Starting the Conversation
Countering misconceptions about public education and rebuilding trust and credibility among citizen stakeholders toward their school boards is a nationwide effort that can only be accomplished by engaging stakeholders up-close, community by community. Your participation in National Connection, in conjunction with NSBA's public relations strategy, is critical to the success of a strong national advocacy agenda.
The Public Engagement Toolkit is an online resource of practical tools to help school boards strengthen support for public education. The toolkit provides an array of factsheets, articles, graphics and other messaging to help school boards and districts explain the value of public education and local governance in consistent, citizen-friendly language.
What's Inside
Utilizing Social Media During a CrisisNew
When a crisis hits, it is typically best practice to have one person leading the social media response team to keep the message consistent and controlled. Here are eight key tips to help keep your team focused and on message. Read more
Bridging Your Message
Handle the toughest questions from aggressive reporters or contentious community members with confidence and poise. Read more
Public Engagement at the Board Table
Start the conversation on engaging the community with your board and superintendent. Read more
Why Public Engagement Matters
Understand why community buy-in is critical to successful governance. Read more
Messages that Matter
Discover the keys to meaningful communications about your board’s priorities. Read more
Identify Stakeholders
Develop engagement strategies that are customized to the needs of your specific audience. Read more
Surveys
Design simple, unbiased questionnaires that produce clear, actionable results. Read more
Focus Group
Get insight on how to organize, facilitate and learn from them. Read more
Community Conversations
Browse our toolbox of resources for developing and implementing a structured engagement process. Read more