For each objective of the board of education, a communications director or specialist or technician must consider the public’s knowledge of said goal.

Want to focus on developing and showcasing top educators? Then go to the educators, and tell their story. Find the ones celebrating 25 years, or the ones who were just hired, and all those in between.

• How did they decide to be teachers? 
• What about their favorite teachers inspired them? 
• Where did they get their college degrees? 
• What has changed about teaching, and how did they adapt?
• What was their master’s thesis or project about, or what did they focus on during their doctorate? 
• What have they discussed in their professional development time, and how did it play out in the classroom?

You will want to find a way to share these stories efficiently and effectively. In my own work, we see far higher clicks on links in our internal emails when they lead to a story about another staff member. 

So, how do we get that content: ask for it! 

Have someone who oversees teachers (either in general or in a specific curriculum area) help you identify teachers doing projects that are new, cool or impactful. In larger school districts, you often have staff members overseeing specific areas of curriculum (math, science, language arts, etc.) who are experts in their field. Or, start with team leaders or department chairs. Start with people who have earned awards, completed degrees, attended a recent conference, or started a new class.

In short, you need a news hook, if only to get you started.