2023 Conference Agenda
-
April 12, 2023:
6:30-8:30 pm Complimentary Welcome Reception
Hosted by Parent Square
Location: Top Golf
908 N 102nd Street, Omaha, NE 68114
April 13, 2023 Agenda
-
8:00 - 9:00 Check In
Check In with a light breakfast and coffee
-
9:00 - 9:10 Welcome
NebSPRA President, Kara Perchal
-
9:10 - 10:00 Opening Session
Telling the Story of Public EducationDr. John Schwartz, Superintendent, Millard Public Schools
Dr. Jami Jo Thompson, Superintendent, Norfolk Public Schools
Dr. Josh Fields, Superintendent, Seward Public Schools
Promoting and sharing the message of public education is more important now than ever. Don’t miss this presentation on how to rally together and collectively spread the positive aspect of the day to day accomplishments in your public school. These Superintendents will share the story of how the campaign “Rooted in Academics Grown to Success came to be. Participants will leave this session with “how to strategies” for promoting the positive aspects of public education in your community. It doesn’t matter if you are trying to recruit employees or combat negative perceptions or simply share the positive stories from your district, this session has specific ideas for anyone to use.
-
10:10 - 11:05 Break Out Sessions
Six Reasons Why You Should (And Shouldn't) Start a Podcast for Your School District
Mitch Roush, Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing, Grand Island Public Schools
Podcasting is a fun and powerful storytelling tool. Starting one, however, can be daunting. This session will unpack the reasons why now may be a good time (or not good time) to take the plunge into school district podcasting.
Building Relationships through Effective Communications
Annette Eyman, APR, Director of Communications, Papillion La Vista Community SchoolsEffective communication can make or break any relationship a school or school district has with staff, parents and community. This session will walk participants through step by step how to develop a successful communication plan that strengthens and supports those valuable relationships. Specific strategies will also be given on how to most effectively communicate in those challenging times when things don’t go as planned. When do you communicate? How do you communicate? What messages are effective? These will be just a few of the areas that will be covered. Participants will leave the session with specific communication best practice tips that can be implemented immediately and tips for the tool box if you need them during rough times.
It's What's Inside that Counts: Effective Internal Communication
Melissa McConnell, Manager, Professional Development & Member Engagement, National School Public Relations AssociationStaff inboxes are exploding with emails from secretaries, parents, students, colleagues, administrators, and the district. Important events and information are ignored, stress levels skyrocket, and maintaining morale becomes a myth. How to help? Learn how Melissa McConnell improved internal communications at the district level and advised similar practices at the site level, resulting in staff who were well-educated about district operations, deadlines, and incentives.
-
11:15 - 12:15 General Session
Presented by Finalsite -
12:15 - 1:00 Lunch
Presented by Finalsite -
1:00 - 2:00 Keynote Speaker
Sponsored by Finalsite
Employee Burnout: The Role of Communications and District Leaders in Saving Public Educators
Dr. Janet Swiecichowski, APR, Fellow PRSA
Vice President, CEL Marketing PR DesignYou’ve seen the headlines: Teacher burnout — nationwide, there are at least 280,000 fewer public school teachers than there were before the pandemic. School Principals – more than 50% intend to leave the profession. Superintendents — “The toughest job in America,” according to Ron Heifetz at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard. #SchoolPR — need we say more?
The future of public education depends on our people and the energy and momentum of those who have a calling to serve. How can school communicators change the narrative to elevate and honor the teaching profession? Prioritizing employee well-being and human-centered leadership to save our schools. -
2:15 - 3:10 Breakout Sessions
From Aha! to Action: The Influence of Strategic Communications
Dr. Janet Swiecichowski, APR, Fellow PRSAVice President, CEL Marketing PR Design
If you’ve mastered the PR tactics yet wish you had more influence, it’s time to think strategically about your communications plan. If you want to be viewed as a leader, you have to think and plan like a leader. That means proactively bringing others along. This session will go beyond RPIE to elevate your strategic communications planning to a leadership level.
You will take away:- The 4 As for every communications plan
- A strategy for earning support and involvement
- A formula for setting strategic priorities
April Hawkins, Translation and Communications Contractor
Crystal Vaught, Ed. D., Brownell Talbot (crystal.vaught@brownell.edu)
Learn how to build positive relationships with diverse school families. We’ll cover low-lift ways that your communications team or one-person shop can be the district star, reaching beyond cultural and linguistic barriers.
Staying True to the NSPRA Code of Ethics
Diane Ostrowski, APR, Chief Communications Officer, Council Bluffs Community School District
Emily Warren, J.D., Director of Compliance, Council Bluffs Community School District
School communications professionals and school leaders regularly navigate sensitive situations, so it's only a matter of time until you encounter an ethical dilemma in your career. This session will provide real-world scenarios and practical tips for you to stay true to the NSPRA Code of Ethics.
-
3:20 - 4:30 Small Group Table Talks
During this hour time block, we will rotate around to different small group tables every 20 minutes. This is a great time to discover valuable ideas and tips to add to your skills set. Choose from a variety of topics and during this one-hour session, attend three mini-sessions of 20 minutes each. Participants will rotate among tables to a new topic every 20 minutes. Don't miss out on this opportunity to gather proven, practical ideas in a time-saving format.
Below are confirmed small group table talk topics. A full list of topics and table leaders will be updated on the website and provided with registration materials at check in.- Five Social Media Best Practices for Telling a More Authentic Story
- Tech Slam
- Modernizing Comms for Today's Parents
- Video Tips & Tricks
-
4:30 Closing remarks
NebSPRA President, Kara Perchal
NebSPRA Vice President, Stacy Hawn