Balance. It’s a word that’s come up in so many of my conversations lately. Many superintendents and communications directors seem to be striving to find balance - everything from trying to find the time to do the important things while also responding to the urgency of the moment to balancing...

Look, friend. Here’s the reality: In as much as we all know and believe that numbers are numbers, they do change and at times there are unknowns. Unknowns about what funding is coming in, how restricted it is in use and more. 

No, GenX-ers, I’m not talking about the Tony Danza show. I am talking about always remembering who you answer to in your place of work: Your customer.

What a year it’s been! 

When I first started managing social media for school districts, I remember feeling a little out of my comfort zone when it came to keeping track of all the days, celebrations and events important to recognize on a school district’s social media. I spent countless hours researching, hoping to find...

Situation: A client that sought advice on how to streamline their protocols when dealing with a crisis. In the past, there was confusion around how and who was to respond during a crisis. When a crisis did occur, they found themselves scrambling and losing precious time to get correct facts out to...

When COVID hit the US in earnest about a year ago, superintendents everywhere were having to react and pivot (a word I now loathe) on a minute-to-minute basis. Things really were changing that fast.

I have a background in journalism and media relations so it's easy for me to say, “the media is your friend!” But maybe you’ve been burned and are looking over your shoulder for Joan Callamezzo and her “gotcha girls” from Parks and Recreation to surprise you at your interview. Or perhaps you feel...

It’s hard to be effective with your communication until you’ve walked a mile in the shoes of your audience. At the very least, a survey to gauge the audience’s thoughts and feelings surrounding the topics at hand is essential. Consequently, we at Allerton Hill Communications recommend school...

In cleaning out my office this weekend, I found a sticky note that I jotted from over ten years ago. It was some tidbit of knowledge from a conversation that I must have had at the time with Steve Avakian. 

As someone with older siblings I grew up with a steady diet of Star Trek episodes. Although I’m not a Trekkie, the characters are timeless. Spock was among the most unique and, frankly, interesting to me. He is a being that is governed by facts, logic and pragmatism. He is also aware of the...

As we work to navigate through the uncharted territory that is “remote learning,” it is easy to feel overwhelmed with when and how often to communicate with your community and staff.