Transition in school district leadership is inevitable. The good news? From a communications point of view, naming a new superintendent is an opportunity to build goodwill and community partnerships. It can be a fresh start. It can be time to engage students, parents, and educators with new and exciting ideas about student achievement and stakeholder collaboration.

The not-so-good news? A shift in school leadership can be highly sensitive. It can spark unwanted news coverage. Negative stories about a superintendent’s departure can impact the district’s image and make the search for a new leader much more difficult. However, by embracing transparency and utilizing tried-and-true strategies, the communications team can position its district and a new superintendent for success.

Over the past few months, we’ve talked with several school communicators about their own recent changes in district leadership. They have generously shared best practices and lessons learned. We will share their experiences and thoughts on a variety of topics, including:

The importance of a close relationship between board leadership and the communications team;

The role of the communications department in the search and selection process;

Maximizing positive coverage of “the announcement”;

Embracing the new superintendent’s style; and

Sharing the superintendent’s vision and plan.

Additionally, these communications professionals share more than a dozen innovative tactics they successfully used to introduce their new leaders to the community and district staff.