The 2023 TSPRA Conference Program

#TSPRA23

TRAILBLAZING TOGETHER 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

FORT WORTH, TEXAS OMNI FORT WORTH HOTEL FEBRUARY 20-23 1

PRINT SAVINGS AS BIG AS

Professional Printing • Small Prices

Region 4 Print Center We have more than 100 years of combined expertise in providing professional printing services to 80+ school districts in Texas.

Calendars

Our services include

Banners and Posters

Expanded Wide Format Capabilities Die-Cut Labels

Graphic Design

Programs and Tickets

Postcards and Mailers

Flyers and Newsletters

Brochures and Invitations Binding

CONTACT US TODAY printcenter@esc4.net | 713.744.6888

21031430825 Print Center TSPRA Program Ad 2023.indd 1

1/24/2023 11:43:54 AM

TABLE OF CONTENTS MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

5

TSPRA LEADERSHIP & COMMITTEES

7

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE-AT-A-GLANCE

9

PRE-CONFERENCE SESSIONS

12

FIRST GENERAL SESSION KEYNOTE SPEAKER

14

SECOND GENERAL SESSION KEYNOTE SPEAKER

16

THIRD GENERAL SESSION INFORMATION

17

2023 TSPRA MEDIA AWARD RECIPIENT

18

KEY COMMUNICATOR AWARD RECIPIENT

19

TSPRA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

20

TUESDAY CONCURRENT SESSIONS

23

COWTOWN CORRAL NETWORKING EVENTS

28

WEDNESDAY MORNING CONCURRENT SESSIONS

29

ROUNDTABLES AND JOB-ALIKE DESCRIPTIONS

34

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CONCURRENT SESSIONS

38

VENDORS AND SPONSORS

40

OMNI FORT WORTH MAPS

44

FORT WORTH T E X A S S C H O O L P U B L I C R E L AT I O N S A S S O C I AT I O N

1

TSPRA MISSION STATEMENT The Texas School Public Relations Association (TSPRA) is a professional organization whose members are dedicated to improving public education in Texas by: • Promoting effective public relations practices • Providing professional development for its members • Improving communication between Texans and their public schools.

ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY TSPRA is committed to promoting inclusive environments where persons feel valued, respected, and welcome. TSPRA will not tolerate anyone intimidating, humiliating, harassing, bullying or sabotaging others in our workplace and at events. TSPRA will not discriminate based on age, race, color, gender, religion, physical disability, mental handicap, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or any similar status. This policy pertains to all members, including officers, persons appointed to positions, staff, persons attending TSPRA activities, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, vendors, contractors, and anyone else who comes into contact with persons in the TSPRA workplace and at meetings and events.

TSPRA is firmly committed to an environment free from all forms of harassment. Harassment violates TSPRA policy and, in certain instances, may violate state and federal laws. It is neither permitted nor condoned.

More information available at www.TSPRA.org

DOWNLOAD THE

TSPRA MOBILE APP Created and sponsored by:

2

Rethink Possible

CESO: The Center for Effective School Operations

CESO Communications With over 150 years of combined experience, our team of marketing, PR, and creative experts are uniquely capable of tackling issues in your school district.

Let’s Rethink Possible - see the many ways we can help: Branding & Rebranding We have an engaging process that brings diverse input into the process to yield a brand architecture that defines language and imagery for your district.

Communications Audit A dedicated team of strategists interview staff and evaluate your processes, then create a customized and prioritized path to more effective communication.

Employee Recruitment We help your district find and attract the right potential employees by providing recruitment strategies, utilizing our school PR connections across the country, reviewing applications, developing interview questions and participating in interviews.

Engagement, Facilitation & Planning We bring diverse voices into your planning to better inform decisions, and we facilitate engagements to increase involvement and trust in your organization.

Enrollment Marketing We approach student enrollment with both retention and recruitment strategies, organizing your enrollment marketing into a strategic ongoing process.

Mentoring & Coaching We guide district communication staff members who are new to school communication, or leaders of small organizations that need coaching and expertise.

Strategic Communication Planning Having a strategic communications plan helps you proactive and effective, rather than just reacting to daily issues or maintaining status quo. We help you effectively plan for communications that matter most.

Equity Leadership Development & Coaching We use tools like the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), to help individuals increase their equity leadership and ensure that all students, staff and families feel valued and heard.

Referendum & Bond Planning We create messaging and strategy for your referendum proposal long before the election date to help your residents better understand the benefit to the community.

Website Redesign & Audits Your district website needs to be so much more than a file drawer for current families and staff.

Let’s turn it into a marketing tool to effectively serve your district now and into the future.

Contact Us: Bob Noyed bob.noyed@theceso.com 612.325.2127

or

Scan to go to theceso.com

3

Pick up your FREE official 2023 TSPRA T-Shirt at the SRP Booth!

Generate district revenue with virtually no additional work and never any cost!

WHAT WE SPECIALIZE IN: Your Website

Sports Marketing Solutions

Your E-News

Your Mobile App

SchoolRevenuePartners.com 4

Programmatic: Tech Based Solutions

Info@SchoolRevenuePartners.com

855-790-0001

WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT I am so excited to welcome you to Fort Worth for this year’s TSPRA Conference! We have been working hard to provide a valuable and memorable experience for everyone. I know you will find what you need at this conference and bring back so much knowledge to your district.

The past year has not been as easy as I had hoped. Some of the challenges came as a surprise, while others were expected. Either way, I was able to navigate it all with the help of my amazing TSPRA colleagues. I am so grateful to the Executive Committee, the standing committee members, the Conference Planning Committee, and all the others that pitched in when they were needed.

I also can’t say enough praise for the CESO Communications Team for helping us with all things TSPRA this year. I would not have survived the year without them on our team. They provided so much support for the state office and did everything in their power to make this conference the best one yet!

I also want to say a big thank you to Janet Crock, the TSPRA Programs Manager and long-time TSPRA employee, for keeping everything running and giving us the guidance and support we needed. She is truly a gem, so thank her when you see her!

I hope you enjoy this week being together with your fellow trailblazers at the conference! Thank you for being part of the TSPRA family!

Rebecca #TrailblazingTogether #TSPRA23

connect with TSPRA.org

@TSPRA

#TSPRA23

Conference Wi-Fi

TSPRA

SPONSORED BY

Network: TSPRA2023 | Password: finalsite

5

6

LEADERSHIP AND COMMITTEES 2022-2023 Executive Committee

Ad Hoc Committees

PRESIDENT

STAR AWARDS REVIEW [Crystal Awards Review and New Categories]

Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA New Braunfels ISD

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Megan Overman, APR, CPC Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Veronica Sopher, Fort Bend ISD

INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Julie Thannum, APR CESO Communications

VICE PRESIDENTS

Gulf Coast Area Helen Escobar, Roma ISD Houston/Beaumont Area Kristyn Cathey, APR, Goose Creek ISD East Texas Area Jamie Fails, Willis ISD North Central Area Rachel Frost, ESC Region 10 West Central Area Jennifer Marshall-Higgins, CPC ESC Region 12 Central Area Marco Alvarado, Lake Travis ISD Northwest Texas Area Kenneth Dixon, Lubbock ISD Far West Area Daniel Escobar, Socorro ISD San Antonio Area Kim Cathey, Judson ISD At-Large Position 1 Jennifer Bailey, CPC, Belton ISD At-Large Position 2 Stephanie De Los Santos, HCDE At-Large Position 3 Sherese Nix, Garland ISD

PARLIAMENTARIAN

Christina Courson, Lockhart ISD

2022-2023 Standing Committee Chairs REVIEW OF FINANCIAL RECORDS & PROCEDURES

Maritza Gallaga, Round Rock ISD

PROFESSIONAL AWARDS Sean Hoffmann, Seguin ISD

SCHOLARSHIP

Leanne Libby, APR, Corpus Christi ISD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EVALUATION Megan Overman, APR, CPC; Eagle MountainSaginaw ISD, TSPRA President-Elect

NOMINATING

Megan Overman, APR, CPC, TSPRA President-Elect, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

Jenna Simsen, Dickinson ISD

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA New Braunfels ISD Gulf Coast Area Helen Escobar, Roma ISD

Carrie Pryor-Newman, Goose Creek CISD

Houston/Beaumont Area Kristyn Cathey, APR, Goose Creek ISD

Hailee Fojtasek, Northwest ISD

East Texas VP Jennifer Hines, CPC, Tyler ISD

Aliana Peska, Pearland ISD

North Central Area Rachel Frost, ESC Region 10

Dianne Folletto, Round Rock ISD

West Central VP Wendy Sledd, Copperas Cove ISD

Adi Bryant, Royse City ISD

Erika Foster, Goose Creek CISD Lexie Greathouse, Judson ISD

Alyssa Edstrom, Northwest ISD Education Foundation Claudia Lemus Campos, APR Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD

BUDGET

Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA, TSPRA President, New Braunfels ISD

APR ACCREDITATION

Danielle Clark, APR, Harris County Department of Education

TASA/TASB FALL CONFERENCE RESOURCE CENTER Jenny Collier, Southwest ISD

COMMUNICATION MATTERS DIGITAL MAGAZINE Zach Perkins, New Braunfels ISD

ONLINE LEARNING PROGRAM & DELIVERY Dr. Nikita Russell, Everman ISD

ONBOARDING NEW TSPRA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA, TSPRA President, New Braunfels ISD Jennifer Bailey, CPC, Belton ISD, At-Large Vice President, Place 1

DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION PLAN AND STATEMENT Veronica Sopher, TSPRA Immediate Past President, Fort Bend ISD Stephanie De Los Santos, At-Large Vice President Position 2, Harris County Department of Education

2023-2024 Executive Committee PRESIDENT

Megan Overman, APR, CPC Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

PRESIDENT-ELECT

Arianna Vazquez-Hernandez, APR, CPC ESC Region 1

Central VP Christina Courson, Lockhart ISD Northwest VP Erin Gregg, APR, Lubbock ISD Far West VP Daniel Escobar, Soccoro ISD San Antonio VP Kim Cathey, Judson ISD At-Large VP Position 1 Marco Alvarado, Lake Travis ISD At-Large VP Position 2 Stephanie De Los Santos, Harris County Department of Education At-Large VP Position 3 Sherese Nix, Garland ISD

Conference Planning Committee Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA, TSPRA President, New Braunfels ISD Mercedes Mayer, Aledo ISD

Megan Overman, APR, CPC, TSPRA President-Elect, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Veronica Sopher, TSPRA Immediate Past President, Fort Bend ISD Jennifer Bailey, CPC, At-Large VP 1, Belton ISD

Stephanie De Los Santos, At-Large VP 2, Harris County Department of Education Sherese Nix, At-Large VP 3, Garland ISD Zoheb Hassanalli, Plano ISD

Valonia Walker, APR, Hempstead ISD Claudia Rodriguez, Laredo ISD

Tamra Spence, CPC, Pflugerville ISD Ralph Bissey, New Braunfels ISD

Cheryal Loosmore, Lake Travis ISD Andy Perez, Socorro ISD

Frank Sauseda, Lamesa ISD

Lexi Greathouse, Judson ISD

Veronica Johannsen, Gonzales ISD

Emily Conklin, APR, CPC, Sheldon ISD Danielle Clark, APR, Harris County Department of Education Zach Perkins, New Braunfels ISD Moses Leos, Hays CISD

STRATEGIC PLANNING

Megan Overman, APR, CPC, TSPRA President-Elect, Eagle Mountain-Saginaw

TELLER

Cynthia Ybarra Leal, Mission CISD

7

Visit Booth 19 & 20

Top 5 Reasons Texas School Districts Choose Us Facility Services

Choice Partners works for you!

1. Online due diligence with proof our 700+ contracts are legal and EDGAR compliant.

Food/Cafeteria Supplies Services Supplies Technology

2. Members place orders directly with vendors to speed the purchase process.

3. Unique hard-bid supply catalog with lowest prices for 1,100+ items.

4. One-stop shop for services and products you need for your schools.

5. Harris County Department of Education and Choice Partners use their own contracts.

(Gold Standard)

Sign up today... it’s free! www.ChoicePartners.org

The Right Resources. Right Now.

8

2023 TSPRA CONFERENCE SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE SUNDAY, FEB. 19, 2023

TUESDAY, FEB. 21, 2023

Conference Wi-Fi/Internet sponsored by Finalsite

Conference Wi-Fi/Internet sponsored by Finalsite

Conference T-Shirt sponsored by School Revenue Partners

School PR Work Lounge sponsored

by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor

TSPRA Bandanas sponsored by RBFCU 6 p.m.

TSPRA Executive Committee Dinner sponsored by ParentSquare MONDAY, FEB. 20, 2023 8:30 to 9 a.m.

TSPRA Executive Committee Meeting Breakfast sponsored by CatapultK12 Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor 9 to 11:30 a.m.

Executive Committee Board Meeting Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Vendor setup Exhibit Area Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conference Registration TSPRA Registration Area, 2nd Floor 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

TSPRA Executive Committee Lunch Sponsored by ThoughtExchange Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor 1 to 4 p.m.

Pre-Conference Sessions See Page 11 for full schedule and descriptions of Preconference Sessions.

2:15 to 2:45 p.m.

Snack Break Texas Ballroom Foyer/Exhibit Area, 2nd Floor 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Kickin It Up in Cowtown Come & Go, Meet & Greet Reception Sponsored by WRA Architects & Gallagher Construction Cast Iron Restaurant, 1st Floor 7 p.m.

Evening on your own/client dinners

6:45 to 7:30 a.m.

TSPRA Boot Scootin’ Fun Run & Walk Downtown Fort Worth 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conference Registration TSPRA Registration Area, 2nd Floor 8 to 8:30 a.m.

Exhibitor Viewing, Grab & Go Breakfast sponsored by Qualtrics Exhibit Area Remains Open until 4:30 p.m.

Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor 8:30 to 10:30 a.m.

First General Session sponsored by Finalsite Awards Presentation (Most Valuable TSPRA Member, President’s Award, Rookie of the Year & Media Award) Keynote Speaker Adolph Brown sponsored by H-E-B Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor 10:30 to 11 a.m.

Vendor Viewing/Caffeinated Connections sponsored by Talking Points Exhibit Area Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor 11 a.m. to Noon Concurrent Breakout Sessions Texas Ballrooms G-J, 2nd Floor & Sundance Meeting Rooms 1-6, 3rd Floors Noon to 1:30 p.m.

Special Lunch & Learn Session sponsored by ParentSquare: Anne Marie Espinoza, Uvalde Consolidated School District, and Monica Faulkenbery, APR, Northside ISD, will be presenting on Lessons Learned from the Uvalde Tragedy Session free and open to all; on-site lunch available for purchase Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor OR Lunch on your own

1:30 to 2:30 p.m.

Special Content Sessions sponsored

by Harris County Department of Education (See Page 25-26 for session descriptions) Texas Ballrooms G-J 2nd Floor: Sundance 5 & 6, 3rd Floor 2:45 to 3:45 p.m.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions Texas Ballrooms G-J, 2nd Floor & Sundance Meeting Rooms 1-5, 3rd Floor 3:45 to 4:15 p.m.

Snack Break sponsored by TeacherLists Texas Ballrooms Foyer & Exhibit Area, 2nd Floor 4:15 to 5:15 p.m.

Cowtown Corral Networking Sessions

Always On, CatapultK12, CESO Communications, Finalsite, Harris County Department of Education, ParentSquare, Peachjar and SchoolMessenger Texas Ballrooms G-J, 2nd Floor & Sundance Meeting Rooms 1-5, 3rd Floor

5:30 p.m.

Evening on your own, client dinners 7:30 to 10 p.m.

Battle of the Regions: TSPRA Edition Karaoke Contest sponsored by ParentSquare Fort Worth Ballrooms 5-8, 2nd Floor (Register at ParentSquare’s Exhibit Table) WEDNESDAY, FEB. 22, 2023 School PR Work Lounge sponsored

by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Conference Registration TSPRA Registration Area, 2nd Floor 8 to 8:30 a.m.

Exhibitor Viewing, Grab & Go Breakfast Exhibit Area Remains Open until 4:30 p.m Exhibit Area - Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor

9

8:30 to 10 a.m.

2nd General Session sponsored by CatapultK12 Four Day Weekend Comedy Improv Awards Presentation (Key Communicator, Bright Idea & Professional Achievement) TSPRA Vision & Officer Installation Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor 10 to 10:30 a.m.

Vendor Viewing/Caffeinated Connections Exhibit Area Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions Texas Ballrooms G-J, 2nd Floor & Sundance Meeting Rooms 1-5 3rd Floor 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Lunch on your own 1:15 to 2:15 p.m.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions Texas Ballrooms G-J, 2nd Floor & Sundance Meeting Rooms 1-5, 3rd Floor

10

2:30 to 3:45 p.m.

Rodeo Roundtables & Job Alike Sessions sponsored by K12 Insight Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor

THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2023 Conference Wi-Fi/Internet sponsored by Finalsite

4 to 5 p.m.

Concurrent Breakout Sessions Texas Ballrooms G-J, 2nd Floor & Sundance Meeting Rooms 1-5, 3rd Floor

Breakfast Buffet & TSPRA General membership meeting sponsored by CatapultK12 Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor

4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Exhibitor teardown Exhibit Area Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor 6 to 7 p.m.

Star Awards Reception sponsored by SchoolMessenger Texas Ballroom Foyer, 2nd Floor 7 to 9:30 p.m.

Star Awards Banquet sponsored by SchoolMessenger Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor 9:30 to 11 p.m.

Star Awards Celebration sponsored

by SchoolMessenger Live Band, Dessert & Drinks Fort Worth Ballrooms 5-8, 2nd Floor

8 to 9:15 a.m.

9:30 to 11 a.m.

3rd General Session - Safety & Security Forum sponsored by Harris County Department of Education Presenters: Texas School Safety Center, Expert Panel & the Center for Safe & Secure Schools Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor 11 a.m. to Noon Happy Trails, TSPRA! Check-out, Evaluations, Collect Star Awards TSPRA Registration Area, 2nd Floor

An Integrated Suite of products designed especially for K12 schools at Affordable Prices

WEBSITE & CMS

• • • • •

Beautiful designs Mobile responsive Easy-to-use editor ADA compliant Google integrated

BRANDED DISTRICT APP

• • • • • •

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

Announcements Staff Directory Event Calendar Push Notifications School Manager Lunch Menu

• • • • •

Prepare, Prevent, Respond, Reunify Incident Reporting & Escalation Anonymous Bully & Threat Reporting Panic Button First Responder Alerts Real-time Student Accountability

MASS COMMUNICATION

• • • • •

News & updates Activities Emergency alerts Attendance Notifications Lunch balance notices

“The folks at CatapultK12 care and they listen; they are always seeking ways to improve their product and the end-user experience.”

— TECH DIRECTOR, MOUNTAIN VIEW LOS ALTOS UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT

Powerful Features

SIS Integration

ADA Compliant

Student Privacy Certified

SSO / Active Directory

Google Integration

www.CatapultK12.com

Sales@CatapultK12.com

(888) 840.9901

11

PRECONFERENCE SESSIONS MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20 | 1-4 P.M.

Leading Through Communication in Times of Crisis with Rick Kaufman, APR Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor School safety is a top-of-mind concern for parents, staff and educational leaders. With few exceptions, our schools and communities are faced with the dilemma of how to protect the integrity of the environment where learning takes place amidst a world of violence. The concerns for school safety are not new. The challenges are real.

In this engaging session, participants will explore a range of communication strategies and tools, and apply them to real-life scenarios in tabletop group interactions.

Boot Scoot and Boogie into School PR (New Professionals Program) with TSPRA member Emily Conklin, APR, CPC (Sheldon ISD), Natalie Martinez (Somerset ISD) and Hanna Chalmers (Angleton ISD) Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor Heel-toe, do-si-do, come on, baby, let’s go to TSPRA! Whether you’re just starting in your career or are a public relations professional new to school PR, WELCOME, this is the session for you! TSPRA is a great resource to connect, learn and grow professionally as well as find fellowship along the way.

In this session, we will Boot Scoot and Boogie as we provide tips, resources and strategies to twostepping your way into your first year in school PR. Plus, get connected with a mentor to help you Trailblaze Together into 2023.

The Art and Science of Planning School Bond Elections Today (It’s Not as Easy as it Once Was) with Cody Cunningham Sundance 1, 3rd Floor This pre-conference session will focus on the process of engaging the community and staff in an effective approach to planning any election (bond, TRE, VATRE, recapture election). The session will cover the process from long-range facility planning committee to district communications to community advocacy. In particular, the session will focus on effective bond election strategies including social media strategy, voter analysis, communication messages, branding, election law, engaging key community members, new election tools, district and campus communication strategies and more.

We will cover both the art and the science of planning elections, during a time when school districts are facing some of the greatest PR challenges in our history. This session will also review recent elections across the state and identify potential challenges and opportunities in upcoming election cycles.

Put Data to Work for You in Three Easy Steps with CALSPRA Executive Director and author Trinette Marquis, APR Sundance 2, 3rd Floor Research and Evaluation are the least understood steps in the PR Four-Step Process. Many people are intimidated by the prospect of conducting original research, understanding what data to pay attention to, and figuring out how to display data in a way that makes it powerful and accessible. This session is designed to change that. We’ll explore how to collect the data, how to analyze the data, and how to report the data in a way that keeps your organization focused on the most impactful communication efforts. Using best practices, examples from the field, and interactive discussions, you’ll leave this session more confident about your ability to put data to work.

12

Re-Engaging the Misengaged: Adding Capacity and Building Best Practices Into Your District’s Listening Architecture with TCU Certified Public Communicators (CPC), Ashley E. English, Ph.D and Jacqueline Lambiase, Ph.D. Sundance 3, Floor Is your district listening as much as it should? And is your listening done in equitable ways, leading to action and change that will build trust with your stakeholders? This session helps you audit the ways that your organization listens, finding the gaps and building in accountability so that when parents and residents speak, their words and ideas aren’t overlooked. Drs. English and Lambiase will help you identify new roles for communicators, especially for a “listener-in-chief,” where the buck stops on listening. They will share quick research and theories, and then give you practical ideas for building and maintaining a listening culture through engagement practices and two-way dialogue.

Rules of Social Media Engagement – Episode 2023 with Andrea Gribble of Social4SchoolsEDU Sundance 4, 3rd Floor My, how things have changed in regards to school social media! While navigating the negativity in a highly-politicized climate can drain your energy, there is still so much to celebrate. Grab a pep talk from School PR’s biggest cheerleader, Andrea Gribble. She’ll break down the proven strategies for social media success and engagement.

You’ll learn: • How to rethink the content shared on social media • How to build an army of storytellers • Easy ways to save time • How to plan your content • How to boost community engagement • The latest social trends to help you thrive

It Takes APRo: Advancing Your Career with Accreditation (APR) with TSPRA member Danielle Clark, APR Sundance 6, 3rd Floor Want to move from communications technician to advisor and strategist? Three letters are the key to success: APR. Come learn about the process of becoming accredited and how it will forever change the way you approach your work.

See why accreditation is an important step along your career ladder while gaining insight into the process. Dialogue with veteran school PR professionals about the value of accreditation and create a plan for how you can do it, too!

K-12 Video Strategies that Get Results! with Jake Sturgis, APR, and Andrew Coons of Captivate Media Sundance 5, 3rd Floor Competition for your audience’s attention has never been greater. With social feeds full of videos, how do you create compelling content that connects with and engages your audience? Jake Sturgis, APR and Andrew Coons from Captivate Media, work with schools across the country and will share practical ways for you to level-up your video production skills. From storytelling strategies to Instagram Reels, you’ll learn new ways to approach video production that will increase views and engagement with your content.

13

FIRST GENERAL SESSION

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 | 8:30-10:30 A.M. | TEXAS BALLROOMS A-F

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Adolph Brown, aka “The World’s Greatest Edu-tainer” (the name given to him by friend Doug E. Fresh - “The World’s Greatest Entertainer,”) is an internationally renowned credentialed master teacher, character education leader, servant leadership consultant, educational & clinical psychologist, author, researcher, entrepreneur, and an influential thinker/practitioner in the fields of education, human behavior, and neuroscience. He was once the youngest tenured full professor in our nation even after his extremely humble beginnings and being the first in his family of five to graduate from high school.

Head Start gave Dr. Brown his aptitude for learning and he continues to grow and learn to this very day. Dr. Brown is a graduate of the College of William & Mary with degrees in Psychology, Anthropology, and a minor in Education. He completed his graduate studies in clinical psychology at the College of William and Mary extension of the Virginia Consortium for Professional Psychology (Child & Family and Education tracks). He completed his residency at the Eastern Virginia Medical School.

He writes and teaches from a unique perspective of an experienced, passionate, award-winning educator & research scientist, an innovative & effective business leader, and an engaging consultant. Dr. Brown has devoted his life’s mission to positive human development. Adolph loves to receive invitations to present any number of his vast array of master classes. He is not your typical “motivational speaker” or self-proclaimed “guru.” He educates, informs, challenges, and delights with some amusement and a little “show and tell.” Adolph customizes each masterclass or workshop for the audience with lots of audience participation, profound challenges, multiple takeaways, and BIG FUN! Catch Dr. Brown and Ali Wentworth on their new television show “The Parent Test” on ABC primetime.

14

Communication Studies

Masters of Arts Program Certificates in

Organizational Communication and Social Media Strategy www.tarleton.edu/communications

@TarletonCOMSdept

Better experiences.

Better engagement.

Better education.

With Let’s Talk — the only all-in-one, enterprise-wide customer service and intelligence platform built for education — you can: • Automate and simplify communications • Proactively make better decisions using real-time data • Identify problems before they become crises • Build community trust and support k12insight.com

15

SECOND GENERAL SESSION

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 | 8:30-10 A.M. | TEXAS BALLROOMS A-F

Four Day Weekend

Sponsored by CatapultK12 Four Day Weekend is the longest-running comedy show in the Southwest.

They’ve performed over 7,000 shows and have been honored to deliver this “Yes, And” training to the United States Congress and provided entertainment for 2 US Presidents. They are here to teach the art of improvisation and how it applies to the business world and beyond.

Joining us from Four Day Weekend are Emily Zawisza and Josh Roberts

16

THIRD GENERAL SESSION

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23 | 9:30-11 A.M. | TEXAS BALLROOMS A-F

TSPRA School Safety Forum

Sponsored by Harris County Department of Education Following the breakfast and General Membership meeting, TSPRA member and former PIO and Communications Director, Dr. Celina Bley of the Texas School Safety Center will lead a 90-minute School Safety Forum, featuring information and updates on the latest state requirements, a panel discussion of safety directors and school communicators and their roles in school safety best practices.

Presenter: Celina Bley, Ph.D. Dr. Celina Bley is the Associate Director of Training and Education with the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University. She started at the Center in February 2019 and brings with her 18 years of district administrator experience in the Central Texas area. She began in the field as a Communications Director and worked her way up to Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations which included school safety for a 6A District. She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Education in the field of Adult, Professional and Community Education from Texas State University.

She is the mother of two teenage girls and when not learning about the latest social media craze from them, she likes to lift weights and be outside.

Panel Members: Laura Jobe, Chief Information Officer, Mesquite ISD This is Laura’s 26th year with Mesquite ISD and in the field of school public relations. In her role as Chief Communications Officer, she oversees all the district’s communication functions, including crisis communications, media relations, social media, bilingual communications and outreach, marketing and branding, websites, video production, graphic design, special events, and student and staff recognition. She also supervises operations for Mesquite ISD’s radio station, KEOM 88.5, and the district’s print shop. Prior to joining Mesquite ISD, she worked in journalism, corporate communications and communications consulting.

Britney Fortner, Director, Safety and Security, YES Prep Public Schools Britney is the Director of Safety and Security for Yes Prep Public Schools in Houston, TX and has firsthand experience responding to an active attacker on a school campus. Prior to this position, she worked at the Texas School Safety Center as the Grant Specialist over the School Behavioral Threat Assessment program, overseeing the training and implementation of threat assessment teams at districts across Texas. Before joining the TXSSC, she worked at the Austin Police Department in the Austin Regional Intelligence Center as the Threat Liaison Officer program coordinator.

Robby Ball, Director of Safety, Security and Threat Management, Mansfield ISD Robby Ball is the Director for Safety, Security and Threat Management for Mansfield ISD. He is in his 17th year in education and has been a teacher/coach, school administrator, district coordinator, and now district director. He has been in charge of safety programs and systems for the past 8 years.

Dr. Julia Andrews- Harris Department of Education Julia Y. Andrews is the director of the Center for Safe and Secure Schools. Andrews has served since early 2018 as the school culture and climate specialist for CSSS. She has been responsible for conducting numerous school safety audits, leading and facilitating restorative practices training, and developing threat assessments for schools and districts. She is a certified trainer with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Incident Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). She provides training in Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Development, Standard Response Protocol (SRP), and Standard Reunification Method (SRM).

17

2023 TSPRA MEDIA AWARD RECIPIENT John Oliva, a reporter at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, has been selected for this year’s TSPRA Media Award. This award is given annually to a print or broadcast journalist whose work has made a positive impact in informing the public of education issues and in communicating the good news about public education.

Oliva covers education, breaking news, solutions journalism, and features. A Del Mar College graduate, he was the editor-in-chief of the college’s Foghorn News for nearly two years.

During his work covering education for the Caller-Times, Oliva frequently visited schools throughout the Coastal Bend, telling the stories of dedicated public school students and staff.

According to the nomination by Leanne Libby, APR, Chief Communications Officer for Corpus Christi ISD, no matter the story, John approaches his work as a true professional while also embracing opportunities to share the good, especially when it came to fine arts, which is sometimes overlooked when it comes to coverage.

John Oliva

“We are grateful for the strong media relations we enjoy in our district,” said Superintendent Dr. Roland Hernandez, Corpus Christi ISD. “Reporters like John are essential to sharing the many wonderful stories happening every day in public schools, as well as helping us share time-sensitive information with our families and the community.”

Texas School Public Relations Association President Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA, surprised him in January with the news that he has been named the statewide organization’s media award winner for 2023.

“John is a product of public schools and has taken every opportunity to share the good news happening in education in his role as a reporter,” said Villarreal. “His work has made a positive impact in informing the public about education, and we are thrilled to honor him with this statewide award.”

(pictured: Corpus Christi ISD Communications: Leanne Libby, APR, Chief Communications Officer, Lyndall Gathright, Associate Director of Communications, Tavo Caballero, Senior Graphic Designer, Alexandria Cantu, Communications Specialist, Eloisa Dowiat, Corpus Christi Education Foundation Board Liaison)

18

KEY COMMUNICATOR AWARD RECIPIENT TSPRA has named James Colbert Jr., as the recipient of the association’s 2022 Key Communicator Award. The Key Communicator Award is the highest form of recognition that the association bestows upon an individual who has contributed significantly to the field of public school communications. Mr. Colbert is the Superintendent of the Harris County Department of Education.

Colbert is an educational leader with a passion for students and a strong background in collaboration, communication and child advocacy. He leads by example and shows how communications can pave a pathway to success for everyone.

A visionary and systems-oriented thinker, Mr. Colbert is skilled at implementing comprehensive plans that reflect the current and long-term needs of an organization and the community it serves. He is a champion for providing the best education for all children, and is also dedicated to building positive relationships with stakeholders and embracing civic and business community partnerships.

James Colbert Jr.

Colbert has 30 years of diverse educational experience spanning multiple states. During his tenure in the education field, he has been a special education teacher, coach, high school assistant principal and principal, operations director, area superintendent, assistant superintendent, superintendent and county superintendent.

Mr. Colbert is a Virginia native who attended the University of Texas at Austin on an athletic scholarship, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education. He also holds a Master of Education in Administration from Texas State University. Colbert has been married to his wife, Angie, for almost 30 years and they have a son who recently graduated from LSU.

19

2023 TSPRA SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS

Congratulations to our 2023 TSPRA Scholarship Winners. These four have been awarded three-day conference registration, a pre-conference session, and a Star Awards Banquet ticket, three-night hotel stay and reimbursement for travel expenses.

WE APPRECIATE OUR PROFESSIONAL AWARDS SPONSORS

20

Join today to...

The National School Public Relations Association is the leader in developing professionals to communicate strategically, build trust and foster positive relationships in support of their school communities.

EXPAND AND ELEVATE

CONNECT AND GROW

Expand Your Knowledge, Elevate Your Work

With Your Professional Community

• Digital newsletters and alerts • Free PR Power Hour webinars on tactics • Free Leaders Learn webinars on strategies • On-demand learning

• NSPRA Connect online forum • Mentor Match • APR Learning Cohort • National leadership and service opportunities

SHARE AND LEARN

Best Practices • NSPRA Gold Mine • Resources on crisis, budget and more • Strategic communications plans • Salary and career surveys Adobe ©Robert Kneschke

To join, visit nspra.org

Proudly supporting TSPRA Gallagher Construction Services

Construction Management • Program Management, Bond Planning • Facility Evaluation www.gallaghertx.com • 972.633.0564 Forney ISD - Jackson Middle School and Rhodes Intermediate School Breezeway

DIFFERENT FROM THE GROUND UP

BUILDING TRANSPARENCY INTO EVERYTHING WE DO.

21

Like a Survey, but Better.

Unify your school community and make better decisions, faster.

What group?

Staff Teacher Student Parent Community Member

More supports in the classroom to address the many and growing challenges of our students. When children with special needs aren’t supported, it affects the learning of all the students in the classroom.

Positive

10,000 15,679

Take action

1-800-361-9027 x1 | sales@thoughtexchange.com 22

TUESDAY CONCURRENT SESSIONS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 | 11 A.M. TO NOON

PR Squad 2.0 Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor COVID-19 may have set our goals back but PR Squad is back and better than ever. Join us for a revamp of our Squad Goals presentation in 2020 and learn how we utilize our PR Squads in a post-COVID-19 landscape. We will teach you not only how to engage with your campus PR liaisons, but also get buy in to expand your program for the future.

Chelsea Ceballos | Director of Communications | Klein ISD Jasmine Nguyen | Communications Manager | Klein ISD Terencia Lee | Multimedia Content Specialist | Klein ISD Jessica Williams | Multimedia Content Specialist | Klein ISD Marlon Torres | Multimedia Content Specialist | Klein ISD

The MAGIC of Getting Them in the Door: Recruitment Marketing Texas Ballroom H, 2nd Floor It takes more than a MAGIC wand (although you’ll get one) to make the hiring process easier. We have creative tricks to fill your open positions quickly, with less hassle and fewer headaches. Learn more about target marketing, saving time through automation, winning the first impression, and the importance of sharing your district’s culture. Welcome to The Magic Show for recruiting!

Jennifer Hines, CPC | Chief Communications Officer | Tyler ISD Skyler Hefley | Social Media Strategy Specialist | Tyler ISD Angela Duitch, APR | Multimedia Content Facilitator | Tyler ISD

Using Strategic Marketing to Recruit Gen Z Teachers Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor Much of the teacher recruitment going forward will come from the Generation Z workforce, which is approaching the largest in the country. Districts need to be prepared for their presence and be prepared to recruit from this talent pool.

Understanding Generation Z will make it easier to build a strategic plan to recruit new teachers. School Districts need to take a new approach in planning and executing recruitment going forward. Just showing up to job fairs is not enough.

Come learn how Jason’s district used dynamic marketing techniques to reach this unique generation and double our teacher applications.

Jason Wheeler, CPC | Director of Communications | Garland ISD

CORPORATE SHOWCASE - SCHOOLMESSENGER Parents Just Don’t Understand: 5 Tips to Make Better Connections Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor School districts need to connect with parents on many channels and in many different languages. Luckily there are plenty of ways to improve school-to-home communications, no matter what language a parent speaks. School communications expert, author, and former educator and Educational Twitterer of the year, Steven Anderson, will share 5 tips to improve your school-to-home communications today.

Steven W. Anderson | SchoolMessenger

Bring Students to YOU! Lead Pages, Magnets, and Community Marketing Sundance 1, 3rd Floor What if you could use one page of your website that pulls people to YOU, captures your best features, and works 24/7 for enrollment? A lead page is powerful, easy to create, and use. No matter what website platform you have, all districts will benefit from a lead page. We’ll show you how to use them in community groups, digital marketing, and social media ads. A lead page will work tirelessly for YOU! Lisa Losasso Jackson | Founder | 11 Productions/Public School Marketing Services Veronica V. Sopher | Chief Communications Officer | Fort Bend ISD 23

Magic Marketing with Minimal Media Sundance 2, 3rd Floor Promoting your school district’s great achievements is essential in creating a feeling of pride, success, and accomplishment within your district, community, and beyond. Enhance your communication for celebrating these achievements through video! You do not need high-cost filming equipment or complicated programs. This session will teach you how to produce and publish creative videos with few devices and easy-to-use free or low-cost programs. It’s magic marketing with minimal media!

Kim Pagach | Retired Director of Communications

There’s a Reason Why Airlines Tell Us to Put Our Masks on First!

Sundance 3, 3rd Floor Previous to COVID, the rhythm of our work was bursts of crisis followed by seasons of “a normal pace.” Now it seems we have extended seasons of crises with a few bursts of calm. Our Code of Ethics reminds us of who and how we are to be in our work as we serve our school districts. However, when our wellness self is not in a state of balance, making decisions that are in the best interest of others can sometimes be a challenge and be in conflict with our ethics. This session will introduce you to the workings of our brain and provide an opportunity for you to explore the spaces that might need renewal.

Mary Libby | Director of Counseling | Northside ISD Monica Faulkenbery, APR, Assistant Director of Communications, Northside ISD

Booming Enrollment, Big Bonds, and a Billion Dollars, Oh, My! Sundance 4, 3rd Floor Districts facing bond elections are having a more difficult time generating support due to many reasons, including inflation, community distrust, the pandemic, activist groups, legislation, and more. Forney ISD successfully passed a $623 million bond in November 2019 by 73%, and a $1.29 BILLION bond in May 2022 by 66%. We’ll share with you how we overcame obstacles to successfully pass both bonds for our extremely fast-growth district, and how it can be replicated on small and large scales to garner support in your community.

Kristin Zastoupil | Executive Director of Marketing & Communications | Forney ISD

Three Ways to Improve the Parent Experience in Your District Sundance 5, 3rd Floor A 2018 Gallup study found only 20% of families feel engaged in their student’s education, and nearly three academic years of pandemic-related changes have made parent engagement even more difficult. Join Ashley Scott from Victoria Independent School District (TSPRA’s 2021-2022 Rookie of the Year) to learn how they have improved the way parents experience their district and walk away with three concepts to apply in your school community.

Ashley Scott | Executive Director Communications & Public Relations | Victoria Independent School District

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor

Battle of the Regions sponsored by ParentSquare Fort Worth Ballroom 5-8, 2nd Floor | 7:30 to 10 p.m.

You may have heard about our annual “Battle of the SPRAs” karaoke at NSPRA, and we’re so excited to bring you the Texas version this year at TSPRA - “Battle of the Regions.” Please join us for a night of singing, dancing, and drinks with friends and colleagues. At the end of the night, we will crown the Region winner.

24

TUESDAY, FEB 21 | LUNCH AND LEARN | NOON TO 1 P.M.

Lessons Learned from the Uvalde CISD Tragedy sponsored by ParentSquare Texas Ballrooms A-F, 2nd Floor May 24, 2022, will be a day engrained in many of our memories forever, especially those in Uvalde CISD and the surrounding San Antonio districts. Unlike other school shootings, this one came into our living rooms through body cam video and security footage. Anne Marie Espinoza, CPC, Executive Director of Communications for Uvalde CISD, and Monica Faulkenbery, APR, Assistant Director of Communications for Northside ISD, will discuss the timeline of events and lessons learned during those first few days and weeks.

Ann Marie Espinoza | Uvalde Consolidated School District Monica Faulkenbery | APR | Northside ISD TUESDAY, FEB. 21 | 1:30 TO 2:30 P.M.

SPECIAL CONTENT SESSIONS sponsored by Harris County Department of Education During the planning process for #TSPRA23, the Conference Planning Committee received feedback from members that they would like to have more opportunities to learn and discuss trending topics in our industry. This portion of the conference schedule is dedicated to covering some of the emerging topics that are directly impacting School PR as a whole.

Cowboy, Take Me Away to Finalsite!

Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor You rely on your website, mobile app, and mass communications software for nearly all your work as a school communicator. Understandably, a transition to a new system can seem daunting! Let us take the stress out of your transition to Finalsite’s suite of communication products in this interactive session featuring Finalsite team members.

You’ll walk away with a clear understanding of the perks of being a Finalsite client, the timeline for making the switch, and more.

The Finalsite Team

Response & Recovery: Managing a Racial or Bias Crisis Texas Ballroom H, 2nd Floor A rash of racial and bias incidents in schools are causing fragmentation and division not unlike what is occurring across the country, especially on issues of diversity, equity and inclusion. School districts don’t know where to start, what to do or are taking too long to address these incidents. Managing a racial or bias crisis may be one of the toughest leadership challenges, but recovering from one can be equally daunting. Learn how to create a Racial Harms Protocol and Response Plan to help school communicators and district leaders turn a racial or bias crisis into a catalyst for positive change.

Rick J. Kaufman, APR | Executive Director of Community Relations and Emergency Management for Bloomington (MN) Public Schools

The Texas Two-Step: Tips To Improve Your Newsletters Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor Join the creative teams at Smore and Canva for an interactive Texas Two-Step session full of content creation ideas, design best practices and tactics to track success while making an impact with your key stakeholders. This session by two leaders in our industry is designed to help you develop the skills to kick your school newsletters up a notch by making them more engaging, impactful and effective.

Scottt Nunes - District Engagement Advocate Canva

Social Media Solutions: Surviving when “The Floor Is Lava” Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor [School PR Pro] Being a social media manager is a walk in the park!

[Narrator] That walk leads to a volcano and surrounds you in molten lava. If you’re frustrated with all things Meta and still wondering what is going on with Twitter, you’re not alone! We are all often bracing for the latest eruption on these social media platforms, but many of us have discovered how to make it work for our schools.

Join this special session hosted by Melissa McConnell, Manager, Professional Development & Member Engagement 25

from NSPRA, and Andrea Gribble, Founder of #SocialSchool4EDU. You’ll hear a quick update on best practices for these platforms followed by an open discussion where the room will share questions, wins, and other experiences as we navigate this ever-changing communication tool.

Melissa McConnell | Manager | Professional Development & Member Engagement NSPRA Andrea Gribble | Founder of #SocialSchool4EDU

Changing Your Lens: Shifting Your Video Perspective Sundance 5, 3rd Floor Newsgathering stories, staff highlights, and student accomplishment content pieces are second nature to district digital media teams. What is your approach when the leadership team comes to you with a “bigger picture idea” like a District Brand Video or Teacher Recruitment Campaign? In this special content session, we will talk about how to approach this content and dissect an uber successful video piece created for Crowley ISD. Justin Dearing | Communications Strategist | CESO Communications Megan Middleton | Multimedia Manager | Crowley ISD

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 | 2:45 TO 3:45 P.M.

Forging Your Path: Your District’s & Your Own Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor Your organization’s strategic plan is the roadmap to its success. As a school PR professional, you play a critical role in keeping your district on the path to achieve its mission and vision. Learn how you can use the progress of a strategic plan to build your district’s brand. The presentation also will help you focus on strategically forging your own path, with ideas on how to bring the right people along with you on your journey.

Cathy Kedjidjian, APR | NSPRA President

Providing Super Support for your Superintendent Texas Ballroom H, 2nd Floor What does a Superintendent need to know? What support can communications provide? In this session, we’ll take a deep dive into the complex world of supporting your superintendent and making your communications team indispensable. Take away practical tips and tricks for keeping your superintendent informed, organized, and confident in their communication.

Justin Elbert | Executive Director of Communications | Klein ISD Dayna Hernandez | Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Public Relations | Klein ISD Nicole Shepard | Communications Project Manager | Klein ISD

Dare to iLead: Community and Student Engagement Programs in Coppell ISD Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor Learn how to develop a community engagement program to prepare parents, students and community members to become informed leaders and advocates for your district. Receive a framework for an ongoing community engagement and advocacy program and how to create a similar program for students. From interactive presentations, building tours, community service and more, a leadership and advocacy program can ignite your community and students to become engaged advocates for your school district and public education.

Angela Brown, CPC | Chief Communications Officer | Coppell ISD Amanda Simpson, CPC | Director of Communications | Coppell ISD Naveen Boppana | Coordinator of Digital Content and Community Engagement | Coppell ISD

CORPORATE SHOWCASE sponsored by Harris County Department of Education Capturing the Soul of Your District: Techniques for More Engaging Visual Content Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor Powerful visual content engages the audience and informs their perception of your district. Storytelling through photography is a powerful tool to craft and carry the message to your stakeholders. Although the mechanics of 26

making a photograph is universally simple, capturing moments with a lasting impact is a bit more nuanced. Planning, perspective and purpose are all strategies that contribute to successful imagery. Whether new to the creative process or a seasoned professional, you will take away a set of proven techniques to produce meaningful visuals for any platform that will stand the test of time.

Dave Einsel | Director of Communications and Photojournalist | Harris County Department of Education

Breaking Down the Silos: How Cross Department Communication Can Increase Engagement and Positivity District Wide Sundance 1, 3rd Floor Departments across a school district often work separately from each other in their own silos. This session will help you bring departments across your district together, equipping your principals with tools for increased parent engagement and productive parent conversations that keep the negativity off social media, and equipping your HR team with tools for engaging staff recruitment through cohesive partnerships inside and outside of your district.

Dusty Langley | Communications Coordinator for Marketing and Engagement | Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Kristin Barnes | Communications Specialist | Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Kris Hill | Communications Coordinator for Multimedia and Creative Arts | Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD Matthew LeBlanc | Director of Communications | Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

Find Your Forte and Tell Everyone About It! Sundance 2, 3rd Floor Walk through Aledo ISD’s first true marketing campaign - for a spring 2022 job fair - that yielded an 18% hire rate!

Aledo ISD had only about 775 employees but had a job fair with 360-plus attendees, 64 of which were hired. We’ll talk about the concept behind the campaign, the marketing tools we focused on, and the follow up campaign to make sure those employees stayed committed to our district. Walk away with ideas and tools to launch your own marketing campaign!

Mercedes Mayer | Director of Communications | Aledo ISD

Education Foundation + Communications + Academics = Great PR - Creating programs that bring academic success and positive PR to your District Sundance 3, 3rd Floor Innovative academic programs can be very costly for a school district. But with a good communication strategy and the support of the education foundation, your vision can become a reality. Learn how Alvin ISD has created four innovative academic programs that have brought not only academic success for the students, but positive PR for the District.

Ana Pasarella | Director of Family and Community Engagement | Alvin ISD Rachel Moore | Assistant Director of Communications | Alvin ISD Sheila Olson | Executive Director | Alvin ISD Education Foundation

Let’s Keep it Reel!

Sundance 4, 3rd Floor It’s time to be real, with Instagram Reels! Instagram and Facebook reels are leading the way for social media video streaming content. Learn how to utilize Insights to measure engagement and growth, create, capture and build Instagram Reels to market your school district! This will be a hands-on session, make sure to bring your moblie device.

Briana Estrada | Multimedia Specialist | Judson ISD

Digital Media Show and Tell Sundance 5, 3rd Floor In a continuation of the discussions had during the Special Content Session, this session is an opportunity to share some of the workflow, equipment, and final content that has been successful in your district. Be sure to bring your content to share for this School PR Digital Media Show and Tell!

Justin Dearing | Communications Strategist | CESO Communications

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor 27

COWTOWN CORRAL NETWORKING EVENTS TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21 | 4:15 TO 5:15 P.M.

A Luau in Your Honor | CatapultK12 Fort Worth Ballroom 4 Aloha TSPRA! Hula on over to our no-pitch zone where a vacation is waiting for you. Sip in the good energy and relax to the island vibes. The tiki gods request your presence at this event, so we look forward to seeing you. Mahalo.

Escape the Conference Chaos with ParentSquare: Caricatures and More!

Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor Please join ParentSquare in Ballroom I to refuel and relax! We’ll be hosting a casual reception with lots of fun stations and activities, including drinks, snacks, and caricatures. Don’t miss your chance to get your caricature drawn right before your eyes.

Give us 5, we’ll give you $10 | SchoolMessenger Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor You don’t need to be a math major to know that’s a great deal! Stop by for a 5-minute demo of SchoolMessenger Chat, the all-new advanced two-way classroom messaging tool. We’ll give a $10 gift card to anyone who watches a full 5-minute demo, plus we’ll enter you for a chance to win a big-screen TV!

WANTED: YOU! TSPRA Members | Harris County Department of Education Sundance 1, 3rd Floor Yee haw! It’s cowboy/cowgirl party time! Giddy on up to Sundance 1 (3rd floor) to decompress and join HCDE for some games and fun. Come ready to laugh, take pics and grab some fine and dandy treats to munch on throughout your TSPRA retreat. Y’all be sure to stop on by and say HOWDY to our staff and no doubt you’ll run off with some real good SWAG on our behalf!

School PR Happy Hour with CESO | CESO Communications Sundance 2, 3rd Floor It’s time for School PR Happy Hour! Join the team from CESO Communications and your favorite podcast for a School PR Happy Hour meet and greet during the TSPRA Conference. Register to win a drawing for one-hour free consultation with the strategists at CESO Communications and/or give us your best topic and guest speaker ideas for our next podcast season.

Learn About Chatbots | Always On Sundance 3, 3rd Floor Come learn the basics of how AI and automated chatbots work! We’ll show specific examples of chatbots being used in a school district setting, view analytics, and discuss the role of chatbots in furthering stakeholder engagement, communications, and customer service goals. Interested attendees can have a custom chatbot built for their district along with a free trial!

Quality Video Production - No Experience Needed! | Peachjar Sundance 4, 3rd Floor Video is the most effective way to connect with your audience and grow your reach and social media presence.

We will cover writing, producing, editing, and distributing quality videos without any fancy tools or extensive experience. Additional topics include equipment and software options, tips for recording and editing, how to add music and voice overs, and more!

28

WEDNESDAY MORNING CONCURRENT SESSIONS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 | 10:30 TO 11:30 A.M.

Start with Heart: Leading Difficult Conversations as School Communicators Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor Learn how school communicators and building leaders have partnered to use student voice as a catalyst for building a safer, more inclusive learning environment. From talking about discrimination to discussing classroom inequities, students have pushed adults to identify critical factors driving our gaps. We’ll share how amplifying student stories through video has humanized data and touched hearts to change minds on difficult topics.

Stan Alleyne | Lead Strategist | Captivate Media + Consulting Jake Sturgis, APR | CEO + Founder | Captivate Media + Consulting

The Secret Sauce for Success Texas Ballroom H, 2nd Floor The relationship between the superintendent and communications can make or break a district initiative. Chemistry, alignment, perspective and a push/pull dynamic all play into the role and impact of communications. Hear from TSPRA’s 2022 Key Communicator, who is a veteran Superintendent, and his Chief Communications Officer about the intricacies of these two critical positions working together and their perspective on what works. Get insight into what a superintendent wants from communications.

Danielle Clark, APR | Chief Communications Officer | Harris County Department of Education James Colbert, Jr. | Superintendent | Harris County Department of Education

24/7 Crisis: Managing Daily Crisis Professionally & Personally Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor In our role as communications experts for our district, we deal in crisis sometimes on a daily basis. We hope to go home at the end of the day and not be faced with personal crisis as well. How do we handle balancing both at the same time?

In the midst of a pandemic with a child battling leukemia while moving to a new town and managing a new district team in a fast-growth district with two massive bonds passed in less than two and a half years, Kristin Zastoupil will share her story and what she’s learned along the way when it comes to balancing personal and professional struggles.

Kristin Zastoupil | Executive Director of Marketing & Communications | Forney ISD

CORPORATE SHOWCASE sponsored by CatapultK12 Overview of CatapultK12’s Integrated Communication Solutions Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor Last year we were jumping like kangaroos to present our product suite to you all and this year we are riding the wave of excitement to show you everything new! Our core product suite includes content management software for websites, district branded apps, connect mass communication, emergency management solutions, and anonymous tipping options that keep your district unified in communication, prevention, and response. New products include PA integrations, panic button options, and visitor management software. Join us for an overview of our product integration and see for yourself why CatapultK12 is the best and easiest solution.

CatapultK12 team

Open Records in 2023 Sundance 1, 3rd Floor Transparency is vital for our public schools and open records laws help ensure public trust. The Texas PIA states that we must treat all requests equally so school communicators must be familiar with district policy, the TPIA, and FERPA. In this session, we will discuss current open records trends, school-specific issues, and ways to properly respond.

Ian Halperin | Executive Director of Community Relations & Marketing | Wylie ISD Jeff Crownover | Chief of Administrative Services | Prosper ISD

29

Making Communication Moves with the Hispanic Community Sundance 2, 3rd Floor Discover multiple ways to reach and partner with your Hispanic community. Find out how to use TV shows, weekly radio segments, social media, and community events to establish and maintain meaningful two-way communications with the Hispanic Community. Learn how to get Hispanic business owners to give support at the district and campus levels.

Uncover best practices that generated remarkable results for Tyler ISD in just a short amount of time.

Maribel Gutierrez | Public Relations Specialist | Tyler ISD

Remixing your District’s Vision: Bringing Life to a Mundane Statement Through Visual Art Sundance 3, 3rd Floor Nearly every district is taking information and remixing it for target audiences to showcase on media platforms. But, does it reflect your district’s vision, and are you creatively expressing it? In this session, you’ll hear how one district is taking the word “Destination” and making it its own. Learn behind-the-scenes thinking on how they accomplished the goal and the resources that illustrate it. Be ready to collaborate and develop your own ideas!

Cecelia Jones, CPC | Director for Communications | Little Elm ISD Brandon Buckner | Web Manager and Graphic Designer | Little Elm ISD

Adapting and Engaging your Community with SWISD Sundance 4, 3rd Floor Hear from the team from Southwest ISD on their Home Builder and Employee Rewards programs that have recently been initiated. With 10,000-12,000 rooftops coming to the district, SWISD put together a system to market to new residents (and current residents). The Employee Rewards Program is another exciting partnership with local businesses that offer discounts and incentives to staff members!

Samantha Ruiz, Ph.D. | District and Community Relations Coordinator | Southwest ISD Brandon Medina | District and Community Relations Specialist | Southwest ISD

Recognition: How to Make it Sincere and Specific, not Saccharine Sweet Sundance 5, 3rd Floor Recognition is one of the hallmarks of a thriving workplace culture. But sometimes recognition comes off as an afterthought. Make recognition meaningful by making it targeted and easy to manage!

We often use Google forms for nominations, content and photos. Examples: 1. Look At Them Now: Alumni 2. Greenville Legacy: Multigenerational families 3. Hero of Hope: Employees who make an impact 4. Extra Mile: Employees caught doing something amazing 5. Impactful Partner: Business partners Helen Williams | Assistant Superintendent of Communications | Greenville ISD Amy Wade | Director of Community Relations | Greenville ISD Kyle Heimbigner | Visual Media Coordinator | Greenville ISD

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor WEDNESDAY, FEB 22 | 1:15-2:15 P.M.

Building a Team of Social Media Content Creators Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor Would you like help telling your school’s story? Do you wish you could clone yourself and be in two places at once? This session will empower you to create and sustain a team of adults and/or students. From recruitment to retainment, learn how to select, train and inspire others to take ownership of telling your school’s story. Walk away with great tips for motivating your people to create content for someone other than themselves!

Courtnie Nix | Communications Coordinator | Crandall ISD 30

Start Strong! Tips to Plan An Unforgettable Staff Convocation Texas Ballroom H, 2nd Floor Need to plan a Staff Convocation for your school district? PSJA ISD will share strategies and best practices focused on event coordination, video/audio, and social media to help you plan an unforgettable event to kick off the school year!

Claudia Lemus Campos | Communications Coordinator | Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD Crystal Villarreal de la Paz, Marco Vasquez, Daniel Ramos, Karelis Mesquitic, James Jenson, Matt Cortez, Lorelei Lopez, PSJA ISD Communications Department

Be Positive: Pivoting Back to Positive Public Education Storytelling Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor School communications professionals have been in crisis mode since February 2020. Now is the time to look beyond the crises and critics, and pivot back to telling the positive stories showcasing the amazing things happening in your schools each day. Learn how a proactive strategy combined with an editorial calendar and intentional use of social media can get your communications team back on the good news storytelling track and increase positive engagement within your community.

Amanda Simpson, CPC | Director of Communications | Coppell ISD Angela Brown, CPC | Chief Communications Officer | Coppell ISD Naveen Boppana | Coordinator of Digital Content and Community Engagement | Coppell ISD

CORPORATE SHOWCASE sponsored by ParentSquare Unique Ways to Engage and Involve All Families: Insights from District Leaders Across Texas Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor During this session, district leaders from Waxahachie ISD, Hutto ISD, and New Braunfels ISD will share their strategies for ensuring that families are not only receiving information, but also engaging with it. We’ll hear their stories and experiences about how to build more vibrant, involved communities. Attendees will leave with ideas for building engagement, and learn how a unified communications platform can help to do so.

Chad Stevens | Chief Strategy Officer | ParentSquare Rebecca Villarreal, APR | TSPRA President & Director of Communications at New Braunfels ISD Jenny Bridges | Director | Public Relations at Waxahachie ISD Eliska Padilla | Communications Manager at Hutto ISD

Lions and Tigers and Bears! OH, MY BRAND! Sundance 1, 3rd Floor Why YES, these are your Monkeys, and YES, this is your Circus! Learn how Humble ISD Public Communications, aka The Ringmasters, tamed all 46 campuses to ensure a consistent and effective identity for Humble ISD. Presenters will share resources on branding style guides, mascot creation and use, brand websites, and the communications necessary to juggle all the performers under our Humble ISD Big Top! Lori Maugans, CPC | Web/Mobile Communications Coordinator | Humble ISD Rusty Odom | Assistant Director for Broadcast Engineering and Production | Humble ISD Kelci Hebert | Web/Mobile Communications Coordinator | Humble ISD

From the CTE Video Classroom to District Communication Sundance 2, 3rd Floor Learn how to collaborate with your district’s video production teachers and students to facilitate real-world experiences and constant district-level content.

Vanessa Koch | Production Curriculum Coordinator | Cypress Fairbanks ISD

Show Me the RESOURCES!!!

Sundance 3, 3rd Floor Does your district spend thousands of dollars hosting an event? Who benefits from those district dollars? Find out how Longview ISD utilizes their district resources to host large scale events and how to incorporate community partners when your district resources don’t stretch.

Kacy Swaim | Communication Specialist | Longview ISD Elizabeth Ross | Multimedia Director | Longview ISD

31

More Than One Way to Pass a Bond Sundance 4, 3rd Floor There is no perfect blueprint for passing a bond in today’s economy and political climate. Find out how two districts with different demographics and varying rates of growth passed bonds with multiple propositions that included both academic and athletic facilities. Similar plans with different strategies made for two very successful elections.

Tommy Brown Chief Communications Officer Alvarado ISD Rick Herrin Director of Communications Argyle ISD

Real Talk: Leveraging Family Engagement to Improve District Reputation Sundance 5, 3rd Floor In this interactive workshop, we’ll show you how to improve your district’s public image by: 1. Discovering the causes of community dissatisfaction 2. Identifying and removing barriers to effective communication 3. Empowering teachers and administrators to create positive relationships with families 4. Utilizing feedback from families to better allocate district services 5. Highlighting successes!

Candice Cooper, MBA Chief Communications Officer Manor ISD Ivan Solomon Account Executive TalkingPoints

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor

smore.com/get-a-demo 32

There’s a smarter way to do back-to-school supply lists Easy for schools and districts Upload your district’s supply lists in seconds— no more printouts!

Convenient for families One-click retail buttons allow for quick and easy online shopping

FREE

ools for sch ies! & famil

Learn more at TeacherLists.com/districts Visit us at the TSPRA Annual Conference and mention this ad to get an extra raffle entry!

Transform your K-12 education experiences Engage students, teachers, and families in your schools and districts like never before. Discover the experience improvements that deliver the outcomes that matter most.

Learn more at qualtrics.com/education

33

ROUNDTABLES & JOB ALIKE SESSIONS SPONSORED BY:

This year, with the addition of the Special Content Sessions, the Planning Committee made the decision to combine the annual job-alike sessions with roundtable sessions. This will give the opportunity for networking and sharing of ideas in smaller groups. All members are encouraged to find a job-alike table and network with TSPRAns in similar roles. Members who stepped up to lead these sessions are much appreciated!

TABLE 5

TABLE 1

Jill Johnson, Ed.D., President | Class Intercom

What Districts Miss in Attracting Talent

Attracting and retaining talent is a challenge for many districts. You will learn misconceptions about recruiting teachers and best practices on how to stand out.

Abby Honnas | Business Development Manager Apptegy

TABLE 2

Time To Step Up - TSPRA Leadership

If you are interested in learning the areas where you can step up and serve TSPRA members from across the state, join TSPRA President Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Fellow PRSA, for this informational roundtable.

Social Media Best Practices for Telling a More Authentic Story

Social media is a powerful tool in your storytelling box, but you can’t build it alone. Learn practical ways to tell a more authentic story by empowering others, sharing responsibility, and extending control without losing control.

TABLE 6

On a Budget? In Need of Resources? HCDE Can Help You!

Most communications and marketing departments do not know the benefits of working with Harris County Department of Education. Find out the various ways HCDE can help your school district, as well as your department, save money through their new contract with Amazon and newly implemented rebate program.

Stephanie De Los Santos | Director of Marketing & Client Engagement Harris County Department of Education

TABLE 3

TABLE 7

When the only camera you have with you is the one in your pocket, proceed with confidence. Explore techniques to best leverage the incredible technology of smartphones. We will talk about best practices for capturing more engaging images and apps for preparing them for any end use.

Learn how to empower teachers and staff to communicate directly with non-English speaking parents as needed, on a budget, and with minimal hassle.

Smartphone Photography

Dave Einsel | HCDE

TABLE 4

Time-Saving Apps Swap

We’re all trying to work smarter, not harder and the right apps on our phones can save a lot of time! At this roundtable, I’ll be sharing some apps that make my job easier when I’m on the go. Participants will be encouraged to share too! Let’s swap app ideas! I’ll take notes in a Google doc and share it with participants to keep and refer back to. Just bring your phone, share why your apps are awesome, and we’ll learn from each other.

Sarah-Jane Menefee | Director of Communications & One-Woman Show Rapoport Academy Public School

Empowering Multilingual Communications

Sandra Alboum | CEO | Alboum Translation Services

TABLE 8

Graphic Design Job Alike

Are you responsible for creating graphic design content for your team? Do you know the shortcut in Illustrator to use the curvature tool? If this sounds like you, come join the Graphic Design Job-Alike Roundtable and share your workflow process, tips and tricks, or ask questions of those that are in the design trenches every day!

Brandon Buckner | Web Manager and Graphic Designer Little Elm ISD.

TABLE 9

Sharing the Good News

If you don’t tell your district’s story, someone else will.

Find the right people and ask the right questions to compose an engaging feature story.

Typhani Bartholomew | Multimedia Coordinator Lancaster ISD

34

TABLE 10

How to Train and Manage 100+ Webmasters

Do you have webmasters managing their own campus website? Learn how CFISD’s Web Team trains and manages their 100+ webmasters for 93 campus websites.

Jennifer Ongoco | Assistant Director Cypress-Fairbanks ISD Denisse Sioss | Digital Content Specialist Cypress-Fairbanks ISD

TABLE 11

One-Person PR Shops Job Alike

TABLE 15A

Video Magic: Turn One Video into Five with Minimal Effort!

The playbook for how schools use video continues to evolve. No longer can you create a single one-size-fitsall video that is effective on your website, social media channels, and community presentations. Learn how to become a magician with your video skills and turn one video into five that will resonate with your millennial parents AND community members who are baby boomers - WITHOUT adding five times the work to your plate!

Are you a one-person department? Responsible for every aspect of communications? Join Jennifer Mitchell from Shallowater ISD and share tips and tricks for those that rolling solo in their school districts just like you!

Jake Sturgis, APR | Founder and CEO Captivate Media + Consulting

Jennifer Mitchell | Director of Communications Shallowater ISD

TABLE 15B

TABLE 12

TSPRA Committee Information

Do you want to be on the committee that helps decide the scholarship for next year’s conference? Do you want to step up and start to help shape TSPRA now and in the future? Committees are a great launching point. Join President-Elect Megan Overman, APR, CPC, and learn about areas you can serve in 2023.

Megan Overman APR, CPC | TSPRA President-Elect Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD

TABLE 13

Transparent Parent CommunicationEliminating the “He-Said, She-Said” Conversations

Join Andrew Fernandez and SchoolStatus to learn how the district turned student families into school community and reduced “he-said, she-said” conversations.

Erin Winnicki | Regional Sales Executive SchoolStatus Andrew Fernandez | Chief of Communications San Marcos CISD

TABLE 14

Back-to-School Communication: What Families Really Want to Know

In this session, you’ll learn best practices and strategies for communicating the information families really want to know, and as a result, ease back-to-school stress for everyone in your district.

Charlene LaFerriere | Director of School Engagement TeacherLists Kim Gavrilles | EdTech Partner Success Manager TeacherLists

Andrew Coons | Director of Partnerships Captivate Media + Consulting

Data rich and insight poor? Collect, analyze, and visualize data with the powerful Qualtrics engine Join us as we discuss how Qualtrics can help collect, analyze, and visualize key stakeholder feedback and data. Take demographic, performance, attendance, discipline, and other data sources and marry them with experience data to make well-rounded, data-informed decisions that make a difference.

TABLE 16

Moving Beyond Limits - From Beginning to End

Participants will learn how to develop an effective marketing plan that markets the district in an effective way. Participants will walk away with a plan on how to develop a marketing plan that encompasses a marketing campaign, activities, social media marketing, content marketing, and branding. Participants will also learn the 4Ps of marketing that we have found effective to use in public schools.

Nikita Russell Ed.D. | Chief of Communications & Marketing Everman Independent School District Grace Otieno | CCMR & Marketing Specialist Derrick Thompson | Communications Specialist Kevin Graham | Website & Digital Content Specialist

TABLE 17

Ask the NSPRA Experts

Are you grappling with a tough issue in your district or agency on which you could use some guidance? Three NSPRA national leaders will be on hand to chat with you, provide advice and share wisdom and helpful resources.

Barbara Hunter, APR | Executive Director

Lauren Fredrikson | School Relations Associate TeacherLists 35

TABLE 18

TABLE 24

Short-form video is taking over all our favorite apps.

Is it time to start diving into the world of TikTok? This roundtable will be a great opportunity to share conversations on if it’s time to trend!

No School PR campaign is complete without an excellent graphic design. Learn Adobe Illustrator tips and tricks to produce high-quality and engaging graphic designs.

Are You Ready to TikTok?

Graphic Design 101

Chris Curtis | Rockwall ISD

Rodrigo Martinez | Branding and Design Coordinator Lancaster ISD

TABLE 19

TABLE 25

Education Foundation Job Alike

Are you involved in your district’s Education Foundation?

Want to share stories with others who are facing the same challenges? Join Sheila Olson, Executive Director of the Alvin ISD Education Foundation, in this job-alike discussion table!

Sheila Olson | Executive Director Alvin ISD Education Foundation

TABLE 20

Thinking about earning your Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)?

Talk with a few APRs about the process and the benefits of earning your accreditation.

Danielle Clark, APR

TABLE 21

How to Survive Being Canceled

School districts are not immune to cancel culture and being overwhelmed with outrage from near and far.

Hear/share tips for how to survive being “canceled.”

Amanda Simpson, CPC | Director of Communications Angela Brown, CPC | Chief Communications Officer

Are You Choosing the Right Company for CMS/Websites? Asking the Right Questions Can Make All the Difference Are you unsure if the company you picked for web development is the right fit? You don’t have to guess.

By asking the right questions and taking your time, you can make sure that you’re choosing a partner that’s committed to providing quality services, building a lasting relationship, and crafting an effective website.

CatapultK12

TABLE 26

Keeping it Reels

Discuss how the Reel trend can work for your school district and learn how short videos capturing learning and events can increase engagement on social media.

Michael Gutt | Brand Experience Specialist Coppell ISD

TABLE 27

What’s Working to Engage Families Today: Communication Tips for Leaders

Naveen Boppana | Coordinator of Digital Content and Community Engagement Coppell ISD

We’ll discuss what districts in TX and across the US are doing to improve engagement, and share how a unified communication platform can help improve connections between school and home. We’ll also share more about ParentSquare’s newest offering, Smart Sites.

TABLE 22

TABLE 28

Good Photography + Game Changing Storytelling

Great photography is a game changer in School PR. The right photo can completely change how your community engages with your district. During this roundtable, you will learn some tips and tricks to elevate your photography and tell an even better visual story!

Michael Pena | HEB ISD

TABLE 23

Learn how TCU’s Certified Public Communicator program has benefitted TSPRA members by helping districts to create communication plans and individuals to earn a certification.

Hailee Fojtasek, MBA, CPC | Coordinator of Community Relations Northwest Independent School District

36

Absence Does Not Make the Grades Grow Fonder: Fighting Absenteeism with SMS Texts

The negative effects of school absences are welldocumented: delayed reading in grade school, underperforming in middle school, and not graduating from high school. Learn how you can combat absenteeism in your district with three simple letters, SMS. Send text messages that can literally change the future of your students.

Steven W. Anderson | SchoolMessenger

TABLE 29

The Case for Customer Service in Schools

The systematic delivery of superior customer service has become a requirement for school districts nationwide to increase trust and build strong district brands.Through our work with hundreds of school districts across the country, we’ve learned how important it is to implement

an intentional customer service strategy. Join us to learn how to start the process in your district — and why you can’t afford not to.

strategy with your citizens advisory committee, and using algorithms to your advantage.

Sarah Maston, K12 Insight

Natasha Ray | Bridge City ISD Kim Hocott | Claycomb Associates, Architects

TABLE 30

TABLE 34

What organizations come to mind when you think of great customer service? If your district didn’t come to mind, you need to attend this roundtable.

The customer service offered by your team significantly impacts the school experience of students and families.

Learn to dramatically improve how key stakeholders feel about your district’s brand by implementing these tips and recommendations. Come hear from national consultants who train and equip school leaders to improve their daily customer service habits.

It’s Not What You Say, But How You Say It

Sonja Brown | Lead Communications Coordinator Lancaster ISD

TABLE 31

Giving Your District Teachers of the Year an Edge to Advance to State

Your district may have some of the most outstanding teachers around, but they never seem to advance to the regional or state level of the Teacher of the Year awards program. Learn from a 30-year veteran ESC coordinator of this program some vital tips and strategies for leveraging the application process so that your candidates get the attention they deserve from the judges. Who knows, you may have a regional or state winner next year!

Lori Burton, CPC | Chief Communications Officer ESC Region 11

TABLE 32

CANCELLED

Your People. An Important Audience in District Communications.

Employees. Faculty and staff. Team. People. All words to describe an important audience of any communications plan. Yet, employees are often overlooked when districts plan their editorial calendars. Employee engagement and communication play an active role in retention and recruitment, as well as culture and morale. Join members of the Clear Creek ISD communications team as they share how they listened, learned, and responded to employee feedback that now drives their internal communications plan.

Elaina Polsen | Chief Communications Officer Clear Creek Independent School District Lindsey Hunt | Communications Specialist Clear Creek Independent School District

TABLE 33

Targeted Social Media Strategies for Your Bond Campaign

Using focused social media tactics, learn how Bridge City ISD flipped their bond results from their $46.1 million 2019 bond election results from 69% (against) / 31% (for) to passing two propositions totaling $72.4 million in 2022 with 65% support. Walk away with resources and ideas for quick facts, social media calendar, sharing your

School Customer Service Matters

Casey Nash | Vice President of Online Learning | AASCS

TABLE 35

[Insert Emoji Here]: Should we use that emoji?

Have you ever wondered if emojis were helping or hurting your messages on social media? Is three hearts too many to celebrate on your ISD’s Facebook page? Find out what stakeholders think about organizational emoji use in the digital realm. In our research, we tested how appropriate users found emojis in a variety of contexts, including positive and negative messages, and emoji sequences.

Learn about practical findings and best practices for your digital team.

Sarah Maben, Ph.D. and Christopher Gearhart, Ph.D. Associate Professors | Tarleton State University

TABLE 36

The Leavenworth Student PR Internship Experience: Lessons Learned from Involving Youth In District Communications

For over 10 years, the Leavenworth (Kan.) Unified School District has facilitated a School PR paid-internship opportunity during June and July. Each summer, between 3-5 eligible juniors/seniors/recent graduates work under the supervision of the district’s Communications Department to receive hands-on learning opportunities and gain professional working experience.

Jake Potter, APR (USD 453 Director of Public Relations & NSPRA South Central Region VP), will share what’s worked well, and what has not, and things to consider before launching a similar internship/mentoring experience in your local district.

Jake Potter, APR | USD 453 Director of Public Relations NSPRA South Central Region VP

TABLE 37

Social Media Manager Job Alike

Are you in charge of your district’s social media presence?

This Job-Alike table is a great opportunity for SMMs to share tips, pointers and learn from each other.

Skyler Hefley | Social Media Strategy Specialist | Tyler ISD 37

WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON CONCURRENT SESSIONS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22 | 4:00-5:00 P.M.

Healing After A Tragedy Texas Ballroom G, 2nd Floor Shots ring out in a high school classroom. A student is critically injured. A teacher tries to intervene and is wounded.

Hearing the shots, students and teachers run for cover, lock doors and prepare for the worst.

Police descend upon the campus. Media launch helicopters and send reporters. The gunman is on the run.

This shooting happened in October of 2021 at Timberview High School in Mansfield ISD. Our team had prepared for a crisis of this magnitude. But the hypothetical was now reality. And our team faced the monumental task of guiding our community through it.

Kimberley Cantu, Ed.D. | Superintendent of Schools | Mansfield Independent School District Sean Scott, Ed.D. | Deputy Superintendent of Schools | Mansfield Independent School District Donald Williams | Associate Superintendent, Communications & Marketing | Mansfield Independent School District Jeff Brogden | Associate Superintendent, Facilities & Bond Programs | Mansfield Independent School District

Don’t Major in the Minors Texas Ballroom I, 2nd Floor “Visualize. Focus. Execute.” - Dan Gazaway Every School PR Department starts the school year with a strategic plan. So, what do you do when outside forces try to derail the plan? This session explores ways to keep the spotlight on student and district success by flipping the narrative. Through real-life examples, learn how to keep the main thing the main thing while staying focused on your strategic plan and avoiding burnout.

Kimberly Simpson | Chief of Communications | Lancaster ISD Sonja Brown | Communications Coordinator | Lancaster ISD Typhani Bartholomew | Multimedia Coordinator | Lancaster ISD

CORPORATE SHOWCASE sponsored by Finalsite The School Websites & Mass Comms Honky Tonk!

Texas Ballroom J, 2nd Floor Slide those boots on, saddle up and ride over to this interactive panel of Finalsite clients to discuss best practices in websites and integrated mass comms! Panelists will discuss successes, best practices, and tips on the Finalsite software and deployment process. Attendees will have opportunities to ask questions live during the session.

Moderator: Joshua Sauer, APR - Director of District Communications Strategy, Finalsite Panelists: Ralph Bissey, Webmaster, New Braunfels ISD; Justin Elbert, Executive Director of Communications, Klein ISD; Claudia McWhorter, Chief Communications Officer, Eanes ISD; Rebecca Villarreal, APR, Executive Director of Communications, New Braunfels ISD; Justin Warnasch, Director of Digital Communications, Tomball ISD; Cooper Welch, Director of Communications, Community ISD

38

Using Google to Keep Your District Website Up-to-Date Sundance 1, 3rd Floor Website editors can be clunky & hard to train multiple people to use. In this session, we’ll discuss ways to use Google Drive and Google tools to keep your website up-to-date & how others can help! Great for communications departments with limited personnel/one-person departments. We’ll get hands-on as time allows!

Sarah-Jane Menefee | Director of Communications & One-Woman Show | Rapoport Academy Public School

Protecting the Future: An Exploration of Seguin ISD’s Safety Task Force Sundance 2 , 3rd Floor In response to the Uvalde tragedy, Seguin ISD assembled a Safety Task Force to review its own safety and security measures. The 30-member community task force was charged with identifying improvement ideas across four safety areas. This session will examine Seguin’s response strategy, the four safety areas, and how ThoughtExchange was used to include all community voices in the conversation to find common-ground and a way forward in ensuring the protection of the community’s children.

Matthew Gutierrez, Ph.D. | Protecting the Future: An Exploration of Seguin ISD’s Safety Task Force | Seguin ISD Kevin Skelcher, Account Executive | ThoughtExchange

Measurement Makeover: Taking Stock of Your Evaluation Practices Sundance 3, 3rd Floor Straight from the Certified Public Communicator (CPC) runway, we’ll create and model measurements that are in fashion and on-trend. In this interactive session, we’ll crowdsource ways to measure your communication successes. You’ll walk away rethinking that old evaluation wardrobe and wearing new measurement accessories.

Sarah Maben, Ph.D. | Associate Professor | Tarleton State University, Fort Worth Campus

Confronting the Challenges of a Bond Election Sundance 4, 3rd Floor Texas Public Schools are growing at a fast rate. In this session, we will encounter challenges that a bond election brings.

We will address the approaches and schemes that will fit your stakeholders and community to allow them to grasp and comprehend the important of the bond election your board has called.

Susan Ard, CPC | Cleveland Independent School District

FUNdraising: Idea Sharing for Education Foundations Sundance 5, 3rd Floor This session will focus on making connections with other education foundation professionals and sharing ideas for grants, fundraising, PR and events.

Taylor Poston | Public Information Officer | Krum ISD

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Sundance 6, 3rd Floor

THANKS TO IMMERSIVE AV & BRYAN RAMSEY FOR AUDIO AND VIDEO SUPPORT 39

VENDORS AND SPONSORS Alboum

Alboum provides translation and interpretation services to districts in Texas and nationwide and is an approved vendor on Buyboard, Choice Partners, TIPS, and Allied States.

Sandra Alboum sandra@alboum.com 571-765-3060

Always On

AI with school expertise: AlwaysOn is an automated chatbot built for schools to help their stakeholders get answers, find information, and feel supported 24/7. It works “out of the box” with no setup or maintenance required.

Teddy Daiber teddy@alwayson.ai

American Association of School Customer Service

Our online customer service training is designed specifically for school and district office staff. It includes 30 lessons, an exam and a professional certificate.

Casey Nash casey@schoolcustomerservice.org 919-592-2369

CESO Communications

CESO Communications brings you the brightest minds in school PR to communicate with clarity, connect with your community, and build for the future. We know the challenges of this work because we’ve done it for decades. theceso.com Bob Noyed Bob.Noyed@theceso.com

Class Intercom

Class Intercom is the only social media management platform created specifically for educational use. It is the smartest and simplest way for school administrators, communicators, and educators to manage all of their social media profiles, from a single school to an entire district. Class Intercom allows schools to foster a secure and collaborative environment with social media content creation, scheduling, publishing, moderation, monitoring, and archiving. Make your school’s social media remarkable.

Dr. Jill Johnson jill@classintercom.com 402-413-7114

Claycomb

“Designing Schools with Kids in Mind,” Claycomb Associates, Architects exclusively serves Texas K-12 districts, offering long-range planning, bond election assistance, creative services, and construction administration.

Apptegy

Claycomb.net Kim Hocott kim.hocott@claycomb.net 832-672-4000

Abby Honnas abby.honnas@apptegy 832-520-6555

Edlio

Make it easy to reach parents, students, staff, and your community: with Thrillshare, you can communicate better and influence how people feel about your schools.

Captivate Media+Consulting

Captivate Media is your K-12 expert in crafting highimpact video, graphic design, and animation. Grow enrollment and build community support with clarity, purpose, and intent.

Jake Sturgis jake@captivatemedia.us

CatapultK12

CatapultK12 provides Integrated Communication Solutions for K12 schools and educational institutions for affordable prices. catapultk12.com 40

Edlio is a technology company that unifies, simplifies, and streamlines school communication for students, families, and the community. marketing@edlio.com 1-877-646-0500

Et Tu Boutique

Et Tu Boutique is a women’s clothing store specializing in curvy and plus-size women, starting with sizes XL. We believe every woman deserves to feel beautiful. Et Tu - “And You” deserve to find stylish, comfortable and beautiful clothes.

Melissa Day ettu@the-other-day.com 512-905-3875

Finalsite

Easy-to-use website and communications tools. Districts choose Finalsite for our award-winning, ADA-compliant designs, robust communications software, integrated mobile app, easy-to-use website content management tools and secure hosting. finalsite.com

Gallagher

Gallagher Construction Services provides complete construction services for independent school districts, municipalities, higher education districts, and government agencies.

Steve Risser srisser@gallaghertx.com 972-663-0564

Go Public

Go Public promotes the benefits of PreK-12 public education and the wonderful things happening in its member districts.

Lisa Losasso Jackson Lisa@WeGoPublic.com 512-217-7408

Harris County Department of Education

Harris County Department of Education is a public entity dedicated to meeting the needs of uniquely challenged learners in the stateʼs largest county through innovative programming and support services.

Stephanie De Los Santos sdelossantos@hcde-texas.org 713-696-0754

Huckabee

Huckabee Communications team facilitates district bond campaigns and develops branding and communications strategies that holistically tell a client’s story, increase engagement and elevate their image.

Lesley Weaver Lesley.Weaver@huckabee-inc.com 817-377-2969

Kendra Scott

Jewelry for every look & occasion, from simple & classic to bright and bold.

Jewelry that makes you feel like your most confident self. Shop pendants, earrings & more!

K12 Insight

K12 Insight offers the only all-in-one, enterprise-wide customer experience and intelligence platform built for education.

Sarah Maston smaston@k12insight.com 703-542-9605

Knockout Specialties

Welcome to Knock-Out Specialties, where promoting your business is our business. We are a premier source for your branding solutions and promotional product needs!

Brett Bond orders@knockoutspecialties.com 214-440-1200

LexisNexis

Learn about how LexisNexis® Media Intelligence Solutions can inform your communications and business strategies with our media monitoring, social analytics and news curation tools.

Clayton Miller Clayton.Miller@lexisnexis.com 937-557-8229

Niche

Niche is where families choose their school. By supporting over 27 million families, Niche is changing how schools connect with parents and build their classes.

Mark Eshelman mark.eshelman@niche.com 412.303.8697

National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) With more than 2,500 members, NSPRA is the leader in developing professionals to communicate strategically, build trust and foster positive relationships in support of their school communities. Members receive two monthly newsletters, free monthly webinars, access to the members-only discussion forum NSPRA Connect, discounts to the National Seminar and on other programs and services, ability to earn their APR through NSPRA and participate in the APR cohort, and much more! Become a member today at nspra.org.

Barbara Hunter, APR bhunter@nspra.org 301-519-1220

41

O’Connell Robertson

Region 4

oconnellrobertson.com

esc4.net/printcenter Bryan Tucker btucker@esc4.net 713-744-8129

ParentSquare

Remind

O’Connell Robertson is a full-service architecture, engineering and interior design firm whose missiondriven approach creates education and healthcare environments that enrich the lives of the people they were designed to serve.

ParentSquare provides unified school-home communications from district office to the classroom.

Reporting, integrations, language translation, and app/ email/text/voice/web access support equitable communication.

Peachjar

Peachjar unites schools, parents, and communities in their joint mission to help children thrive. This digital communication platform streamlines school-to-home communication by distributing invaluable school updates and community resources directly to parent inboxes. Trusted by over 12 million parents and 17,500 schools nationwide, Peachjar works with over 35,000 organizations to provide opportunities to help students find their passions, build social skills, and achieve lifelong success.

Tabassum Bhaghani tabassumb@peachjar.com 858-997-2117

Possip

Possip helps schools and districts routinely access feedback from their stakeholders - families, staff, and students. Working with 1000+ schools and organizations across 34 states, Possip uses Pulse Checks translatable in 100+ languages to capture trends, praise, and feedback for schools and districts.

Hannah Hall Hannah@possip.com 513-5503178

Qualtrics

Qualtrics is used by 3/4 of the fortune 100 companies, nearly every university, and K-12 to improve experiences and relationships with parents, students, and the community.

RBFCU

With high-value products and services, RBFCU is a trusted financial partner for thousands of members in Texas and around the world.

42

Proud to be the “Official Printer of TSPRA,” we offer online printing services 24 hours a day! Our friendly team is ready to assist you. Stop by our booth and learn what we can do.

Remind is a communication platform that reaches students and families where they are. We believe that relationships drive success in education, and we’re building a platform that supports learning wherever it happens. Today, the Remind platform is home to one of the largest free services in education, a school communication business that supports millions of students, and an online tutoring solution that provides help outside the classroom. Founded in 2011, Remind is backed by GSV Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Owl Ventures, and Social Capital.

For more information, visit Remind.com

Public School Marketing Services

Public School Marketing Services provides professional development for school district communications professionals. Through the online School District Marketing Academy, students gain valuable marketing skills.

Small to mid-size districts benefit from the ready-to-use resources and tools SchoolDistrictMarketingAcademy.com Lisa Losasso Jackson LisaL@11Productions.com 512-217-7408

SchoolMessenger

SchoolMessenger combines parent communications, two-way classroom messaging, attendance management, digital forms and workflows, branded mobile apps, and school websites. Designed to work together from the start, our school communications systems save districts time and money and provide more immediate, complete, and equitable school community engagement. See for yourself why SchoolMessenger is trusted by far more districts than any other school communications provider.

AJ Morgan Director of Marketing ajmorgan@intrado.com

School Revenue Partners Stop by our table to learn about how we can generate revenue using your website and e-newsletter and bring more money to your department.

schoolrevenuepartners.com Thomas Evans tevans@schoolrevenuepartners.com 214-620-2091

School Status

Simple solutions for districts that need accessible student data and district-wide communication tools to increase parent and student engagement. The platform aggregates information and pairs with call, text and email capability for data-informed communications. schoolstatus.com

Smore

Smore makes it easy to design beautiful and effective online newsletters. Users of our amazing product create a culture of consistent communication, with interactive newsletters people actually open and read.

SocialSchool4edu

#SocialSchool4EDU provides social media management, offers a Social Media Bootcamp, and runs a vibrant online community that provides professional development for school social media champions. socialschool4edu.com Andrea Gribble andrea@socialschool4edu.com 715-205-0429

Talking Points

TalkingPoints is a multilingual, two-way family engagement platform that establishes effective and meaningful communication with all families in more than 100 languages

TASB

Weʼre here for the benefit of Texas public education. Members have instant access to expert information, training, and advocacy support. So, when you need help, Think TASB First!

Certified Public Communicator Program at TCU

The Certified Public Communicator Program at TCU serves communicators from school districts and public-sector agencies, providing postbaccalaureate professional development on writing communication plans using best practices. certifiedpubliccommunicator.org Jacqueline Lambiase, Ph.D. j.lambiase@tcu.edu 817-257-6552

TeacherLists

TeacherLists is the free, easy-to-use online school supply list solution that helps schools and district manage and share supply lists with families in seconds. Parents love the convenience of viewing lists on their smartphones and shopping through online retailers. All supply lists are ADA-compliant and TeacherLists is 100% free. Visit TeacherLists at www.teacherlists.com.

Charlene LaFerriere claferriere@teacherlist.com 800-644-3561 x 209

ThoughtExchange

ThoughtExchange is for leaders who make big decisions.

Get instant, unbiased insights from tens, hundreds, or thousands of people—without spending weeks or months making sense of the data. Engage your organization or community to voice their thoughts and deliver the best solutions to your most pressing challenges. Unify people and make better decisions, faster.

Vype Media

Content Provider and Marketing Partner for ISDs and Schools, specializing in athletics.

WRA Architects

We’ve designed more than 1,200 projects for 70 districts including K-12 schools, stadiums, auditoriums, CATE & STE(A)M facilities and more. Services include facility assessment, master planning, bond planning, architectural and interior design, and construction administration. Wraarchitects.com Mike Holmberg mholmberg@wraarchitects.com 254-396-4776

Sylvia Wood tasb@tasb.org 800-580-8279 43

OMNI FORT WORTH MAPS

2nd Floor - OMNI DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH 2nd Floor - OMNI DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH 2nd 2nd Floor Floor - OMNI OMNI DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN FORT FORT WORTH WORTH TSPRA Registration, Preconference Sessions, General Sessions, Star Awards Banquets, Breakout Sessions, Exhibitor Area, Cowtown Corrals

TSPRA Registration, Preconference Sessions, General Sessions, Star Awards Banquets, Breakout Sessions, Exhibitor Area, Cowtown Corrals TSPRA Registration, Preconference Sessions, General Sessions, Star Awards Banquets, TSPRA Registration, Preconference Sessions, General Sessions, Star Awards Banquets, Breakout Sessions, Exhibitor Area, Cowtown Corrals Breakout Sessions, Exhibitor Area, Cowtown Corrals

TSPRA Registration TSPRA TSPRA Registration Registration

EXHIBITOR EXHIBITOR AREAAREA AREA EXHIBITOR EXHIBITOR AREA

TSPRA Registration

EXHIBITOR AREA EXHIBITOR AREA

3rd Floor - OMNI DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH 3rd Floor - OMNI DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH 3rd 3rd Floor Floor - OMNI OMNI DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN FORT FORT WORTH WORTH EXHIBITOR AREA EXHIBITOR AREA Preconference sessions, Breakout Sessions, Cowtown Corrals School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Preconference sessions, Breakout Sessions, Cowtown Corrals School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind Preconference sessions, Breakout Sessions, Cowtown Corrals Preconference sessions, Breakout Sessions, Cowtown Corrals School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind

Exit the elevators and turn left to find Sundance Breakout Rooms.

Exit the elevators and turn left to find Sundance Breakout Rooms.

Exit the elevators and turn left to find Exit the elevators and turn left to find Sundance Breakout Rooms.

Sundance Breakout Rooms.

School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind School PR Work Lounge sponsored by Remind School PR Work Lounge School PR Work Lounge sponsored

by Remind sponsored by Remind

44

45

TSPRA 2023 Announcing Advanced Two-Way Messaging from SchoolMessenger Stop by the SchoolMessenger booth at TSPRA and see it for yourself!

46 230130BM-SchoolMessenger - TSPRA 2023 Ad (7.125x10).indd 1

1/30/23 11:48 AM