As New School Year Begins, Telling District Stories Remains Top of Mind
With nearly 5.5 million Texas students back in school and the 90th Texas Legislature on the horizon, telling district stories has never been more important. What’s happening in classrooms, campuses, and communities illustrates the vital role public schools play in shaping our state's future.
Telling stories gives policymakers, parents, and communities a firsthand look at the impact of public schools. That’s the purpose behind TASB’s Our Future Is Public – to elevate the achievements of our students, see the good things happening in public schools and share the news with family, friends, and neighbors.
TASB’s department director of communications, Brianna Garcia, and division director of governmental relations, Dax Gonzalez, joined a recent TASB Talks podcast to provide an update on Our Future is Public and how listeners can get involved.
A Toolkit to Champion Public Education
This past June, TASB expanded upon Our Future Is Public by releasing A Toolkit to Champion Public Education. The trustee-facing resource includes over 60 pages worth of practical ideas, guided activities, and example case studies TASB members can use to formulate storytelling strategies for their own districts.
“It’s not a one-size-fits-all approach, so all the action items can be customized,” Garcia said. “The publication is tied to our campaign and is just another way TASB is here to support members by providing them with inspiration to reflect on their priorities and needs within their own communities.”
TASB members received a physical copy of the toolkit in the mail over the summer but can also access a digital version by logging into tasb.org.
Looking Ahead to the Next Legislative Session
While it is always critical for trustees to be in contact with their local legislators, this is especially true during the months leading up to another legislative session. Gonzalez noted the importance of communicating district successes, challenges, and how schools are impacted by legislation passed out of the Capitol, something the toolkit seeks to aid trustees in.
“They’ve got to be sharing how those laws are impacting the district, the parents, and the kids,” Gonzalez said. “Right now, we’re seeing a lot of budget deficits and shortfalls across the state, school closures, and bus routes being reduced. It’s really important to communicate these issues to legislators so that they can know why these things are happening and how to communicate with parents who are contacting them.”
Creating a Movement
Our Future Is Public brings communities together around a shared commitment to public education while recognizing that every school district has its own story to tell. By sharing the unique experiences of local schools and the common ground they share, Texans can better understand the impact of public education in their communities and around the state.
“When you can bring members of the community with you or have them sharing the same message, it’s so much more impactful,” Gonzalez said. “That’s why tools like this toolkit are really important, because it helps your community get on the same page.”
One voice can be powerful, but many voices create a movement.
“Each individual has their own lens on what they love about their district, but when you bring them all together, it builds that collective voice,” Garcia said.
You can learn more about the Our Future Is Public campaign and A Toolkit to Champion Public Education in the latest episode of the TASB Talks podcast.
Matt Mitchell
Matt Mitchell serves as senior communications specialist for the Communications, Marketing, and Events team. He contributes to TASB.org and Texas Lone Star magazine, hosts the TABS Talks podcast, and creates and manages content for TASB social media.
Mitchell previously served as a communications specialist at The University of Texas at Austin, where he focused on internal communications and staff-focused content for the web. He also previously worked for KXAN-TV as social media manager, where he managed the station’s daily social media content and long-form marketing campaigns.
Mitchell is a graduate of Oklahoma State University, where he received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
