Effective organizational communication begins with employees, who should be communications ambassadors for a district. From administrators to teachers to school bus drivers to custodians, employees set the tone for a district. The informal conversations they have at church, the bowling alley, the barbershop and other venues can make or break the image of a district. Armed with information, they can dispel misinformation. Without information, they can contribute to the grapevine of discontent. With the most credible sources of information about schools coming from teachers, parents, students and other school staff members, it is critical that school districts develop, fund, implement and evaluate their internal communications programs. "Building Public Confidence in Urban Schools: It Begins Inside the District" is a guide for administrators and board members to not only understand and appreciate the need for quality internal communications, but to begin developing an internal communications system to complement effective community outreach and media relations programs. The guide is a project of the Public Relations Executives Network of the Council of the Great City Schools based on annual meetings of the district communications directors.