The professional discipline of strategic public relations offers many benefits to organizations. It helps them prevent and mitigate crises. It allows them to identify and manage issues that may interfere with their goals and objectives. It also leads them in building and maintaining quality relationships with strategic publics. However, can the influence of public relations reach beyond individual organizations to entire institutions? One institution that has suffered ill effects from not effectively implementing the principles of strategic public relations is American public education. Research has shown that Americans have lost significant confidence in public education. The inability or unwillingness of educators to plan strategically has opened the door to increased competition from private schools, home schools, charter schools, and vouchers. Educators' failure to address issues and concerns has led lawmakers to force them into becoming more accountable and more open with information. In virtually every area touched by strategic public relations, public education has failed to act effectively. The following research examines the question of how and to what extent public relations can influence education at the larger institutional level. It relied on in-depth interviews with recognized experts in the fields of education and public relations. The experts offered their views on how strategic public relations can improve the future not only of individual organizations but also of entire institutions like public education.