The superintendent must inform the school board when an emergency occurs that involves a student or employee. It is better for the superintendent to have an established emergency school board communication plan than to improvise when under pressure during an emergency. An effective emergency school board communication plan should contain two essential elements: truth and clarity.
The first step in an emergency school board communication plan is a description of exactly what happened. In one paragraph the superintendent accurately states the facts, using who, what, why, when and how statements. If all the facts are unknown, then the superintendent should state only what is known along with an assurance of further clarification when more becomes known.
In the second step of an emergency school board communication plan, the superintendent describes the administrative response to the emergency. The response is not a paragraph like the previous description of facts, but rather bulleted statements that are clear and concise. There are two good reasons for the bulleted statements. First, they reduce the likelihood of subjective interpretation, which may occur when a board member reads a paragraph. Second, they are easier for a board member to remember because of their brevity.
Parents, citizens or media likely will contact the school board or superintendent for an explanation or comment when an emergency occurs. It is important for the school board and superintendent to have one consistent and clear message. Others also may help communicate vital information.
Once the superintendent has informed the school board of the emergency and the administrative response, then a message should be prepared and distributed to all district administrators to be shared with their respective staff; as well as posted on the district’s various information outlets such as a web site, cable TV channel, electronic communication network, or social networking sites. It should be provided to media outlets upon request. If appropriate, the superintendent should construct a letter to send to those the emergency directly impacts.
Finally, board members should be advised that media contact should be directed to the superintendent, who is the “face” of the district. The superintendent will decide whether media should be referred to anyone else. If media seeks a response from the school board, then the superintendent should refer media to the board president who is the “face” of the school board.
An emergency that involves a student or employee can be very stressful for the school board and the superintendent. An effective emergency school board communication plan can help to reduce the stress. More importantly, if the school board and superintendent can speak in one clear voice, then it is likely the district’s stakeholders will be confident that those responsible for governance and management have responded appropriately to the emergency situation.
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