School Leader Soundbites

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about being New To The C-Suite? How Are You Showing Up?

Be Authentic

-Not showing up authentically is one of the biggest mistakes we can make

-Bring your authentic self to the table and share your perspective

Have a personal brand

-You show up authentically when you do the work to establish a brand for yourself

-Have a strategic plan and outline for your visions and aspirations for your career

Have a track record to prove that you are all about what you say you are about

-If you tell people you are going to get back to them, are you getting back to them?

-Start showing up on social media, going live on Facebook, creating YouTube videos, submitting yourself for presentations at conferences, start a podcast just like this, start getting out there so that people know who you are and what you're about. 

If you are needing help with your personal branding, head to veronicavsopher.com to learn more about how I can help you. If you want more info, please contact me or drop questions in the comments and be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

*School Leader Soundbites* is your essential podcast for navigating the complex world of K-12 leadership with confidence and clarity. Hosted by Veronica V. Sopher, a 25-year veteran in school public relations, this podcast delivers actionable insights and innovative strategies to elevate your school's marketing and communications efforts.Veronica V. Sopher is the strategic designer behind several award-winning marketing campaigns and has crafted winning bond and tax rate communications plans. With extensive experience in crisis management—including handling weapons and deaths on campus, natural disasters, and polarized political landscapes—Veronica is an expert passionate about public education as the great equalizer. Join Veronica as she shares her expertise and offers practical tips that will optimize your leadership and support your district's goals. Whether you're looking to enhance community engagement, improve transparency, or turn feedback into actionable results, *School Leader Soundbites* provides the tools and knowledge you need to succeed. Sponsored by K12 Insight, this podcast is more than just a resource—it's a catalyst for meaningful change. Discover how K12 Insight’s solutions can strengthen relationships with parents, students, and staff, fostering a culture of trust and collaboration within your school community. Veronica is also available for consulting and public speaking, specializing in leadership development and executive coaching. Tune in and transform your leadership journey with insights that make a real difference.

Find me at: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/

Social: @VeronicaVSopher

*About Our Sponsor:* K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe trust is the foundation of successful education and offer solutions designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results. Want to explore how Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Visit: go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're discussing Conquering Resistance: Tips for New K12 Leaders

Show up authentically

-When you are coming in, you are often given advice on how to show up for the team.

-We use the advice we are given and use it as a roadmap instead of showing up with authenticity.

-If you do best in the morning, schedule your meetings for that time. If mornings aren’t great for you, choose a time that is.

-Your team will adjust to your leadership style.

-Check in with yourself regularly.

Go slow to go fast

-Look for trends and theme, come in and listen.

-Take time to process and analyze what you hear from employees against data

-Going too fast disrupts the system so much that it paralyzes everything.

-That’s not to say, changes cannot be made immediately, but if it’s a culture issue, we need to include some of the previous leader’s ways of doing things.

Be vulnerable

-Does not mean, tell your entire life story. Make connections but don’t overshare.

-Share stories that you can tie with how you were able to move on and improve the situation.

If you are needing help with this, call me for one-on-one coaching or team building/retreat facilitation. I’m happy to help. If you want more info, please contact me or drop questions in the comments and be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

*School Leader Soundbites* is your essential podcast for navigating the complex world of K-12 leadership with confidence and clarity. Hosted by Veronica V. Sopher, a 25-year veteran in school public relations, this podcast delivers actionable insights and innovative strategies to elevate your school's marketing and communications efforts.Veronica V. Sopher is the strategic designer behind several award-winning marketing campaigns and has crafted winning bond and tax rate communications plans. With extensive experience in crisis management—including handling weapons and deaths on campus, natural disasters, and polarized political landscapes—Veronica is an expert passionate about public education as the great equalizer.Join Veronica as she shares her expertise and offers practical tips that will optimize your leadership and support your district's goals. Whether you're looking to enhance community engagement, improve transparency, or turn feedback into actionable results, *School Leader Soundbites* provides the tools and knowledge you need to succeed.Sponsored by K12 Insight, this podcast is more than just a resource—it's a catalyst for meaningful change. Discover how K12 Insight’s solutions can strengthen relationships with parents, students, and staff, fostering a culture of trust and collaboration within your school community.Veronica is also available for consulting and public speaking, specializing in leadership development and executive coaching. Tune in and transform your leadership journey with insights that make a real difference.

Find me at: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/

Social: @VeronicaVSopher

*About Our Sponsor:* K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe trust is the foundation of successful education and offer solutions designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results. Want to explore how Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Visit:

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're discussing Comms Need PD Too? Yep Sure They Do.

Why is Professional Development so important for your communications team?

-As lifelong learners and educational institutions, we are always pouring into our teachers and curriculum teams

-Unfortunately, in communications department, the PD is about compliance or changes happening in the system

-It gives us an opportunity to see where we are not investing into team building, creativity, work flows, processes, etc.

There are so many resources out there for professional development

-If you have a communications team, during the summer is the best time to pull your resources together and start building some synergy.

-Sometimes it’s about aligning your messaging and what's happening in your school system

-It is critical for to give the communications team time to build the strategic plan into the work they are doing

-The communications team needs to believe and live inside the strategic plan so they can bring it to life

Professional Development is sometimes one of the first places to get cuts

-Consider what the ROI (return of investment) is for potential professional development

-Sometimes if you can bring teams together and we identify what is in every person’s workloads, we find places where work can be shared 

-If your district would benefit from this, look at designing full day workshops for your communications team

-If your team is struggling with communication or synergy, build some time in to investigate what is happening

Use the summer to get your strategic plan in place and in motion

-Look at your blueprint, strategic plans and map out how you are going to get there

-Spend the afternoon doing the work

-When you build a batch time into your communications team, you’re really giving people permission to not duplicate work they would be doing and repurpose content for different platforms

-Photos and websites should be updated

-By Fourth of July, have this mapped out with your team and who will be working on what task and when they are going to do it

If you are a communications leader and you aren’t sure how to get ready for back to school, sit down with the calendar and map it out.  Retreats are a fantastic way to do that. If you are needing help with this, please reach out, I’m happy to help. If you want more info, please contact me or drop questions in the comments and be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/

Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about Thought Partner Alliance Is All About Not Strategizing Alone.

Thought Partner Alliance- The Importance of Having Someone to Bounce Ideas Off Of

-Tap into the mentors that have been doing the work for so long already

-Don’t make decisions in asylum

-Seek feedback and collaboration when making decisions with those around you

Take a look at what has happened in the past

-Check with past principals and the community about decisions made in the past and gain insight toward new decision making

-Connect with your local folks, like school PR association, development office, chamber of commerce, kiwanis club- they will have important insight on how changes felt in the community and feedback received.

-Make sure you have hubs on your website to explain to parents and community about changes and why they are the way they are.

-The communications team needs to have access to people to handle concerns and be able to communicate those concerns to admin.

Memorialize in Standard Operating Procedures

-Summer is the perfect time to lay out all of the procedures on the table and map out the steps that need to be done

-Devote some time for your staff to retreat and go over these standard operating procedures, away from the typical work environment.

Stay In Touch With  Your Thought Partners

-Make sure to stay in touch with your partners, not just when you need them

-Send them thank you notes and updates on what is happening

-When you find a great resource, share it with those partners- we’re always looking for content to make our teams stronger

If you are looking for some training, professional development, please reach out, I’m happy to help. Spend the summer relaxing, reflecting, planning and building your team. If you want more info, please contact me or drop questions in the comments and be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/

Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about Living Out Your Leadership Framework and all the things you need to be thinking about in your leadership framework.

What is Leadership Framework?
-When you were hired, you came in with an entry plan. You showed that you had a way you liked to operate.
-You shared your 'why' and how you led people in the past.
-Your core principles and how you want to show up, not only in person, but in your applications and your letters of interest.
-Make sure they are true and authentic to who you are.

What are the things a Superintendent/leader needs to have?
-We need to make sure we've got the skill set and are drawing from there in your process.
-Know how you best process information and what kind of learner you are.
-Ask others for input and consider your staff members' learning styles.
-Be approachable and be sure to let your team know how to best approach you or present information.
-Make sure to share what your values are.

Use the summer to reflect and gather feedback.
-Reflecting on your values helps you start the next school year with a game plan.
-Culture/climate surveys give great feedback about how well you are leading your staff members and things you can improve.
-If feedback is not part of your culture, figure out ways you can build feedback loops in.

Be reflective weekly, or more.
-Think about the services you're providing- are they moving the needle?
-Look at your Leadership Framework and make sure its embedded throughout your entry plan.
-Make sure to use the term Leadership Framework in your entry plan.
-Is your framework evident in your digital footprint?

I invite listeners to think about the different ways to formalize your leadership framework and how to communicate it to your staff. The ultimate goal is becoming a stronger and a more effective, optimized leader. If you want more info, please contact me or drop questions in the comments and be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/
Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about Crisis Comms Planning- What's In Your Go Kit?

What is a go kit?

-An important tool for emergency/crisis preparedness.

-Inside, include important documentation and supplies.

-Can be as simple as a plastic container, ready at the door.

-Have more than one- at the door, as well as a smaller one for admin assistant and one in the car.

What needs to be in your go kit?

-Water, granola/protein bars, clipboard, pens/pencils, district map, phone/laptop chargers, highlighters, scissors, different types of tape, jump drives, blank paper, bio of superintendent or access to bios of upper staff, have an updated cheat sheet of passwords, comfortable shoes, a public information vest.

-If possible, a hot spot with a different carrier than your phone in case there are issues with certain carriers in a crisis.

Keep your website updated

-Have a page on your website that includes basic facts about your district such as: location, superintendent, board members, demographic info, number of students, how much land it covers

-This makes press conferences easier so they can spell names correctly and report on the district accurately

-Make sure the page is active in a crisis

If you need any help with go kits, please contact me or drop questions in the comments. Be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/

Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about Becoming an Empowered Educator with Jen Rafferty.

So excited to speak about this topic, as she does wellness workshops for educators.

Presenter and author Jen Rafferty started her teaching career as a middle school teacher in Central New York for 15 years. She founded Empowered Educator in 2020 as a response to teacher burnout during the pandemic. Jen is known for bringing her energy, humor and expertise in her presentations while inspiring educators to stay connected to their "why." Jen is a certified Emotional Intelligence Practitioner and is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology.

You can learn more about Jen at: https://empowerededucator.com/ and follow her on
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenrafferty_/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theempowerededucator

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/
Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

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Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about how to Use the Summer to Build Your Leadership Brand Assets.

▪️Yes, Educators do work over the summer!
-We prepare for the new school year, getting schools in order, taking care of other things that can't get done during the year.

▪️Take time to reflect & recharge
-DO take your vacation time
-Use vacation to reflect on your Leadership journey & blessings
-Explore the types of social media and blog posts you had
-Think about what shifts you can make to improve
-Use the summer to develop some outlines & build into your content calendar

▪️Aspirations for higher leadership positions?
-Reflect on your personal brand
-What are you passionate about and where is your zone of genius?
-Celebrate big wins
-When you are out interviewing, they will look at your social media activity- what you share, what you comments on, what you like etc.

▪️Check your digital footprint & branding
-Utilize your digital footprint in a way that supports your brand
-Your brand is a whole spectrum- colors, hashtags, etc
-Put together a logo that matches the content you are posting to social media
-Go through your slide deck, notecards and work on improvements
-Update your website and share your accomplishments
-Make sure people know how to reach you

▪️Get ahead of the hiring season
-Make sure your materials are fresh, branded, and your social media is updated
-Your content should be consistent, sharp and on-brand
-Make sure your references have been contacted

Make sure you are using those summer months to reflect, recharge, check your digital footprint and get ahead of the hiring season. Read those books, listen to podcasts, take care of yourself & time off. If you need any help with this, please contact me or drop questions in the comments. Be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/
Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about Leveraging Traditional and Non-Traditional Media to Forward Your Message.

▪️What is going on with traditional journalistic way of doing things when school districts are engaging with reporters?
   -Traditional media does not work the way it used to
   -You used to know what to expect- not so much anymore
   -Reporters come out, put their phones on tripods and record you
   -Think about how you can support media 

▪️Be mindful where people are consuming their media & cater to those needs.
   -This will build rapport with that media outlet
   -Build trust with your community
   -Invite them in to talk about legal things happening

▪️Traditional vs Non-Traditional Media
  -Non-Traditional Media- bloggers, influencers, people running for-profit digital platforms, sharing things that are not neutral
  -They are not held to the traditional media standards
  -You have to engage with them because they are feeding the information vacuum that your community often has.
  -Develop a communication strategy for both traditional and non-traditional media.
  -Note: when they reach out and request to talk with you, you don't have to do it. However, in certain circumstances it can benefit you to talk to them.

▪️Know what your community values and wants you to talk about
  -One of the best ways to do this is with surveys
  -Once you get that data and know what they are wanting to know about, you can go to both types of media and share some of the insights of what you are using in your district to address those situations.

Traditional media is earned media, something you strive to get as often as you can. As you enter into the emerging space of Non-traditional media, I encourage you to invite them in as well. They can create value and help share things happening in your district as well. If you need any help with this, please contact me or drop questions in the comments. Be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/
Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.

Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher

Welcome to School Leader Soundbites, a podcast dedicated to empowering K-12 leaders with the latest insights and strategies in marketing and communications! Today, we're talking about Crisis Communication: Ensuring Safety and Trust.

PwC’s Global Crisis and Resilience Survey 2023 highlights the importance of resilience and proactive response to disruption, suggesting that organizations are focusing on building resilience to thrive in a state of constant crisis and disruption. This includes having a strategic approach to resilience, executive leadership, upskilled teams, and technology-powered resilience programs that can adapt and respond to crises effectively (PwC).  https://www.pwc.com/.../crisis.../global-crisis-survey.html

Rapid Response: El Paso ISD, like any educational institution, can face sudden crises ranging from natural disasters to safety threats. Timely and accurate communication during such events is paramount to ensure the safety of students, staff, and the community.

Maintaining Trust: Effective crisis communication helps maintain and even build trust with parents, students, and the community. By providing clear, transparent, and consistent information, EPISD can demonstrate its commitment to student safety and well-being.

Reputation Management: How a district manages crises can have a lasting impact on its reputation. Professional and adept communication can mitigate negative perceptions and highlight the district's strengths and responsiveness.

If you need help getting a crisis plan in place, please send me a message. My team and I help districts all over the country with crisis strategies. Be sure to share this episode with your colleagues! If you have any questions or suggestions for future topics, I'm here to listen. Thanks for tuning in to School Leader Soundbites.

Connect with Veronica here: https://www.veronicavsopher.com/
Social: @VeronicaVSopher

K12 Insight partners with schools and districts to build stronger relationships with parents, students, and staff. They believe that trust is the foundation of successful education, and their solutions are designed to foster engagement, promote transparency, and turn feedback into actionable results.
Want to explore the impactful ways Let's Talk and K12 Insight's comprehensive suite of customer service solutions can amplify your school's efforts and strategic goals? Get an in-depth look at how these tools can benefit your district, visit go.k12insight.com/sopher