to monitor quarterly
• Create a plan for new school websites and transition plan
• Plans for new sites and transition created
Support the culture and climate for all in DCSD.
• Partner with family engagement to host periodic gatherings
• Highlight events in newsletters and social media
• Number of participants
• Percent of surveys with positive ratings
• Increased engagement across communication tools Spring 2026
Specialist
Priority 1: Internal Standard of Excellence
• Define key communication areas
• Develop written guidelines
• Finalize and publish Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
• Update and launch new online communications request form
• Create professional learning calendar for district leaders
• Develop and publish Strategic Communication Plan
• Conduct beta test and gather input on plan
• Launch internal toolkit training sessions
Priority 2: Strong Partnerships
• Meet with superintendent and cabinet to establish communication roles and expectations
ACTION STEPS TIMELINE
Priority 1: Internal Standard of Excellence
• Align funding and resources to support the plan
• Establish an evaluation process for the plan
• Create cloud-based storage structure
• Create central repository of graphics and templates
• Subscribe to AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT)
• Develop departmental calendar of events
• Collect baseline impact data
• Share and communicate SOPs internally
Priority 2: Strong Partnerships
• Collaborate with CEIP departments to identify opportunities to partner and support
• Co-create campaigns
• Create and publish CEIP-wide division calendar
• Create database of site contacts and social media handles
• Engage with AVTF, CTAE, and marketing programs in schools
• Host professional learning sessions for administrators
Priority 3: Multilingual Access
• Record multilingual phone messages for high-language-need schools
• Outline and distribute multilingual access checklist
• Identify bilingual cultural liaisons
Priority 4: Innovative Campaigns
• Showcase DCSD Stories
Priority 1: Internal Standard of Excellence
• Publish annual Communications Department Report
• Conduct annual surveys and focus groups
• Streamline internal cloud-based storage
• Evaluate effectiveness of AI tool subscriptions
• Track toolkit usage and update as needed
Priority 2: Strong Partnerships
• Attend school career days
• Create a menu of offerings with key messages and tools
• Develop and launch partnership opportunity form
• Implement partnership features and recognition
• Maintain records of external campaigns and funds donated
• Host community-facing events with Family Engagement
Priority 3: Multilingual Access
• Review use of multilingual checklist
• Facilitate training sessions for front office staff
• Develop and distribute welcome protocols
Priority 4: Innovative Campaigns
• Redesign district website and update content
• Monitor and evaluate website data quarterly
Priority 1: Internal Standard of Excellence
• Develop cross-training plan and succession model
• Evaluate staffing models and compare with peer districts
• Set team and individual professional learning plans
• Conduct mid-year and annual evaluations
Priority 2: Strong Partnerships
• Continue collaboration with administrators and professional learning
• Expand external partnerships and measure outcomes
• Track job-alike group meetings
• Launch visibility campaign for Board members
Priority 3: Multilingual Access
• Create and support key communicator network
• Engage with multilingual affinity-based media
• Track press release coverage and media impact
Priority 4: Innovative Campaigns
• Partner with departments on campaign creation
• Create communications plans for internal campaigns
• Launch monthly storytelling calendar
COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT
Communications and Engagement
• Develop and manage strategic and inclusive messaging for leadership and initiatives
• Lead media relations, including proactive outreach and crisis communications
• Oversee district brand management and ensure consistent visual identity
• Plan and execute integrated marketing campaigns across platforms
• Promote districtwide events, programs, and engagement opportunities
• Support community engagement initiatives through targeted outreach and messaging
• Partner with the DeKalb Schools Educational Foundation on fundraising and initiatives
• Lead storytelling efforts to recognize student, staff, school, and district achievements
• Create and distribute internal and external communication tools and staff updates
• Manage content strategy and updates for the district website
• Design digital and print graphics for marketing and communications materials
• Provide communications and media training for school and district staff
• Implement tools and processes to gather feedback to inform communication strategies
• Monitor and evaluate communication metrics to measure impact
• Create and produce original broadcast programs
• Manage DSTV and the district podcast
• Capture and edit digital photography and videography
• Coordinate live streaming and Zoom production for Board of Education meetings
• Oversee district-wide social media strategy and content
• Manage SchoolMessenger communications
• Program content for district and school digital signage
• Produce on-hold messaging for district phone systems
• Provide multimedia support for key district events
• Maintain organized digital library of multimedia assets
• Track and analyze multimedia engagement data to inform content planning
• Jonathan Goldman – Communications Director
• Jamelia Potter – Communications Coordinator I
• Carla Parker – Communications Coordinator I
• Thurman Green III – Community Engagement Strategist
• Marcia Coward – Community Engagement Manager I
• Hector Mancia – Graphic Design Analyst III
• Jack Lavoie – Graphic Design Specialist III
• Charlotte Harvey – Office Specialist
• Alicia Del Moral – Bookkeeper
• John “Q” Kegler – Manager III Multimedia Production
• Richard Stephens III – Communications Specialist III
• Frida Flores-Chavez – Communications Specialist III
• Thomas Springer – Video Production Specialist II
• Mia Hutchins – Video Production Specialist II
• Video/Production Contractors
• Additional support by Communications and Engagement
