Meet Megan Skipper, Our New A+ Communications Director

Hello, A+ family!

My name is Megan Skipper, and I am the new Communications Director here at A+. I officially began my tenure here at the beginning of December, and I have already loved every second of it. Helping make Alabama a better place for our kids is a passion of mine, and I’m excited to live out that passion by highlighting the important work A+ does.

Before joining this team of bright, compassionate, and driven people, I worked in a couple other venues. Right after finishing my bachelor’s at Auburn University in human development and family studies, I started my first job at the Montgomery Education Foundation right here in Montgomery, AL. There, I fell into the world of communications by (a wonderful) accident. That led me to pursue a master’s degree in strategic communications at Troy University, where I graduated in August of 2018.

In the midst of my master’s program, I received the opportunity to manage a political campaign in AL for the 2018 midterm election cycle. I jumped on the opportunity and ran that campaign from start to finish: November 6, 2017 to November 6, 2018. It pushed me in ways I could never imagine, and helped me fine-tune my interpersonal and communication skills very quickly. Upon the end of that election cycle, I knew I wanted my next step to be back in the education policy arena in some way.

And…enter A+! What excited me most about this new opportunity was that everyone in the organization is committed and energized around public school support and development, as well as dedicated to the cause of spreading our mission of positive change for the children of Alabama.

Visiting educators observe teaching and learning during an Instructional Rounds visit facilitated by A+ last month.

We want to tell the real story of Alabama public schools

My goal for 2019 is to create a strategic communications plan with everyone on the team that highlights the work we do and gives the public a better grasp what’s happening in public education in our state, including the many teaching and learning success stories coming out of our classrooms and schools.

Education affects quality of life for all of us. Policy and practices can be hard to understand on any level, and A+ is committed to making that understanding easier.

But, that mission can’t be accomplished without the help and support of Alabama educators and community leaders. I’d love to have your help, too! If you’re interested in contributing to our blog, email me at [email protected]. We love guest writers, especially voices from those actually doing the work we advocate for.

Strengthen your connection to A+

If you’re not already, follow us on social media. Here are some choices!

► If you’re interested in professional learning and what students are doing in school, search and follow Alabama Best Practices Center on Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram under @al_bpc.

► To learn more about College and Career Ready initiatives, you’ll want to keep up with A+ College Ready. You’ll find them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (@AplusCR).

► To follow along with education policy developments and our school advocacy work, check out A+ Education Partnership on Facebook and on Twitter and Instagram at @aplusala.

Our official hashtag across all our programs is #ALPartners — use it when you can!

And, as always, if you have ideas for places we should be, people we should talk to or write about, or topics we should cover, never hesitate to reach out! Again, my email is [email protected]. I’m excited to work with you and the A+ team to Empower, Equip, and Expect More from Alabama schools.

Sincerely,
Megan Skipper
A+ Communications Director