TSD Public Relations Plan

Key Audience

Internal: Faculty, Staff, Students, Governing Board

External: Parents, Alumni, Public Officials, Community Members, Prospective Students, News Media, and Emergency Services

Goal

The primary goal of the Texas School for the Deaf Public Relations Plan is to effectively promote the school’s educational accomplishments and variety of services and programs to the community. Promoting the school will not only attract more community partners but also visibility and support from the state legislature.

Objectives

TSD will work to attain the following public relations objectives:

1. Keep the public and the state legislature informed about the school’s various education programs, achievements, and administrative actions;
2. Provide the means for furnishing full and accurate information, both favorable and unfavorable;
3. Ensure the accessibility of information being communicated by including ASL interpreting, captioning, and descriptive text, when appropriate;
4. Adhere to policy of openness and honesty in communicating with the community, the state and federal legislature, the news media, and other organizations;
5. Establish and enhance appropriate and effective communication between the administration and TSD staff;
6. Present publications to keep the public and state lawmakers informed about educational services, achievements, needs, costs, revenues, and expenditures;
7. Develop and maintain an organizational environment where all TSD staff are aware that they share the responsibility for communication of school policies, programs, and activities to parents and other communities;
8. Utilize the TSD website, email, social media, and mass notification services to effectively disseminate important information; and
9. Increase communication with the community, state legislature, and business community.

Strategies

1. Publish and distribute school newsletters and publications (e.g., Good News and Lonestar);
2. Develop and maintain the TSD website and social media accounts;
3. Utilize the TSD website, email, social media, and mass notification system to be utilized for emergency notifications, outreach campaigns (e.g., COVID-19), and other communication needs between TSD and its staff members and students;
4. Submit ongoing news releases to various media outlets;
5. Host events that bring the public to TSD;
6. Promote TSD’s achievements, and its solutions to various issues;
7. Publicize individual students and/or teams and staff achievements;
8. Answer pubic and legislative requests for information in a timely and open manner;
9. Provide public and government relations training to appropriate staff or other school representatives in areas such as talking to the media, speaking with an elected official, communicating in a crisis, and recognizing that non-teaching staff is part of the school PR team;
10. Identify administrators and staff to serve as TSD’s liaison with community groups, while developing ways to bring the community into the school; and
11. Provide outstanding customer service to the community we serve.

Methods and Resources

Public relations will utilize the following methods and resources to accomplish strategies:  

1. Desktop publishing, Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.;
2. Email, TSD website, social media, and mass notification system;
3. Telephone and text messaging; and
4. Interpreting services.

Evaluation

Public relations will conduct formal and informal research surveys to determine public opinion and attitudes as a basis for planning, revising, and action.

Texas School for the Deaf

Communications Plan for: XX-XX