National School Public Relations Association
http://www.nspra.org/This American education website really requires a membership for maximum benefit. There are many enticing sounding resources to assist principals with school - community communication, but they come with a price. Professional development resources are available for purchase. Even their webinars aren't free; you can purchase packages for $59 dollars. They might consider offering samples of their wares for the wary. I wonder if TDSB has a district subscriptions. I'm not inclined to shell out as an individual... Still worth checking out their website to see the range of what they offer.
The Glossary of Education Reform
http://edglossary.org/school-communications/This online glossary for "journalists, parents and community members"created by the Great Schools Partnership has a great deal of potential. Educators can sometimes fail to communicate with their target audience because of obfuscating edujargon. Links from your own school newsletters or website to entries in this glossary can quickly clarify unfamiliar educational terms for members of your community (and maybe even, dare we say it, for some staff members?).
Mind Tools
http://www.mindtools.comThe Communication Skills page of this career/business website curates a wide range of highly accessible tools for assessing and meeting communication needs. While not specifically developed for educators, the resources here can readily be adapted to a school/community context. It feels like it was developed by and for educators as it starts with a diagnostic quizzes such as "how good are your communication skills" and moves on to group resources in categories like "planning and structuring" and "feedback." You can even use Mind Tools to develop your own communication learning plan. As with any commercial site you're encouraged to purchase a premium corporate package, but there is plenty of value available for free on the basic site.
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