2023-2026
MinnSPRA's 3-Year Strategic Plan
Together, we’re building the future of school communication—one strategic step at a time.
Annually, the MinnSPRA Board of Directors holds a retreat to help set its vision and direction for the year. Given the impacts of the last few 2.5 years of the COVID-19 pandemic and other challenging situations (e.g. racial unrest, COVID restriction protests, pushback on school district equity efforts, and anti-public education sentiment to name a few), it has been a few years since MinnSPRA has undergone a more comprehensive, long-term strategic planning process.
Strategic directions have been developed along with initial action plans for implementation.
Strategic Planning Focus Question
How can MinnSPRA best leverage its resources to better serve current members and remain relevant to future school communications professionals?
Strategic Directions: With the understanding that all strategic actions, activities and decisions will be intentionally considered through a lens of equity that we define to include racial, gender, ability, economic and social equity, the team identified the following strategic directions.
I. Enhancing organizational values, partnerships and operations
Organizational Values & Culture
- Keep racial equity at the front of what we do — our work is grounded in racial equity
- Give new members individual/personal warm robust welcome to the organization
- Establish core values and model them
- Race equity impact analysis tool for conferences and Board decisions (e.g. MDE Equity Magnifier)
Strategic Partnerships
- Presentations to other member organizations
- Partnerships/ presentations at other MN education organizations
- Offer MinnSPRA presence in career fairs, panels at colleges/ universities
- Host professional development event for education organization leaders
- Re-engage with MN education associations (both leadership / ED and communications person)
- Develop partnerships with schools to promote profession
Operational Structure
- Develop membership model / costs based on organizational need
- Change ownership of professional development planning & organizing (i.e., take off plate of pres-elect and past-pres)
- Task force to review paid staff option for MinnSPRA
- Determine staffing needs to carry out vision
II. Positioning members for success through the strategic use of data and professional development
Member Data
- Redesign how we ID members needs, especially re: greater MN districts
- Explore a membership CRM or other technology to allow members to self-select tags for engagement
- Member surveys and focus groups
- Annual member survey / crowdsourcing
- Include engagement, equity, enrollment professionals
- Create system for tracking school PR professionals
Dynamic Member Cohorts
- Explore regional events / membership / leadership model
- Create career strands for PD / informal connections with peers (or facilitated peer cohorts)
- Career stages cohorts
- Structure some aspect of MinnSPRA leadership by geographic region
- Create and engage geographical or affinity based clusters
- Grouping members (geography, size, etc.) for regular gatherings
- Offer equity PD cohort (not leadership / task force) for those who desire to go deeper on their equity journey
Learning & Resources
- Practical equity work in schools (PR) workshops & resources
- Package and offer a basic PR toolkit for districts without PR people
- Braintrusts (PD) and regular PD meet-ups
- Follow-up to NSPRA — superintendent & school PR combo learning series
- Racial equity curriculum
- Strategic plan to increase website engagement
- Practical PD (tactical)
- Share NSPRA information and resources re: hot button national issues