Public Relations in Schools

By emphasizing the importance of two-way communication, this book offers a broad yet unique perspective on the importance of successful public relations programs in schools by integrating theory and knowledge. A public relations program is about building and maintaining relationships through an open exchange of information, and this book teaches administrators, regardless of their assignment, how communication and relationships directly affect organizational behavior, and ultimately, school success. The concept of relational communication, added to this edition, emphasizes the importance of consciously using communication as a means to construct these relationships. From the concept of public relations itself, and its legal and ethical dimensions, to assessing applications of public relations that pose challenges to the effectiveness of programs, this text is extremely relevant for students preparing to be administrators and for those professionals already practicing.

This edition is organized into three sections that thoroughly examine contemporary perspectives on the application of public relations in educational settings.

Features include: 

• A new chapter on technology addresses the expanded use of technology in school public relations, with specific attention given to how the Internet, web pages, and blogs can be developed and used to improve communication and relationships.
• A new focus on public opinion teaches administrators the different processes of measuring public opinion and how to apply these findings to make effective and essential decisions.
• Expanded information on school-community relationships, specifically emphasizing the need for a positive, mutual relationship between the school and the community
• Introductory case studies that not only encourage professional reflection, but also ensure relevance by viewing current social and political conditions through a personal perspective
• Questions and suggested activities at the end of each chapter encourage in-class discussions while also promoting critical thinking. 
• A matrix has been added to show how the chapter content relates to Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) and National Council for Teacher Accreditation (NCATE) Standards.