Ross Romano is Managing Director of Communications & Public Affairs for MindRocket Media Group, a strategic advisory firm providing a range of services to companies and institutions operating within the K–20 education and education technology sectors worldwide.

In his current role, Ross oversees all corporate communications for MindRocket, as well as communications and public relations strategy and execution for MindRocket clients. He supervises PR, media relations, social media, and digital marketing efforts, is creative director for editorial content development, and drives significant efforts in partnership development and expansion into new lines of business.

Ross has built a reputation as a creative communications leader with expertise in telling compelling stories via diverse media. He has created and executive produced a number of successful podcast series, created and edited book projects, provided initial platforms to numerous authors, educators, and industry leaders, and more.

Prior to joining MindRocket, Ross spent time as the communications lead for the global education leadership association ASCD, where his media relations and publicity work contributed to multiple national award-winning communications teams. Earlier in his career, he worked in different roles for Major League Baseball, both in the US and internationally. Ross has a BA from The George Washington University, a Master’s of Professional Studies from Georgetown University, and is a member of the Education Writers Association (EWA) and Public Relations Society of merica (PRSA).

• Works with ed tech companies and publishers and schools in K–20 space.
• Comprehensive communication for stakeholders
• When free isn’t really free.
• Start with Empathy
• Recognize startup situation.
• Quick drop off in usage after a week.
• Have a little patience for companies reaching out.
• Before we put them on the do not buy list, let’s have empathy.
• Everybody’s perspective is valid and understood.
• Many different stakeholders have different expectations.
• It works up until what point?
• This is an extra long back to school period.
• Wrap up the school year as best as possible.
• Put the plan in place now and start warming up to it.
• We can’t fail to learn from the challenges facing us right now.
• How to be a transformative principal? Communicating. So important, all the time. If can communicate how I make decisions, it helps them make better decisions too.

Learn more about today's sponsors, Playworks, IXL, and Renaissance Learning:

As a global leader in education technology operating in more than 110 countries, Renaissance is committed to providing educators with insights and resources to accelerate growth and help all students build a strong foundation for success. We believe that technology can unlock a more effective learning experience, ensure that students get the personalized teaching they need to thrive, and help educators and administrators to truly, fully, See Every Student. Learn more at renaissance.com.

We’re proud to be sponsored by Playworks, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with evidence-based practices that help schools improve the health and well-being of children by increasing opportunities for physical activity and safe, meaningful play.

If you’re a school or district leader struggling with the challenge of chronic absenteeism, as so many are across the U.S., you may not realize that structured recess is a research-backed approach to keep kids in school. In fact, a UC Berkeley study of Title I schools found that those partnering with Playworks had significantly lower chronic absenteeism rates. Further, Mathematica research demonstrated that Playworks schools spent 27% less time transitioning from recess back to learning, saving teachers valuable instructional time. 

These results are possible for your students, too. Learn how Playworks can help you improve student-educator relationships, belonging, and attendance by signing up for a quick no-obligation conversation.

We’re also thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. 

IXL’s comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:

• Simplify and streamline technology
• Save teachers’ time
• Reliably meet Tier 1 standards
• Improve student performance on state assessments

🚀 Ready to see why leading districts trust IXL for their educational needs? Visit IXL.com/BE today to learn more about how IXL can elevate your school or district.