About NSPRA
Become a Member
The Superintendents to Watch award recognizes up to 25 school district leaders each year who have fewer than five years of experience as a superintendent and who demonstrate dynamic, fast-paced leadership with strong communication at its core.
Dr. Davidson exemplifies outstanding leadership and excellence through his unique approach to education and administration. His core philosophy lies in a profound commitment to students, permeating every aspect of his decision-making process and leadership style.
Dr. Davidson's most remarkable quality is his ability to listen attentively and consider all viewpoints with positive intent. This open-mindedness fosters an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives are valued and respected. By encouraging open dialogue, he ensures all voices are heard, leading to comprehensive and well-rounded solutions to challenges within the educational system.
Integrity is a cornerstone of Dr. Davidson's leadership. He prioritizes the best interests of students in his decision-making process. His unwavering commitment to this principle is evident in his belief that if a decision doesn't look or feel right for students' best interests, it should be reconsidered. This student-centric approach demonstrates his dedication to creating an educational environment that truly serves its primary stakeholders.
Dr. Davidson operates with the fundamental belief that all students need to know they are cared for, valued, and challenged. This philosophy creates a nurturing yet stimulating atmosphere where students feel supported in their academic and personal growth. By fostering this sense of belonging and encouragement, he helps students develop the confidence and motivation necessary to reach their full potential.
Transparency and honesty are hallmarks of Dr. Davidson's communication style. His approachability makes him accessible to staff, students, and parents alike, creating an open line of communication that is crucial for effective leadership. By prioritizing transparency, he builds trust and promotes a culture of openness throughout the educational setting.
A key priority in Dr. Davidson's leadership is the development of the Litchfield Learner attributes. He emphasizes the importance of communication, problem-solving, character, continuous learning, content expertise, and teamwork for staff and students. By focusing on these essential skills and qualities, he prepares students for success in their academic pursuits, future careers, and personal lives.
Dr. Davidson's leadership philosophy is rooted in the belief that support builds accountability. He understands that by providing the necessary resources, guidance, and encouragement, individuals are more likely to take ownership of their responsibilities and strive for excellence. This approach creates a positive cycle of growth and achievement within the educational community.
Perhaps one of Dr. Davidson's most impactful qualities is his natural talent for connecting with others and helping them become the best versions of themselves. This ability extends beyond his interactions with students to include staff members, creating a supportive and motivating work environment. By recognizing and nurturing the potential in others, he cultivates a culture of continuous improvement and personal growth.
In conclusion, Dr. Davidson's leadership is characterized by his unwavering commitment to students, integrity in decision-making, inclusive communication style, and focus on holistic development. His ability to listen, prioritize transparency, and foster accountability while building meaningful connections makes him an exemplary leader. Through his actions and philosophy, Dr. Davidson not only enhances the learning experience for students but also inspires and empowers those around him to strive for excellence.
In his first year as Superintendent of Litchfield Elementary School District (LESD79), Dr. Carter Davidson recognized the critical role of communication in building trust and fostering relationships across the district. His communication strategy, which combines both innovative and traditional methods, has set a new standard for leadership transparency and community engagement.
Understanding the importance of personal connection, Dr. Davidson implemented a video communication initiative that has become central to his approach. He recognized that seeing and hearing from the superintendent directly could expedite his introduction to the district’s staff, families, and the wider community. Through regularly produced videos, Dr. Davidson shares important updates, district news, and messages of support. This visual format allows his personality and passion to come through in a way that written communication cannot. As a result, it has been a key factor in building trust with both internal and external audiences.
In addition to video communication, Dr. Davidson has embraced traditional social media platforms, using them as powerful tools to reach a diverse audience. By leveraging platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Nextdoor, he has been able to broaden his communication reach and engage with various demographic groups within the LESD79 community. Each platform serves a specific function in his communication plan: Facebook and Instagram allow him to connect with parents and families through engaging posts and visuals, LinkedIn provides a professional channel to share district accomplishments and build connections with other educational leaders, while Nextdoor offers a localized approach to communicate with residents about district events and updates.
Dr. Davidson’s dedication to being "out and about" in the community further enhances his communication efforts. His hands-on approach—attending school events, meeting with staff, and engaging with families in person—has made him a familiar and approachable figure across the district. This visible presence not only builds trust but also fosters a sense of community that aligns with LESD79's core values. His brand, most notably captured through his "Connecting with Carter" series, has become a symbol of open communication, transparency, and accessibility in the district.
The Litchfield Elementary School District's 2024-2029 Strategic Plan demonstrates a comprehensive approach to integrating communication goals and strategies throughout the district's vision and operations. This integration is evident in both the overarching plan and the specific characteristics defined for the Litchfield Learner.
At the core of the strategic plan is the vision to "Prepare Every Litchfield Learner to Succeed through Readiness, Resources, and Relationships." Communication is woven into each of these three keystones, ensuring it remains a central focus in all district initiatives.
Communication is explicitly identified as one of the six key characteristics of a Litchfield Learner, alongside character, teamwork, problem-solving, continuous learning, and content expertise. The detailed definition of the Communication characteristic states that "Litchfield Learners effectively convey their thoughts, feelings, ideas, and perspectives through reading, writing, listening, speaking, and digital communication, adapting to their audience." This comprehensive view of communication prepares students and staff for success in various contexts.
To communicate these goals and strategies to all stakeholders, the district has created clear, visually appealing infographics summarizing the strategic plan and Litchfield Learner characteristics. These materials, along with the "Unlocking Our Future" metaphor in the district’s logo, reinforce the message that communication is an essential tool for achieving student success.
Dr. Carter Davidson is a superintendent who leads by example, particularly when it comes to communication. As an approachable, engaged, and visible leader, Dr. Davidson has set a high standard for how district leaders should connect with their communities. His communication strategy combines the use of video, social media, and in-person engagement to foster trust and ensure transparency throughout LESD79.
Dr. Davidson consistently engages with media outlets, sharing the district’s positive stories and accomplishments while being transparent during more challenging situations. He regularly attends Rotary meetings, faith-based gatherings, and community events, ensuring visibility and accessibility to stakeholders.
One of his most successful initiatives is the “Pie Tour,” where staff can directly engage with him while being served by district leadership. This initiative fosters open dialogue and builds trust between staff and administration.
Dr. Davidson’s consistent, proactive communication efforts ensure that LESD79 remains a transparent, community-focused, and forward-thinking organization.
B.A. - Mississippi State University; MPA - University of Georgia
I believe school PR/communications is what I was born to do! One of the biggest decisions a parent can make is where to send their child to school, and it’s an honor to share with our parents the engaging work that their children are doing under the guidance of world-class teachers and leaders. On any given day, in any given school, there are many stories to be told and I take that charge seriously. As school communicators played a key role in COVID-19 communications, storytelling was more important than ever – not only did I share information with parents about our protocols, but I also made over 80 visits to schools last year and told a variety of stories about how students were thriving with both in-person and distance learning options. I also worked with principals to determine best mitigation practices and helped make those pervasive, because positive action must be the foundation of what we are ultimately communicating. School public relations is incredibly complex and I love that each day brings a new challenge.
My greatest school PR success was completing 11 nationally-innovative school communication audits using a process of research, planning, implementation, and evaluation. I am now in phase two of this project and am attending school council meetings to garner feedback from parents about school-level communication and how I can better support the work of their schools. One of the most significant findings is that as students take more ownership of their learning, they also take more ownership in parent communication. Therefore, next steps are to better prepare parents for this transition and to also determine best practices from exemplar teachers and coaches at the secondary level so we can strike the right balance with parents feeling informed and fostering student independence.
My greatest school PR challenge is overcoming rigidity. Like many PR professionals, I am detail-oriented and a self-described perfectionist. It’s a blessing and a curse to see when something is one pixel off, but the greatest challenge I have faced in my 13 years in this field is to learn to be more flexible. I might have an aversion to Comic Sans or Curlz, but it’s not the end of the world if those are a font favorite elsewhere. What’s more important is the bigger picture – staff and parents feeling well-informed and students growing and learning in positive school cultures. Instead of telling someone their website isn’t formatted properly, I now make a 2-3 minute screencast if I think there’s a quick tutorial I can offer to provide ongoing professional learning. By being much more flexible, I have deepened relationships and become better at supporting the most important job that occurs in our school system: teaching.
My favorite part of my job is the relationships. I often say that there is no substitute for showing up, and that’s why I make so many school visits each year. From getting to hold a gorgeous monarch butterfly to watching a vibrant student musical to seeing 3-D printing in action from engineering students, I have witnessed countless unique opportunities, and these experiences are just a small piece of what our students get to take part in each and every day. If I didn’t take the time to form relationships, I wouldn’t know that what students value is knowing that the photos I take may show up in their yearbooks. I wouldn’t know the myriad of annual activities that teachers do across our schools because I wouldn’t have witnessed them firsthand. I wouldn’t know about the families of our principals or what they believe makes their school unique. All of that is invaluable because at the end of the day and at the end of this career, relationships are what will remain – both professionally and personally.
The communication tool I use the most is Canva! I would be a brand ambassador if they asked! I am not very mathematically-minded and it can be challenging for someone with an eye for good design – but not an eye for rulers and gridlines – to be a graphic designer. However, Canva has made it possible and I am able to create aesthetically-pleasing graphics with short turn-around times. I have trained communication ambassadors at our schools how to use it as well. Right after Canva, the tool I most use is iMovie. I am completely self-taught in videography and using iMovie and Canva together has made me someone who can add “videographer” to their list of expertise.