by Dr. Nikita Russell Executive Director of Public Relations Everman ISD
Changing the Perception of the District How did you know the perception of the district needed changing?
I knew the perception needed to change when I would tell people I worked in Everman the responses would be, “Oh, you sure are great in football” or “Oh, I heard that’s not a great place to work.” I didn’t like that perception, because we are great in academics, arts, and it is a great place to work.
What was the background on the issue?
The background came down to people not knowing how great a district we were. Everman was known for success in athletics but not academics or arts. People knew Everman as the state football champions not Everman as one of U.S. News & World Report’s best schools. They also did not know about Everman’s academic achievements on standardized tests, our Buckley Theatre Arts awards or our UIL Band Contest wins. We wanted people to know we were great in academics, arts and athletics.
How long did it take to change the perception of the district?
If I said it took a year to change the perception, that would not be the truth. The perception developed over some decades, so you can imagine it took longer than a year to change to a positive perception. The perception change was over three years and the process continues.
What was the process for changing the perception?
I formed a district committee to assist with changing the perception. The committee consisted 14 Winter 2021 | www.TSPRA.org
