Dear NESPRA Members,

More than ever, it’s important for school communicators to stay connected with one another. We help each other when the going gets rough, and celebrate one another for our successes.

As we continue to navigate these challenging times, the issues that arise have direct impacts on our schools, districts, and agencies — and the New England School Public Relations Association is here for you.

Just in the last few weeks, NESPRA has held multiple virtual meetings to support our members: from the Chapter Chat about social media in the wake of the Charlie Kirk assassination; to launching “Conversations That Matter” to discuss the importance of affirming diverse identities in communications; to virtual “meet-ups” to talk through the issues impacting us, along with skill-sharing and resource-sharing through our Google Groups. Check out our events calendar for upcoming opportunities. 

The chapter’s Executive Board met for its annual all-day fall retreat on September 26 in Worcester, MA. (Pictured here.) I am pleased to share some updates below.

Finally, if you have not renewed your annual membership for 2025-26, please do as soon as possible; the deadline was August 31 and we need to submit our official roster to NSPRA soon. Our membership rate is a low $50 per year, and being a member will save you money on the annual conference registration in May. If you have recently left your school communications position and are looking for a new one, you can now keep your NESPRA membership to support you. (Details below.)

Have a great day and stay connected.

Sincerely,

Dan O’Brien

President, NESPRA 

Chief Communications Officer, Worcester (MA) Public Schools

Don’t lose access to all your members-only benefits!

If you have not renewed your annual chapter membership for 2025-26, please do so as soon as possible; the deadline was August 31. Members-only benefits include: Google Groups, Google Drive resources, invites to chapter chats and professional development, member meet-ups, and the closed Facebook group. The chapter is required to submit an annual membership list to NSPRA this month.

If your business office is in the process of sending a check through purchase order, please email us (Treasurer Jennie Oesterreicher and Membership Coordinator Ryan Langer); we will make sure your membership remains active.

New! Transitional Memberships: The Executive Board has opted to extend the membership criteria to include school communications professionals who are transitioning between jobs for the remainder of the year. 

With the exception of President and Immediate Past President, all positions on the NESPRA Executive Board are open for the next two-year term: 2026-2028. We encourage anyone with an interest in getting more involved in the chapter to consider running for election to one of these positions. The Executive Board has formally approved the following timeline for elections:

• Monday, January 5, 2026: All NESPRA members are formally notified of the open positions. A Google Form will be shared for any member who wants to run for a position to upload their bio, information on why they want to run, and a headshot photo.

• Friday, February 27, 2026: Deadline for members to declare their intention to run. The Google Form (mentioned above) must be completed by this date at 11:59 PM; no exceptions will be made.

• Monday, March 16-Friday, March 27, 2026: Elections will be held for contested positions online through the Wild Apricot platform. We have selected Wild Apricot to ensure only registered members can vote, and not vote more than once.

• By Thursday, April 2, likely earlier: Candidates of contested positions are notified of election results. Election results will be shared with the NSPRA Northeast Vice President for certification.

• By April 9, likely earlier: All members are notified of election results.

• 2026 Conference: At the spring 2026 conference, which is tentatively scheduled for the second Friday in May, newly elected officers begin their two-year terms.

Joining the Executive Board is a great way to share your knowledge and shape the future of the school communications profession during this pivotal time. Please note that these are volunteer roles with varying levels of responsibility and time commitment. Take some time to read the descriptions of each role or contact any member of the Executive Board to get more information.

The 2026 Annual NESPRA Conference is tentatively scheduled for the second Friday in May, which is May 8, 2026, at a hotel/conference space in the MetroWest Massachusetts area. We are very close to confirming this date and location, and will issue a “save the date” soon after it’s locked in.

We will be asking members of the Professional Development Professional Learning Community (PD PLC) to help us foster topic ideas for conference sessions, along with virtual PDs held during this year. If you would like to get more involved in the PD PLC, please email Vice President Julia Mitchell or join the next meeting on Wednesday, October 8, from 12:00-1:00 PM.

NESPRA held its first “Conversations That Matter” virtual discussion with 21 members on September 23 to gain better understanding of how to affirm various communities and identities in school communications. Led by NESPRA’s Massachusetts State Rep. Esmer Silva and Secretary Elaine Sein (CT), the first meeting laid the groundwork for long-term discussion with protocols and common understanding around diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging definitions, and how these topics have direct impact on our work. 

We are in the process of finalizing a date and time for the next meeting for the end of October. To create a safe space for all current NESPRA members to share and receive support during these important conversations, we will not be recording these meetings. If you have any questions, please email Esmer or Elaine.

• Are you seeking examples of school communications work, or have great stuff to contribute? Feel free to copy or contribute to our Members-Only Resources Folder in our Google Drive. We also drop in slide decks from previous professional development webinars.

• Social Media: Our closed Facebook Group is open to paying NESPRA members only; also follow our LinkedIn page.

• Google Groups: Any paid member can email other members through our Google Group listservs! Simply send an email to the appropriate list:

  • All members: members@ne-spra.org

  • CT members: CT@ne-spra.org

  • MA Members: MA@ne-spra.org

  • ME Members: ME@ne-spra.org 

  • NH Members: NH@ne-spra.org 

  • RI Members: RI@ne-spra.org 

  • VT Members: VT@ne-spra.org 

Are you newer to school communications and eager to learn from someone who’s been there before? Or are you a mid-career or seasoned school communicator who wants to give back and share your knowledge, tips, and real-world experiences?

Our mentorship program is designed to connect school communication professionals across our network so we can all grow stronger together. Whether you’re seeking advice and encouragement or ready to help the next generation of communicators, this is your chance to make a meaningful connection.

Fill out this quick form, and we’ll match you with the right mentor or mentee. You will be contacted in late October or early November with a match!

2025 NESPRA Mentors and Mentees

We’re building a bank of school communications job descriptions for NESPRA members. This resource will be useful when advocating for new positions or expanding a communications team. 

While every district structures communications a little differently, having consistent examples of roles and responsibilities strengthens our profession. We are looking for descriptions of dedicated school communications positions and also combined positions (e.g., administrative assistant/communications or IT/communications). 

Please email your district’s job descriptions (PDFs preferred) to NESPRA Connecticut Representative Patti Renaud with the subject line “Comms Job Description.” We’ll add them to the NESRPA Members-Only Folder for all members to access.

NESPRA President Dan O’Brien will lead a presentation about digital accessibility (ADA compliance) for NSPRA’s MiniLab webinar on October 22 from 12:00-1:00 PM for NSPRA members. 

We hope you join us at one of our upcoming virtual events! You can also find the dates on our website events calendar.

• Wednesday, Oct. 8, 12 PM: Professional Development Working Group/PLC

• Thursday, Oct. 16, 12 PM: Lunch and Learn: Crafting Website Content That Serves Family First (with Finalsite)

• Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1 PM: Advocacy Professional Learning Community

• Thursday, Nov. 6, 12 PM: Chapter Chat