Tahira Stalberte, APR Assistant Superintendent for Communications & Community Relations
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The Square Pizza podcast focuses on the intersection of education, innovation, and diversity. We host and interview leaders doing incredible work around the country to ensure all students have access to an equitable education. The Square Pizza podcast is hosted by SchermCo, a social-impact implementation firm that offers strategic implementation and project management services to schools and education-focused organizations across the country.
In this episode of the Square Pizza Pod, Greg welcomes Tahira Stalberte, Assistant Superintendent of Communications and Community Relations at Union County Public Schools, for a thoughtful conversation about leadership, trust, and what it really takes to communicate well in public education. Drawing from more than two decades in communications, from the television newsroom to one of the largest school districts in North Carolina, Tahira shares how relationship-building, consistency, and a willingness to take smart risks have shaped her approach to the work.
Tahira also opens up about the real complexity of leading communications in a modern school district, from crisis response and community trust to family engagement, artificial intelligence, and the everyday challenge of making sure families feel informed, heard, and supported. Along the way, she offers practical insight on why communication and family engagement are not the same thing, what strong two-way communication should look like in schools, and how districts can better connect with families in ways that actually improve outcomes for students.
In this episode, you’ll learn more about:
What makes a great communicator and why trust, listening, and risk-taking matter so much in leadership
How Tahira thinks about balancing the many audiences a school district serves, from families and staff to media and community stakeholders
Why communication and family engagement are distinct, and why both are essential to student success
What Union County Public Schools has learned about building stronger family engagement systems and two-way communication with parents
How Tahira and her team are approaching artificial intelligence, crisis communication, and storytelling in a fast-changing school landscape
