NOT FOUND: twin rivers leadership.jpgFrom community forums to phone calls, Twin Rivers Unified School District has put communications on the front burner since becoming a unified district in 2008. The work of the district’s leadership team and communications department has earned local and national recognition, the latest being the “2010 Leadership through Communication Award”, which was accepted by Frank Porter and Trinette Marquis, February 13, 2010 at AASA’s National Conference on Education in Phoenix, Arizona. A $10,000 contribution was made by AlertNow to Twin Rivers USD to be used for student scholarships or communication activities that benefit the students and schools.
The award showcases a school district that exhibits strong communication programs that have enhanced communications for schools and the community it serves, as well as building support for student achievement initiatives. The award is jointly sponsored by AlertNow, the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). The Leadership Through Communication Award program is open to all school districts throughout the United States and Canada.
The 2010 award recognized Frank S. Porter, superintendent, and Trinette Marquis, director of communications, for demonstrating exemplary leadership in the enhancement of school-to-parent communication within their school system and the communities they serve.
The judges for this year’s program noted that Twin Rivers USD overcame great obstacles to successfully bring four disparate school systems together as a single district. “Twin Rivers USD faced a major communication challenge as part of consolidating four school districts into one. The leadership team used communication at all levels to conquer this challenge and kept the lines of communication open and transparent with both internal and external stakeholders.
It is a great case study on how to communicate well in challenging times,” said Rich Bagin, APR, NSPRA executive director.
“On behalf of AlertNow, I commend Superintendent Porter, Trinette Marquis and the entire Twin Rivers USD leadership team for an outstanding communication effort that uses a variety of communication vehicles and strategies designed to make strong connections with all constituents,” said Jason Bedford, vice president of AlertNow. AASA’s Executive Director, Daniel A. Domenech, applauded Twin Rivers USD for taking a leadership
role in establishing effective communication systems. “Twin Rivers USD has created an effective communication program and a new vision for student success by engaging families, staff, students and the community; and using a forward-thinking, strategic approach to communication throughout the school system,” said Domenech. “AASA is pleased to honor the district for developing strategic communication programs that benefit the entire school community.”
Twin Rivers has created, implemented and evaluated a variety of communication vehicles and strategies, including electronic newsletters, proactive relationships with local news media, a content-rich web site (www.twinriversusd. org), interactive school site web portals, telephone and text notification systems and public engagement forums. These tools provide information for the benefit of staff, families and the greater community.
Twin Rivers USD has decided to use the $10,000 to start a scholarship contest for the videos that best market their local high schools. One student from each of the four district high schools will receive a $1,000 scholarship for creating a video that best tells the story of their school.