SchoolCEO: K-12 Marketing + Communications

Dr. Calvin Watts often says, “My wife and I have 26,000 children, but only one who lives with us.” Needless to say, Watts leads Washington’s Kent School District with unrivaled passion. The district serves students who speak over 130 languages, making it one of the most richly diverse school systems in the country—a huge source of pride for the Washington native. “There is not a classroom in any of our 42 schools where you will not see someone who doesn't look like you,” he says. “That’s the beauty of diversity. The challenge is ensuring equity, which we define as making sure students and families, and the adults who serve them, get what they need when they need it.” Since stepping into the superintendency in 2015, Watts has devoted much of his time to promoting and nurturing equity in Kent schools. With a strong focus on community input and bringing students and families to the decision-making table, Watts is leading Kent into a new era of accountability, inclusiveness, and community. In this episode, Dr. Watts discusses his dedication to serving all students, his approach to equity and inclusion in our turbulent times, and how he’s using his leadership role to create lasting change. Dr. Calvin Watts (@SuptCalvinWatts)Kent School District (@KentSchools415)You can check out all of the books and resources Dr. Watts mentions in the episode below.Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. KendiHow to be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi Children's Books:The Day You Begin by Jacqueline WoodsonI Am Enough by Grace ByersAll Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne KaufmanI Promise by Lebron JamesSubscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

Superintendent Lori Gonzalez knows the value of being “boots on the ground.” That may seem easy in El Nido Elementary School District, a California district with one building and fewer than 200 students. But cutting her teeth as an administrator in larger districts, she learned how important it was to engage firsthand with students and teachers. By staying present in her community, she’s managed to make enormous strides toward community support of the district. In this episode, Superintendent Gonzalez shares how she and her small team are transforming lives and changing the future of El Nido—whether it’s through increased access to technology, improved community support, or even building a gym.Lori Gonzalez (@LoriGonzalezEDU)El Nido (@ElNidoESD)Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

From her childhood onward, Dr. Nisha Patel has understood the power of a good education. Her parents believed it was worth crossing oceans for. Born in Kenya, Patel is now the superintendent of Fox C-6 School District, an 11,000-student district near St. Louis—and by communicating her district’s collective efficacy, she’s working to make sure all of her students can cash in on the promise of public education. In this episode, we talk to Dr. Patel about amplifying staff and student voices, particularly through the district’s podcast.Dr, Nisha Patel (@FoxC6Super)Fox C-6 School District (@FoxC6Schools)You can check out the #FoxC6Strong Voices Podcast here or wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about Dr. Patel's work at Fox C-6, visit SchoolCEO.com/Patel.Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

Superintendent Tim Doak knows that community partnerships are crucial to a successful school district. But in rural Maine, where school districts are often the largest employers in the area, how do you find comparable businesses to partner with? Doak, who was named Maine’s Superintendent of the Year in 2018, is attempting to answer that question, not just for one district, but for two. As superintendent of both Maine School Administrative District #20 and Eastern Aroostook RSU #39, he’s working hard to strengthen not only the districts themselves—but all of Aroostook County.Tim Doak (@DoakT)MSAD 20RSU 39Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

When Dr. Kelli Joseph began her superintendency at St. Helena Parish School District, she had her work cut out for her. The Louisiana district was facing a multitude of challenges, from a $1.5 million budget deficit to a desegregation order to a fight for local control. The problems looked almost insurmountable—but Joseph and her team were determined not only to solve them but to grow in the process. And that’s just what they did.Since Joseph’s start in 2011, St. Helena has passed two tax increases—the first in 20 years. They’ve boosted teacher pay by more than 25%, balanced their budget, and taken back their middle school from the Recovery School District. Now, Joseph is Louisiana’s current Superintendent of the Year.In this episode, we talk with Dr. Joseph about her dedication to progress in the midst of a crisis and how she and her team balanced cuts with growth.Dr. Kelli Joseph (@sthelenasupe)St. Helena Parish School District (sthpk-12.net)Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

The issue of equity is baked into the history of Oak Park, Illinois. In the 1960s, neighborhoods around Oak Park faced "white flight" and resegregation when they attempted to integrate. But in 1968, the city passed a fair housing ordinance, outlawing discrimination in the housing market. The result, 50 years later, is an extremely diverse community, socially, economically, and racially. Its schools—including Oak Park Elementary School District 97—are no different. But diversity doesn’t always mean equity.Enter Dr. Carol Kelley, who has spent her career in education making sure every child gets a quality education. In this episode, we talk with Dr. Kelley about the changes she’s made in Oak Park to promote a more equitable, anti-racist culture in the district.Dr. Carol Kelley (@drKforequity)Oak Park Elementary School District 97 (@OakPark97)To learn more about Dr. Kelley's work on equity at Oak Park 97, visit SchoolCEO.com/Kelley.Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

Since the first one-room schoolhouses popped up across the country,  schools have been the center of rural America. School facilities are for more than just learning—they’re gathering places where people come together for fundraisers, athletic events, public forums, and more. And while rural schools are often left behind when it comes to education policy decisions, one out of every five public school students attends a rural school district.Clinton-Massie Local Schools in Clarksville, Ohio, defines itself as a “rural school district that takes pride in our strong sense of community.” It owes that vision in part to Superintendent Matt Baker, who has spent the last four years working to make Clinton-Massie a destination district for teachers and students. In this episode, we talk to Superintendent Baker about the unique challenges of the rural superintendency and how he’s using school marketing to put Clinton-Massie on the map.Clinton-Massie Local Schools (@CMFALCONS_NEWS)Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

We don’t have to tell you that education is facing a crisis: America just doesn’t have enough teachers. According to an Education Week analysis, all 50 states experienced statewide teacher shortages in at least one subject area in 2018, and 61% of superintendents indicated that they were having trouble finding great educators. It’s a difficult problem, one that we can’t solve overnight—but the solution might just be the kids sitting in your classrooms.At Rockford Public Schools in Illinois, Dr. Ehren Jarrett and his team are looking to build the next generation of teachers before they even leave high school. Partnering with their local university, they’ve created an education pathway that begins in middle school and ends with discounted college tuition, a guaranteed student teaching position in the district, and a steady teacher workforce for Rockford.In this episode, we talk about ways Rockford is increasing and diversifying its teaching force, whether through recruitment or—as Dr. Jarrett would say—”eating their own cooking” by developing new cohorts of students interested in education.Dr. Ehren Jarrett (@rps205super)Rockford Public Schools (@RPS205)You can read our study and advice on attracting millennial teachers to your district at www.schoolceo.com/teachers.Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 73% of people—nearly three out of every four—have anxiety about public speaking. Some studies even suggest that people are more afraid of speaking in front of a crowd than they are of dying. That fear doesn’t just make us uncomfortable; it limits us. Fear of public speaking cuts wages by 10% and inhibits promotion to management by 15%. At California’s Cajon Valley Union School District, Dr. David Miyashiro is working to make sure his students don’t face those limitations. Through a collaboration with TEDEd, he’s introducing public speaking skills into his district’s everyday curriculum, helping kids of all ages get comfortable on stage. In this episode, we talk with David Miyashiro about this exciting initiative, and how students are blossoming in the spotlight.Dr. David Miyashiro (@davidmiyashiro)Cajon Valley USD (@CajonValleyUSD)Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform. 

Just along the shores of Michigan’s Lake Huron sits Au Gres-Sims School District. For some leaders, the district’s size—just two schools—might not seem to hold much opportunity. But Jeffrey Collier, who served as the district’s superintendent from 2012 to 2020, knew the district could be what he calls “the gold standard of education."By instituting what he calls a “communications buffet” to market the district’s unique strengths, he and his team put Au-Gres Sims on the proverbial map. And as Michigan underwent population declines and other demographic shifts, the district’s enrollment actually increased under Collier’s watch.This year, Collier switched gears, becoming superintendent of Saginaw Intermediate School District. Saginaw ISD isn’t a typical school district, it’s actually an educational service agency providing services, resources, and programs to 12 local school districts throughout the county. While his job looks a bit different today, Collier’s taking the lessons he learned about communication at Au-Gres Sims to boost Saginaw county’s profile as a whole.In this episode, we’ll talk to Superintendent Collier about school communications: why they matter, what they can achieve, and how to implement them effectively. Jeffery Collier (@JeffreyJCollier)Saginaw ISD (@SaginawISD)Check out how to build your own communication buffet at SchoolCEO.com/Buffet.Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for more advice, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com. Follow SchoolCEO on LinkedIn or X/Twitter @school_ceo. Subscribe to SchoolCEO at SchoolCEO.com for research, stories, and strategies for leading your schools. And if you have a story you’d like to share, email us at editor@schoolceo.com.Learn more about SchoolCEO and all of our resources on our About page. SchoolCEO is powered by Apptegy, the maker of the leading K-12 communications and brand management platform.