At a recent meeting of the School Public Relations in North Texas (SPRINT) group, Scott Milder, founder of Friends of Texas Public Schools, delivered a powerful message: administrators, educators, and community stakeholders are on the frontlines of the battle against negativity and misinformation surrounding public education. With declining enrollment and a steady flow of critical headlines, Milder highlighted the urgent need for proactive advocacy and provided strategies to help shift the narrative.
The Challenge: Countering Negativity, Misinformation, Disinformation, and Politicization
Public schools across Texas face increasing scrutiny, with misinformation driving narratives about their shortcomings while pushing alternatives as better options. Milder emphasized that these perceptions often don’t align with reality. Public schools already offer exceptional opportunities—college readiness programs, career certifications, and a wide variety of extracurriculars. The problem? Too often, these success stories are overshadowed by negativity.
“Families are being sold a bill of goods,” Milder explained, pointing to exaggerated claims about public school failures. To counter this, school leaders must take an active role in communicating the truth about the extraordinary work happening in their districts.
Three Strategies to Turn the Tide
Proactively Share Success Stories Use every available platform—newsletters, social media, personal phone calls, email, door-to-door, old-fashioned mail, community events, and even billboards—to amplify the positive achievements of your schools. Highlight student success, innovative teaching practices, and the milestones that make public schools exceptional. MAKE THIS A STRATEGIC PRIORITY.
Engage in Honest Conversations Equip yourself and your teams with facts. For instance, Texas public schools often outperform charter schools in financial and academic accountability. By addressing misconceptions with data and transparency, stakeholders can foster trust and dispel myths.
Foster Personal Connections In today’s digital world, personal engagement still matters. Make time for phone calls, one-on-one conversations, and handwritten notes to families and community leaders. These direct connections create trust and loyalty, helping to build a stronger foundation of support.
A Call to Action for All Educators
As Milder explained during the SPRINT meeting, it’s not just school PR professionals who have a role in this work—it’s everyone connected to public education. Administrators, educators, and community advocates have a responsibility to lead with positivity, highlight the true value of public schools, and celebrate their accomplishments.
By working together to share the truth and inspire confidence, stakeholders can counter misinformation and remind communities why public schools are vital to the success of Texas.
Join the Movement
Friends of Texas Public Schools is here to support you in this mission. Together, we can create a statewide narrative that uplifts public education and showcases the great things happening in our schools every day.
Comments