Volume 4:: April/May 2004

Spring Cleaning for your Crisis Communication Plan
By Tom DeLapp, President, Communications Resources for Schools
:: A sad fact of life for public school communicators is that March Madness isn’t just about basketball anymore. It seems that pent up frustrations accumulating over a school year force some troubled students, employees and parents to act in strange and bizarre ways as we move into Spring. If you track the rash of campus shootings that plagued public schools across the country over last ten years they all fell within the four-month storm window of February to May. The question remains, is your crisis communications plan up-to-date? If you haven’t given it a thorough review since last year maybe it’s time for a Spring Cleaning...

Successful bond campaigns provide tips
:: So, you’ve just been told you're in charge of your district’s next bond campaign? Read on for strategies used by three districts in their recent campaign victories...

ListServ provides timely tips
:: Learn how one school district processed information about impending budget reductions with their community.

National Contest Rewards Students with StreetSentz
:: RadioShack launched a nationwide competition recently --Take Your StreetSentz All the Way to Hollywood -- that gives high school students the opportunity to create an outline, scripts, and storyboards for a 30-second PSA about staying safe from abduction and abuse. The winning student will be flown to Los Angeles where they will work with a professional film production team to develop and produce their winning PSA concept. The winner also earns a cash prize of $5,000. The student's teacher will receive $2,000, and the school $1,000. Deadline for entries: April 29, 2004. For details and an entry form, go to www.streetsentz.com.

EdSource continues to provide valuable communication resources
EdSource now offers a convenient FAQ on the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) in Spanish. It covers parents' most commonly asked questions about the No Child Left Behind Act. View it online.

-> For other Spanish resources, check out EdSource en Espanol
-> Visit the NCLB FAQ in English
-> For more information in English on NCLB, order "No Child Left Behind in California? The impact of the federal NCLB Act so far" or download the executive summary for free

LINKS

NSPRA’s Annual Seminar : July 11-14 in Nashville

Communications Contest Workshop (registration form and more info)
A note from President-Elect Joan "Ski": Head on down to San Diego for the May 13-14 Communications Contest Workshop!