BrandED: Tell Your Story, Build Relationships, and Empower Learning

by Eric C. Sheninger, Trish Rubin

Tell your school's story and grow your personal and school brand

BrandED shows school leaders how to move beyond mascots and clever taglines to showcase their school's assets—and enhance communication with students, parents and all stakeholders. Through smart conversations about the genuine power of branding in education, this book shows how a "BrandED" mindset can improve schools by strengthening relationships, improving communication, telling your story, and increasing resources. Ideas borrowed from the world of business are adjusted for the unique needs of education. Practical tools, templates, and resources allow you to implement the strategies presented quickly and easily, while stories of real-world schools illustrate what BrandED thinking can do for your students, teachers, and community.

Today's school leaders cannot remain in the ivory tower. This book will help you drive positive transformation as you craft and share the powerful story of your unique school brand.

Leverage digital tools to become the storyteller-in-chief and build better community relationships Strengthen internal and external communications among students, teachers, parents, and other stakeholders Increase resources by establishing strategic partnerships and strengthening ties to key stakeholders Promote connectivity, transparency, and community to build a positive culture that extends beyond the schoolhouse door

Authors Eric Sheninger and Trish Rubin, experts on school branding and change leadership, show you how BrandED thinking captures the focused spirit of the outstanding work taking place in schools every day; work that can be easily recognized, talked about, and valued. Get the word out, and invite the community in to build the positive relationships that benefit everyone.

Genres: Education

302 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 27, 2017

About the author

Eric is a Senior Fellow and Thought Leader on Digital Leadership with the International Center for Leadership in Education (ICLE). Prior to this he was the award-winning Principal at New Milford High School. Under his leadership his school became a globally recognized model for innovative practices. Eric oversaw the successful implementation of several sustainable change initiatives that radically transformed the learning culture at his school while increasing achievement.

His work focuses on leading and learning in the digital age as a model for moving schools and districts forward. This has led to the formation of the Pillars of Digital Leadership, a framework for all educators to initiate sustainable change to transform school cultures. As a result Eric has emerged as an innovative leader, best selling author, and sought after speaker. His main focus is the use of social media and web 2.0 technology as tools to facilitate student learning, improve communications with stakeholders, enhance public relations, create a positive brand presence, discover opportunity, transform learning spaces, and help educators grow professionally.

Eric is a Bammy Award winner (2013), NASSP Digital Principal Award winner (2012), PDK Emerging Leader Award recipient (2012), winner of Learning Forward's Excellence in Professional Practice Award (20 12), Google Certified Teacher, Adobe Education Leader, and ASCD 2011 Conference Scholar.

He has also contributed on education for the Huffington Post, co-created the Edscape Conference, sits on the FEA Board of Directors, and was named to the NSBA "20 to Watch" list in 2010 for technology leadership. TIME Magazine also identified Eric as having one of the 140 Best Twitter Feeds in 2014. He now presents and speaks nationally to assist other school leaders embrace and effectively utilize technology. His blog, A Principal's Reflections, was selected as Best School Administrator Blog in 2013 and 2011 by Edublogs.

Eric began his career in education as a Science Teacher at Watchung Hills Regional High School where he taught a variety of subjects (Biology, Chemistry, Marine Biology, Ecology) and coached several sports (ice hockey, football, lacrosse). He then transitioned into the field of educational administration as an Athletic Director/Supervisor of Physical Education & Health and Vice Principal in the New Milford School District. During his administrative career he has served as District Affirmative Action Officer and was the president of the New Milford Administrator’s Association. During his tenure as high school principal he successfully implemented numerous initiatives including a new teacher evaluation system (McREL), oversaw Common Core implementation, and initiated a new grading philosophy. Eric received his M.Ed. in Educational Administration from East Stroudsburg University, B.S. in Biology from Salisbury University, and his B.S. in Marine/Environmental Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was provided this book as part of a school PR conference, and it took quite a long time for me to finish it. In retrospect, I started this book and then allowed it to sit for awhile simply because it is a lower-level primer than what I needed. For more than 8 years, I have worked daily in public education communications and social media (in a progressive, suburban district). I certainly underlined some key ideas in the book that I will pass along via professional development training for our district staff. I also plan to share my copy of this book with a few school principals who will find value in the content. As for me, personally and professionally, I was not blown away.

[Dave Moyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book and a must read for educators. We have to communicate the message better before they eradicate public schools and this country dies.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just a brief line on it, but I think the valuable thing about this book is that it really covers an area that's neglected in education. And it's written by an author who really did 'walk the walk.'

[Steven Strothman · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great ideas were presented in the book. Unfortunately, they were presented in a very repetitive manor. The book could have been at least cut down by a third without all of the repetition.