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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.
Jason Rowland became a “Superintendent to Watch” even before he was officially tapped for the top spot at Bossier Schools.
As Assistant Superintendent, Rowland approached the Public Relations department about starting a podcast to serve two purposes; (1) to shine the spotlight on the positive stories happening in our schools and (2) to be the official source of information as it relates to the “business” side of public education. Now in its third season and more than 40 episodes, "On the Record with Bossier Schools" has gained both local and statewide attention.
Recognizing the importance of open communication, Rowland also began sending out Monday Morning Memos to encourage educational leaders at the start of the week and keep them abreast of developments.
Once taking the reins as Superintendent in January 2024, Rowland pressed the accelerator with an increased emphasis on communication and collaboration. He immediately went on a welcome tour to introduce himself to civic, community and elected leaders, sharing his vision for Bossier Schools and soliciting input and opening dialogue. Rowland formed a Teacher Advisory Council, giving educators a direct pipeline to the Superintendent to voice concerns and challenges they are facing in the classroom. He established a long-range planning committee to gauge growth, consider projections and stay ahead of district needs and challenges. A firm advocate for empowering others and building capacity in leadership at all levels throughout the district, Superintendent Rowland began the “Empowering Principals” mentoring program for first and second-year principals and Assistant Principal Leadership Training to build capacity in the next generation of principals. He also schedules regular roundtable meetings for district leaders to further develop their leadership abilities and foster communication with their respective departments.
A district rebranding initiative was launched and a new logo, website and district app were unveiled. And Superintendent Rowland strengthened relationships with community and business partners and fostered a stronger collaboration with leadership at Barksdale Air Force Base. Furthermore, as a new superintendent of one of the larger districts in Louisiana, Rowland took the lead in pushing back against proposed state legislation that would negatively impact public education.
Jason Rowland exemplifies excellence and invokes leadership that is inspirational not only to educators, but all who come in contact with him. Others have taken notice too, both within and outside of our community, making him a Superintendent to Watch.
Under the leadership and direction of Jason Rowland, Bossier Schools was the first district in northwest Louisiana to start a biweekly podcast on YouTube focused solely on K-12 public education. On the Record with Bossier Schools has since proven to be an invaluable communication tool.
One example that magnifies its value is when the Governor of Louisiana proposed legislation to fund Educational Savings Accounts, allowing public money to follow the child across district lines and into the private school arena. Rowland took the bold step of bringing together superintendents from neighboring school districts for a roundtable discussion using the podcast as a platform to voice their concerns about the proposed legislation and the negative impact it would have on public school systems throughout the state. It remains the most widely viewed episode and made its way to the Governor’s office and Louisiana Department of Education.
In addition, Rowland took a more personal approach by inviting northwest Louisiana legislative delegates to a luncheon where he outlined concerns about the proposed legislation.
On the Record with Bossier Schools has also tackled hot button topics including the fentanyl crisis and property tax millages, as well as spotlight reports on various school activities, opportunities and events and student and staff accolades.
Over the summer, with less than six months under his belt, Superintendent Rowland also charged the Public Relations department with implementing a district rebranding initiative that would better convey the bold, progressive direction he envisioned Bossier Schools moving forward in. This encompassed not simply a logo change, but also incorporated a refreshed website and new district app that would provide parity and be accessible to all schools and families rather than only individual campuses that could afford their own.
The app, in particular, has enabled direct communication from the district via the feed, messaging and push notifications, while still enabling parents to receive pertinent information from their child’s school. This has helped lift part of the burden from principals and/or school-based social media coordinators from communicating on behalf of the district.
Another example of providing parity and carrying forward the district brand is Superintendent Rowland’s push to purchase three state-of-the-art activity buses that are accessible to all schools. Previously, more affluent schools in the district used their fundraising capabilities to rent charter buses for athletic events and trips out of town. Boldly emblazoned with the new BPSB logo, the school activity buses make a statement going down the road and have quickly become a point of pride for all students riding aboard.
Professionalism, communication and collaboration are at the core of Bossier Schools and are the tenets that Superintendent Rowland believes are the most important factors of a successful organization. Forward-thinking initiatives to better communicate internally with employees and families are a priority of his and evident by the investment in a district app, podcast, new website and rebranding.
An example of his commitment to communicate can be traced to a week of wintry weather that forced school closures. Each day at an announced time, Rowland led the charge to use all channels of communication to provide updates to families so they could make plans accordingly. The open and timely communications garnered much praise from stakeholders.
Not one to shy from controversial topics, Superintendent Rowland has also used the podcast as an avenue to discuss and share perspective about issues affecting Bossier Schools and public education as a whole. It has been well received by staff, parents and the community as a whole.
There are few superintendents that could parallel the active involvement Jason Rowland has in Bossier Schools’ communication efforts. Not only does he help develop content for and co-host the district podcast, On the Record with Bossier Schools, but Rowland does not miss the monthly surprise presentation of the Gold Star employee award recognition. Given his busy schedule, he could easily pass the baton to another administrator, but our superintendent prioritizes being present because he sees value in every person and wants to recognize the role they play in our school family.
At New Teacher Orientation, where nearly 150 eager first-year educators gathered, Superintendent Rowland welcomed them and delivered an inspiring message that stirred emotional touchpoints about his first year of teaching. He possesses an innate ability to connect with educators at every level of their professional journey and instill pride and confidence in their quest to be difference makers.
On the first day of in-service, a welcome back video awaited all faculty and staff in their email. Rowland then took it to the next level by boarding a school bus and visiting all 34 campuses in two days to offer words of encouragement and excite employees about the new year. These are just a few ways he models open communication, boosts morale and builds internal support.
Superintendent Rowland is equally enthusiastic to represent Bossier Schools outside of the classroom, whether that means being accessible to the media or regularly attending organizational board meetings or civic gatherings. He has flown aboard a B-52 with local airmen and volunteered alongside students in the local food pantry.
No matter where he goes, Jason Rowland is always in the mission field. He understands that at every juncture, he has an opportunity to turn critics into cheerleaders for the school system. That is the value of having a leader who understands and believes in the power of communication and collaboration, and why Bossier Schools could not have a better ambassador than Jason Rowland. He has elevated our district to new heights and is a Superintendent to Watch.
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.