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New communications director outlines branding, ADA compliance, staff recognition and outreach plans
Summary
Teresa Marsden, Great Valley’s director of communications, summarized a multi-part plan including a district branding guide, ADA web-compliance work ahead of April 2027, an employee recognition program, an annual report and a content calendar tied to social media and press outreach.
Teresa Marsden, the district’s new director of communications, presented early priorities at the April 7 work session after six to seven weeks on the job, saying her work will focus on internal communications, external outreach and compliance needs.
Marsden told the board she will develop a branding style guide covering logo use, colors (Pantone/hex/CMYK), fonts and templates, and noted that ADA accessibility requirements for public websites become mandatory in April 2027. She described ADA-related design choices (for example, sans serif fonts for readability and color-contrast requirements) as a heavy lift that should guide selection of district fonts and graphics now.
For internal communications Marsden proposed a staff newsletter, an employee recognition program (digital nominations and monthly presentations, with an emphasis on highlighting non-teaching roles), and training so staff can implement the brand guide and consistent messaging. She said the recognition program could include design work by students and suggested recognition be shared via social channels and monthly superintendent reports.
Externally, Marsden said she will prepare an annual report summarizing district performance and financial stewardship, to be compiled over the summer and published in early fall. She recommended a social-media content calendar to plan campaigns and a press-and-media calendar aligned to major initiatives such as facilities and budget items to reduce surprises and improve proactive outreach.
Board members asked about staffing and pacing; Marsden said the branding guide and ADA compliance work could take up to one to two years for full implementation, while social media and initial external items could be deployed sooner. She also outlined plans to survey families and staff in April to inform priorities.
Marsden described ParentSquare as a prospective communications platform the district is evaluating to reduce the volume and duplication of messages parents receive; she said ParentSquare offers targeted feeds so families can subscribe to the content streams most relevant to them. Board members also asked about streamlining messages and families’ ability to receive only critical updates.
Several board members emphasized crisis-communication planning and proactive roadmaps for safety and high-impact initiatives; Superintendent Charice (referenced in discussion) said district leaders are already mapping safety communications month-by-month to provide staff and families with clearer expectations.
Ending: Marsden will run a short communications survey in April to inform a prioritized rollout and will return with further proposals; the board encouraged pragmatic pacing given the small communications staff.
