Embed Communication Into School Culture

Effective communication is the foundation of strong leadership and a thriving school culture. It is the invisible thread that weaves trust, collaboration, and shared purpose throughout a school community. At Cooley Ranch Elementary School in Colton, California, building a culture of communication wasn’t simply a strategy; it became the heartbeat of our success.

Done well, communication does more than inform; it can transform. It fosters a sense of belonging for students, encourages professional growth among staff, and invites families into a shared journey of education. Enhancing communication skills through active listening, clear messaging, and strategic technology integration has fostered collaboration, increased transparency, and built trust at every level.

Listening Comes First

Strong communication begins with strong listening. We created multiple opportunities for staff, families, and students to have a voice in the school. Staff meetings were restructured to allow time for open dialogue and collective problem-solving. Family engagement events included listening circles in which parents could share their hopes, concerns, and feedback. Even among students, classroom community circles gave children a platform to be heard.

Listening signals that we value each stakeholder’s perspective. By genuinely listening before acting, leaders can anticipate needs, proactively address concerns, and encourage a culture of partnership instead of resorting to top-down decision-making. Trust isn’t the result of perfect messaging, I found; it’s the result of people feeling heard and valued.

Creating Clarity in Messaging

Another critical lesson was the importance of clear, consistent messaging. Clarity became our most effective tool for reducing anxiety and confusion in moments of uncertainty, whether addressing changes to the school schedule, implementing new initiatives, or responding to unexpected events.

We adopted a multichannel approach to communication that included:

• Weekly staff newsletters highlighting priorities, celebrations, and next steps;
• Regular family updates through email, text messages, and social media;
• Visual one-pagers and monthly calendars to simplify complex information; and
• Morning announcements celebrating student success and reinforcing shared values.

By streamlining communication and using simple, accessible language, we reduced misunderstandings and created a culture of transparency. Our mantra was simple: “If it’s important, communicate it, communicate it often, and communicate it in more than one way.”

Leveraging Technology to Build Community

Technology helps stakeholders feel informed, engaged, and connected in today’s dynamic educational landscape. At Cooley Ranch, we leveraged digital tools for relationship-building as well as information-sharing.

We launched a school podcast featuring student voices, leadership reflections, and family spotlights. Our Instagram, ClassDojo, and Facebook pages showcase moments of learning, joy, and community pride daily. An online feedback system allows parents and staff to share ideas and concerns quickly and anonymously.

By humanizing communication through digital platforms, we strengthened the sense of belonging within our school community, ensuring that families and staff saw themselves reflected and valued.

Embedding Intelligence

Political intelligence is the ability to navigate relationships, competing interests, and power structures with sensitivity and skill, according to The Politically Intelligent Leader: Dealing With the Dilemmas of a High-Stakes Educational Environment by Patricia Clark White, Thomas R. Harvey, and Lawrence Kemper. And effective communication is an operational tool that yields the political intelligence necessary to build alliances and sustain credibility.

At Cooley Ranch, developing political intelligence meant carefully assessing when to listen, when to advocate, and when to unify voices around common goals. Communication became a means of cultivating relational trust, managing conflicts, and creating a collective sense of ownership over the school’s mission. Recognizing communication as a political act transformed how we approached leadership and strengthened our capacity for sustainable change.

Most importantly, Cooley Ranch started to see communication as more than a series of isolated acts. Now that communication is embedded into the school culture, leaders remain visible and approachable. Staff meetings feature “optimistic closures” that celebrate successes and express gratitude. Conflict is addressed quickly with restorative conversations. We cheer progress and meet challenges collaboratively.

Effective communication is more than a leadership skill—it’s a leadership ethic. Principals can build cultures in which stakeholders feel informed, valued, and empowered through intentional listening, clear messaging, technology integration, and strategic political intelligence. By making communication a living, breathing part of daily practice, you, too, can create an environment in which trust flourishes and innovation thrives.

Strong schools aren’t built on policies or programs; they are built on relationships. And strong relationships are built one conversation at a time. The challenge for educational leaders is clear: Communicate not just to inform, but to connect, inspire, and transform.

Veronica Soltero Godinez is principal of Cooley Ranch Elementary School in Colton, California.