We help schools communicate with confidence and clarity.

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Your partner in navigating the challenges of independent school leadership.

Independent schools have a unique culture where relationships run deep and every issue feels personal. Communication challenges include parent concerns, personnel matters, student safety, DEI initiatives, leadership transitions and social media crises.

Effectively managing complex school issues requires more than communications expertise - it demands a steady, experienced hand that understands the nuances of school leadership and the impact on the entire community.

Kate Moran

Kate Moran helps independent schools navigate complex challenges with strategy, clarity, and compassion. With 25+ years in educational communications, including senior leadership roles at Brooks School and The Pike School, she advises Heads of School and Boards on reputation management, media relations, and high-stakes communications.

Founder of her own consultancy, Kate brings a wealth of experience guiding schools and organizations through critical situations. She is a Syracuse University graduate and lives in New England with her husband and three sons.

What Makes KM Communications Different?

Most firms promise experience and discretion, but too often schools end up working with large agencies where their most sensitive issues are handled by junior associates who don’t truly understand independent school culture.

At KM Communications, schools work directly with Kate Moran - a former assistant head of school who has been in your shoes. Kate brings the calm, insight and judgement that only comes from decades inside school communities.

Every message, decision, and plan comes from senior-level experience and genuine partnership with school leaders.

Our Services

  • Rapid assessment, clear action plans, and messaging frameworks that protect your institution’s reputation when it matters most.

  • Proactive guidance to strengthen trust and credibility with your most important audiences - families, faculty, trustees, alumni, and the media.

  • Drafting and refining statements, talking points, FAQs, and digital communications for internal and external audiences.

  • Coaching and preparation for high-stakes conversations, board meetings, and public engagements.

  • Training leaders to communicate with confidence and, when necessary, directly managing media inquiries on your behalf.

  • Advising on social media content, tone, and crisis response; monitoring online sentiment.

  • Kate Moran brings crystal-clear communication, calm in the face of crisis, and a rare ability to see situations from multiple perspectives. Her empathy, creativity, energy, and humor, combined with a talent for connecting people, make her an extraordinary leader and trusted partner.

    Marybeth Heyd, The Pike School

  • Kate is the person you want when there’s a problem to solve. A natural and proven leader, she knows how to connect with people, tell a compelling story, and build trust. Kate’s true superpower is making tough situations feel manageable.

    Rebecca Lin, School Administrator

  • Kate thrives when the stakes are highest. Drop her into a communications crisis, a team in disarray, or a complex challenge, and she instantly brings clarity and calm.

    Jonna George, Babson College

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