Crisis Communications Planning: Prepare, Respond, Recover
Leading a school community through a crisis requires preparation, planning, and practical steps to ensure transparent, reassuring, and effective communications with all of your stakeholders - from families to alumni to the media.
This module is intended to prepare current and emerging school leaders to understand the steps involved in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a crisis situation. We will look at how to identify an emerging issue and steps to take to stop it from potentially escalating, what to consider when contingency planning in an independent school environment, common mistakes to avoid in responding to a crisis, crisis response workflow and best practices, knowing when to walk away, and how to shift the focus on recovery.
We will explore each other’s lived experiences (particularly over the last three years), observations from real world and very public crisis situations, and what crisis communication measures you already have in place, or may want to consider, within your own school community.
Participants will:
- Explore what defines a crisis.
- Consider the potential impacts of a crisis from the different perspectives of a school (strategic, reputational, operational, etc.).
- Look at what we have learned throughout the pandemic. Real examples and case studies to explore what worked well and lessons learned.
- Understand where crisis communications fits into broader strategic planning.
- Explore how to prepare your school - and your school community - for a crisis.
- Review early warning systems. What should you have in place?
- Discuss the crisis response workflow and look at unique considerations for different school environments, including who to involve, and when to bring in additional support.
- Spokespeople
- Process
- Questions to Ask
- The Role of a School Leader during (and before and after) a crisis
- Examine what recovery looks like and explore specific strategies that can aid school communities in recovering from a crisis.
- Make connections to the CAIS National Standards including Standard Two- School Leadership and Standard Nine- Recruitment and Community Engagement
Facilitator Biography - Kate Chandler
Kate Chandler is an award-winning communications leader with nearly 20 years experience working with top-tier educational institutions, government entities, and private sector clients in Canada, the Middle East, and beyond.
In 2021, Kate founded Chandler Communications, a brand and communications consulting firm that works with independent schools, universities, and a range of clients across Canada and around the world. Prior to this, Kate was the Assistant Vice Chancellor of External Relations at NYU Abu Dhabi, where she oversaw Public Affairs and Communications, Commercial and University Events, and Community Engagement. In this role, Kate contributed her expertise towards strengthening and enhancing the University's reputation and brand while advancing its strategic mission. During her eight years with NYU Abu Dhabi, she led the University's communications strategy and response to emerging issues and crises, including serving as the University's chief spokesperson. She was the communications lead in navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and received a platinum MarCom award for the University's Return to Campus campaign.
Kate is passionate about building great brands, shaping compelling narratives, and helping individuals and organizations tell their stories clearly and purposefully. Along with her responsibilities as Principal and Founder of Chandler Communications, Kate is a Board member with the Cowichan Women Against Violence Society and a contributor to the development of a redesigned PR program at the University of Southern Queensland, of which she is also an alum.
Kate is currently based on Vancouver Island, Canada.