There’s a scene in the Oscar-nominated film American Hustle in which Jennifer Lawrence’s character, Rosalyn, sheepishly confesses, “I don’t like change … It’s really hard for me.”

Rosalyn is not alone. Many of us are resistant to change. It can be scary and threatening, a far cry from the comfort and security of the familiar, no matter how flawed the status quo may be.

However, improvement requires change. Leaders of schools, districts, and non-profits – any organization, in fact – often are charged with driving change. Read more...

As 45 states and the District of Columbia shift to new learning standards in English Language Arts and Mathematics, the Council of the Great City Schools has produced a publication to help school districts inform and engage the public. Chris Horan served as the lead author of Communicating the Common Core State Standards: A Resource for Superintendents, School Board Members and Public Relations Executives.

The free guide offers tips on messaging and strategies, as well as a case study of the public engagement campaign in Jefferson County, Kentucky, "Raise the Bar Louisville."

The National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) also offers a "point-counterpoint" approach and other resources for communicating about Common Core.

Dr. Lewis Ferebee, Superintendent of the Indianapolis Public Schools, has named Chris Horan to his Transition Team to provide recommendations about the district's approach to internal and external communication. 

Superintendent Ferebee has earned praise in his first 100 days for a citywide "listening tour" and for his enthusiastic use of Twitter (@FerebeeIPS) to keep the community informed about his entry plan.  

We're proud to work with WriteBoston, a non-profit that supports middle and high school teachers throughout Massachusetts on improving student writing across subject areas. Our recent work includes case studies about two high schools that have benefited from WriteBoston coaching: Boston Community Leadership Academy and Greater Lawrence Technical School.

WriteBoston also offers customized workshops about Common Core standards and a summer institute:

"Effective Writing in the Humanities"
Professional Development for Middle and High School English and Social Studies Teachers
July 7-11, 2014 | Longfellow House, Cambridge, MA
Register here.