Public Relations in Schools

A contemporary and practice-based school public relations text that centers on the importance of communication, relationships, and technology.

Outfitting students with a wealth of practical, practice-based knowledge that they can take directly into the halls of their school, the new fifth edition of Public Relations in Schools has a fresh, contemporary focus on both how administrators can effectively communicate with the community and how building strong relationships with stakeholders can ultimately lead to overall school improvement. Through a blend of theoretical and tacit knowledge, this text offers students an in-depth guide to 1) how to successfully communicate with both internal and external school entities, 2) how to build and maintain positive and active relationships via social and political capital and 3) how to translate the value of these relationships into positive change within the school. While exploring these three central themes, the book emphasizes how new technologies can aid school success. At the same time, real-world case studies at the beginning of each chapter introduce readers to actual public relations issues and bring the material to life.

The revised fifth edition of Public Relations in Schools is updated with new materials and references throughout the text, including two new chapters – one on harnessing technology for your public relations needs and one on collecting, assessing, and applying public opinion. In addition, the new fifth edition text contains a matrix at the front of the book showing how content relates to ELCC/NCATE Standards --– the widely used criteria for administrator preparation and licensing.

Theodore J. Kowalski, PhD

Theodore Kowalski is professor and the Kuntz Family Chair in Educational Administration at the University of Dayton. He began his professional career as a teacher and building-level administrator in suburban Indianapolis, Indiana. Subsequently, he served as an associate superintendent and superintendent. He taught at Purdue University and Saint Louis University prior to becoming professor and dean of the Teachers College at Ball State University.

In addition to his duties at the University of Dayton, Professor Kowalski is editor of the Journal of School Public Relations and serves on the editorial boards of several other professional journals including Educational Administration Quarterly and the AASA Journal of Scholarship and Practice. In 2000, he was selected to be the editor of the 2001 National Council of Professors of Educational Administration Yearbook, the first yearbook of the new millennium.

The author of numerous books, professional articles, research papers, and monographs, Dr. Kowalski has received awards for his research, writing, and scholarship including the Outstanding Faculty Research Award from the Teachers College at Ball State University in 1993, the Outstanding Faculty Scholarship Award from the School of Education and Allied Professions at the University of Dayton in 2002 and 2005, and the Alumni Award in Scholarship from the University of Dayton in 2005. Since 1986, he has delivered over 100 invited lectures at colleges and universities and has provided consultant services to numerous education and business clients. Professor Kowalski's primary areas of research are organizational behavior and communication, decision making, and school and district administration.