Purpose and Context

The 2026-2027 strategic initiatives reflect the revised year-two actions for TSPRA’s current strategic planning cycle. Because 2026-2027 is the second year of TSPRA’s current two-year strategic initiative cycle, the purpose of this work is to finalize measurable year-two actions, document progress, identify remaining needs, and provide recommendations to the 2027 Strategic Planning Committee regarding whether each initiative should continue, sunset, or evolve.

Recommended Reporting Cadence

● June 2026: Initial report and confirmation of objectives, tactics, measures, ownership,
and needed baseline data.
● October 2026: Q1 progress update at the Executive Committee meeting.
● February 2027: Q2 progress update at the Executive Committee meeting.
● April 2027: Q3 progress update to support year-end planning.
● May/June 2027: Partial Q4/year-end report prepared in time for the next strategic
planning review.

Initiative 1: Improving Communication Between Texans and Their Public Schools

At-Large Vice President Lead: Marco Alvarado

Objective

By May 2027, TSPRA will organize existing and newly identified public school advocacy resources into a centralized member resource hub, promote those resources at least quarterly through member communications, regional leaders, and ESC partners, and report engagement data, member feedback, and recommendations for the next strategic planning cycle.

Target Audience

Primary audience:

● TSPRA members

Secondary audiences:

● School administrators who support communication and advocacy efforts
● Regional leaders
● Education Service Center communication contacts

Recommended Tactics

● Complete an audit of existing TSPRA, Celebrate Texas Public Schools, We Go Public, and related advocacy resources, and organize selected resources into a centralized online repository by an identified target date.
● Curate additional resources related to school funding, enrollment, legislative issues, public trust, community engagement, and public education advocacy, and develop new tools or templates only where clear member resource gaps are identified.
● Create a quarterly communication plan to promote featured resources through TSPRA newsletters, social media, member communications, and other appropriate channels, such as webinars or regional updates.
● Provide regional leaders and ESC communication contacts with quarterly resource highlights and suggested messaging they can share with districts to encourage local utilization.
● Gather member feedback through surveys, focus groups, and testimonials to identify resource needs, assess usefulness, and inform recommendations for the next strategic planning cycle.

Recommended Measures

● Number of advocacy resources collected, created, updated, and organized within the resource hub.
● Completion of at least four quarterly resource promotion campaigns during the 2026-2027 year.
● Resource hub engagement metrics, including page views, downloads, and click-through rates, along with participation data from related webinars or resource-sharing opportunities, if offered.
● Number of regional leaders and ESC partners provided with quarterly resource highlights, and number confirming distribution or promotion through regional or ESC channels.
● Member survey results indicating awareness, utilization, and perceived value of the resources to inform recommendations for the next strategic planning cycle.
● Completion of a year-end summary for the Executive Committee and 2027 Strategic Planning Committee outlining engagement data, member feedback, resource gaps, and a recommendation to continue, revise, or conclude the initiative.

Baseline Data Needed

Because reliable baseline data may not exist for all measures, 2026-2027 data may be used to establish a baseline for future planning.

● Current inventory of advocacy-related resources available through TSPRA, Celebrate Texas Public Schools, We Go Public, and other relevant sources.
● Existing website analytics for resource downloads, page views, click-through rates, or other available engagement data.
● Current member awareness and usage of advocacy resources, if available through existing survey data or a brief member survey.
● Existing regional and ESC communication distribution channels.
● Historical participation data for Celebrate Texas Public Schools and We Go Public campaigns, if available.

Ownership and Support

At-Large VP, Place 1
● Serve as initiative lead.
● Coordinate implementation and progress monitoring.
● Facilitate collaboration among stakeholders.
● Work with the state office to identify resource needs, promotion opportunities, and
available data,
● Provide updates to the Executive Committee.

State Office
● Maintain resource hub infrastructure.
● Assist with communications, marketing, and data collection.
● Support development, organization, and distribution of resources.
● Provide available analytics and engagement data for progress reporting.

Associated Committees
● Identify resource gaps based on member needs.
● Recommend new content, training opportunities, or resource topics.
● Support alignment between advocacy resources and member learning needs.

Regional Leaders
● Promote resources within their regions.
● Share quarterly resource highlights with members.
● Gather member feedback, examples of use, and success stories.

ESC Communication Partners
● Extend distribution and awareness efforts.
● Share resources with district communicators across service areas.
● Provide feedback on resource needs observed across districts, when available.

Members
● Utilize resources
● Provide feedback on usefulness and additional needs
● Share examples of successful implementation.

Initiative 2: Promoting Effective Public Relations Practices

At-Large Vice President Lead: Joel Weckerly

Objective

By May 2027, TSPRA will strengthen APR and CPC support by promoting credentialing pathways at least quarterly, collecting member interest, connecting interested candidates with credentialed mentors, tracking candidate interest, participation, and credentials earned, and providing recommendations for future credentialing support in the next strategic planning cycle.

Target Audience

Primary audience:

● TSPRA members interested in pursuing APR or CPC.

Secondary audiences:

● Emerging and mid-career school communicators.
● Current APR/CPC members willing to serve as mentors.
● Regional leaders who can identify interested members.
● Supervisors who support professional growth.

Recommended Tactics

● Promote APR and CPC pathways at least quarterly through TSPRA communications, regional updates, and other appropriate member channels.
● Clarify the difference between APR and CPC pathways, including eligibility, process, timeline, and available support.
● Share short written or filmed testimonials from APR and CPC members.
● Create and promote a simple interest form for members considering APR or CPC.
● Connect interested candidates with credentialed mentors or coaches.
● Highlight available resources, including books, prep materials, coaching opportunities, panel support, and candidate guidance.
● Maintain or promote a visible mentor/coaching directory.
● Confirm mentor availability and areas of support.
● Provide basic expectations for mentors and candidates.
● Track candidate interest, mentor matches, follow-up, active candidates, credentials earned, and member feedback.
● Prepare a year-end summary with recommendations for the next strategic planning cycle.

Recommended Measures

● Number of APR/CPC credentialing communications completed.
● Number of testimonials shared.
● Number of members accessing APR/CPC pathway information or resources, if available.
● Number of members expressing interest in APR or CPC.
● Number of interested members contacted for follow-up.
● Number of candidates connected with credentialed mentors.
● Number of active mentor/candidate matches.
● Number of APR/CPC candidates in process.
● Number of members earning APR or CPC.
● Member feedback on the usefulness of credentialing support.
● Completion of a year-end summary for the Executive Committee and 2027 Strategic
Planning Committee outlining interest, participation, mentor support, credentials earned,
member feedback, and recommendations to continue, revise, or transition this work into
ongoing member services

Baseline Data Needed

Because reliable baseline data may be limited, 2026-2027 data may be used to establish a baseline for future credentialing support.

● Current APR and CPC designations among members.
● Current active candidates connected with members.
● Confirmed active mentor list with APR/CPC experience.
● Number of members who participated in APR/CPC sessions, panels, prep opportunities, or related conference programming.
● Current mentor capacity by credential type.

Ownership and Support

At-Large VP
● Coordinate quarterly newsletter content with the state office to promote opportunities.
● Create an interest form for members considering APR/CPC.
● Connect interested candidates with credentialed mentors.
● Coordinate creative delivery of APR/CPC testimonials.

State Office
● Reserve space in each newsletter for promoting effective public relations practices.
● Maintain a visible mentor/coaching directory on an APR/CPC webpage.
● House testimonials, pathway information, resources, and an interest form on the
APR/CPC webpage.

Regional VPs
● Disseminate related information from the At-Large VP in newsletters and regional
meetings.
● Collect contact information for interested members to share with the At-Large VP.

APR/CPC Mentors
● Commit to regular check-ins with assigned candidates.
● Help candidates understand next steps and available resources.
● Notify the committee chair if a match becomes inactive or additional support is needed.
● Provide a written or filmed testimonial to help promote credentialing.

Initiative 3: Providing Professional Development for Members

At-Large Vice President Lead: Anthony Tosie

Objective

By September 2026, TSPRA will launch the initial Professional Advancement Framework learning modules and, by February 2027, report enrollment, participation, completion, and satisfaction data to the Executive Committee, using initial participant feedback to guide recommendations for future modules and the next strategic planning cycle.

Target Audience

Primary audience(s):

● TSPRA members with five or fewer years of school communications experience.
● Texas school districts creating communications departments.

Secondary audience(s):

● TSPRA members seeking structured professional growth.
● TSPRA Executive Committee for oversight, evaluation, and future planning.

Recommended Tactics

● Support the launch of the Professional Advancement Framework modules in September 2026.
● Confirm module titles, intended audiences, launch timeline, and available platform data before launch.
● Promote the launch through dedicated communication channels, including the TSPRA
newsletter, standalone messages, website, social media channels, regional leaders, and other appropriate member channels.
● Continue promotion after launch to encourage enrollment and completion.
● Ensure the platform or follow-up process includes a feedback component to measure
participant satisfaction and future learning needs.
● Review enrollment, participation, completion, drop-off, and satisfaction data with the state office.
● Report initial results to the Executive Committee in February 2027, followed by a
year-end summary and recommendations before the next strategic planning cycle

Recommended Measures

● Launch date of the initial Professional Advancement Framework modules.
● Number of modules available at launch.
● Number of members enrolled.
● Number of enrolled members who begin a module.
● Number and percentage of enrolled members who complete a module.
● Drop-off points for members who do not complete a module, if available.
● Participant satisfaction data.
● Participant feedback on future learning needs.
● Initial report submitted to the Executive Committee in February 2027.
● Year-end summary completed before the next strategic planning cycle.

Baseline Data Needed

Because this initiative involves the launch of a new online learning platform and initial courses, 2026-2027 data will establish the baseline for future tracking.

● Number of TSPRA members who enroll in the courses.
● Number of enrolled members who begin each module.
● Number and percentage of enrolled members who fully complete each module.
● Drop-off: point at which participants stop, if available.
● Satisfaction: feedback from members who participate in or complete the courses.
● Future needs: topics or skills members identify for future online learning modules.

Ownership and Support

eLearnza
● Build and support the online professional development platform.
● Provide technical support and platform functionality.
● Provide available analytics related to enrollment, participation, completion, drop-off, and satisfaction.

TSPRA State Office
● Manage the vendor relationship with eLearnza.
● Coordinate subject matter experts.
● Ensure content aligns with Texas public school communication needs and standards.
● Promote the platform and courses to members.
● Compile data and prepare reports for the Executive Committee.

At-Large VP
● Serve in an oversight and advisory role.
● Monitor progress toward launch and reporting milestones.
● Review data and member feedback with the state office.
● Help identify themes, concerns, and recommendations for future modules.

Executive Committee
● Receive launch and progress updates.
● Review participation, completion, and satisfaction data.
● Provide guidance on standards, budget, member needs, and future direction.
● Determine whether this work should continue as a strategic initiative or transition into
ongoing professional development operations.