Review Agenda Item
Meeting Date: 6/21/2024 - 7:00 PM
Category: School and Community Relations
Type: Info
Subject: Media Relations Report for 2023-24: January 1 - June 10, 2024
ACPS 2025 Strategic Plan Goal:
Goal 1: Systemic Alignment
ACPS will build a culture of continuous improvement and design equitable systems for school and instructional improvement.
Goal 2: Instructional Excellence
ACPS will ensure that all students have access to and engagement with high-quality instruction.
Goal 3: Student Accessibility and Support
ACPS will ensure students have equitable access to and engagement with programs and supports that reduce barriers to learning.
Goal 5: Family and Community Engagement
ACPS will ensure that all families and community members feel welcomed, respected, and valued.
Policy: KBC - Media Relations
Funding Source or Fiscal Impact (where applicable)
File Attachment:
240618_Memo_Media_Relations_Report_January_June_2024.pdf
240618_Att1_Biannual_Media_Relations_Report.pdf
Agenda Item Summary: The Office of Communications has prepared a biannual report summarizing earned media coverage for the division from January 1 through June 10, 2024. The report contains the number of media inquiries that the Office of Communications received and addressed during this time period, main topics related to ACPS in the news, the number of mentions of ACPS leadership, regional and national coverage, positive stories pitched by the Office of Communications and successfully covered by news media, as well as how ACPS' media coverage compares to nearby school divisions and more. The Office of Communications produces a media relations report twice a year. The next media relations report will summarize earned media coverage for the division from July 1, 2024, through December 31, 2024.
Background: The 2021-25 ACPS Strategic Communications & Community Engagement Plan identifies media and public outreach as a core opportunity to engage with the community on division-wide issues that are important for all students and the future of the school division. This report shows the work our media relations team has done with a broad range of news outlets to effectively reach the Alexandria community and stakeholders, as well as some national audiences, on the important issues and activities of our school division. We are collecting data on a biannual basis during the school year to share with the superintendent and School Board to further the understanding of the narrative surrounding the school division among various audiences, including the ACPS community of students, staff and families, residents of the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan region and others in the educational and national arena.
Recommendation: The Superintendent recommends that the School Board review this presentation to become familiar with the work of the communications team and some key metrics, such as the number of media inquiries that are received by ACPS, the stories pitched to reporters and their media outlets, how often the division appears in the news and the type of earned media coverage that affects public opinion of the school division.
Approvals:
Recommended By:
Signed By:
Julia Burgos - Chief of School and Community Relations
Signed By:
Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt - Superintendent