All educational institutions have safety plans in place, and a built-in communication plan is essential as well so that all information sharing is accurate and consistent. When preparing for a crisis, you can use this checklist to ensure you have your communication strategy, team and protocol in place ahead of time.
Designate Communication Lead - Determine who will be in charge of managing communication and be consistent, so your community knows who they’ll be hearing from outlining the situation, how it’s being addressed, what steps they need to take, as well as regular updates. Follow up questions can be referred to other staff members, as appropriate.
Response Protocol - Just as outlined in safety plans, the response protocol for communication includes a map of how crisis situations are handled step by step and by whom. From initial alert to informing leadership, staff and the community, and staying connected to local agencies and support networks to move through the crisis as smoothly and calmly as possible.
Prepare Messaging - Ideally messages are prepared in advance of any potential crisis so that when and if the time comes, the team is prepared with protocol, roles and responsibilities, and key messages to share immediately. And then as the situation evolves, messages will be updated to reflect the changing needs, concerns or expectations.
Identify Channels - Every school or district environment is unique and each community responds differently to different types of correspondence, so it’s important to stay focused on only the means of communicating that resonates most with your stakeholders. This could include email correspondence, website updates, phone text/voice messages, social media posts. The key is to have open channels of communication to respond in a timely fashion.
Seek Support - Not all sites are staffed to accommodate the many aspects of crisis management and communication, so be sure to stay connected with district or county office communication support networks and utilize resources and toolkits.
Media Relations - The media will often cover crisis situations in schools and districts, so before anything like that arises it’s important to build and maintain positive working relationships with local media. Know your contacts, develop template news releases and advisories that can be quickly filled out, prepare draft statements for a variety of scenarios, and identify an experienced spokesperson who is prepared. Also remember to stay in line with district policies.
Additional resources: CDC Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Childcare Programs, San Diego County Office of Education COVID-19 Resources, NEA School Crisis Guide 2018, ACSA Crisis Communication Plan