The Thoughts Library
Every month we publish a practical take on school communications — what worked, what backfired, and what to say next time. The whole archive lives here.
June is a season of celebration in schools. Graduation ceremonies fill auditoriums. Scholarships are announced. Retiring employees are recognized. Student-athletes receive awards. Teachers are honored for excellence. Distinguished alumni return to applause. It’s the kind…
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Summer is one of the few times of the year when school communicators have the opportunity to work on the system instead of simply working in it. The daily rush slows down. The inbox becomes…
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Every June, there’s a collective exhale in school buildings across the country. The hallways empty out, the buses stop running, and suddenly it feels like everyone — staff, families, even the local reporters — has…
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Not long ago, the role of a school communications director was often defined by outputs: press releases written, newsletters sent, websites updated. Important work, certainly—but largely reactive and often disconnected from the district’s core decision-making.…
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So, as the school year, like, winds down, many leaders begin to, ya know, think about how to use the summer months to, umm, invest in their own growth. How about an investment in ……
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As the school year winds down, something predictable happens in nearly every district: communication volume spikes. Graduation schedules, final exams, field trips, awards nights, summer learning opportunities, staffing updates, facility reminders—it all arrives at once.…
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In districts across the country, a familiar classroom scene is quietly disappearing: students glancing down at their phones between assignments, during transitions, sometimes even during instruction. In its place, a new reality is taking hold.…
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Artificial intelligence is everywhere — and if you’re still unsure about it, or even a little skeptical, you’re not alone. Many educators and communicators worry that using AI feels like cheating or replacing human creativity.…
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Recently, we were asked by a municipal government to help strengthen communication with its residents. Leaders were preparing to introduce a new ordinance — one that would directly affect the community and could spark initial…
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School districts are communicating more than ever — emails, apps, social media posts, automated calls, newsletters, texts, and website updates. Yet many administrators hear the same frustrating question: “Why didn’t anyone tell us?” In most…
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Every school district says it wants more positive coverage: more community pride, more engagement, more stories that reflect what really happens inside classrooms every day. Ironically, the best opportunity to make that happen arrives quietly…
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Educators spend most of their professional lives perfecting the big things — curriculum, safety plans, schedules, assessments, communication protocols. Necessary and important work. But ask almost any adult what they remember about elementary school, and…
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