LM Nov-Dec 2022

...continued conference showcase

Just in case you missed it...

INSPRAConference Superintendent Transition: Communicating to Internal and External Stakeholders

members and strategies to support and engage the administration and community during times of stress and uncertainty. Panelists: Denise Barr, Director of Communications and Public Engagement, Crystal Lake CCSD 47; Kathy Hinz, Ed.D., Superintendent, Crystal Lake CCSD 47; Erica Loiacono, Director of Community Engagement and Communications, Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200; Jeff Schuler, Ed.D., Superintendent, Wheaton Warrenville CUSD 200. 1 Develop a Crisis Communications Plan: As part of any crisis communications plan, identify who will communicate what, when and how. Also, develop message templates for anticipated scenarios and appoint a media spokesperson. 2 Respond Quickly: In the event of a crisis, try to respond to the situation within one to two hours of the incident. Only communicate what you know and stick to the facts. Prioritize an internal com - munication over an external message. 3 Use a Google Doc: If you need to provide mul - tiple updates about a situation, consider using a Google Doc. A Google Doc can be easily updated in real time and the link doesn’t change. Be sure to set the Google Doc in Viewer Mode so it can - not be edited by others. 4 Monitoring Social Media: People in your community will often post information on social media. If your district does not have a commu - nications department or someone available to monitor social media posts, consider developing a partnership with a staff or community member so he or she will alert you if something concerning is posted on social media. 5 Alternate Phone Greeting: Consider creating an alternate phone greeting for receptionists if there’s a crisis and provide access to all messag - es (with most recent message at the top) for those answering phones to refer to.

Presented by Dr. Jenna Woodland, superintendent of Evergreen Park ESD #124; Alex Mayster, Executive Director of Communications, Naperville CUSD #203 (former Communications Director at Evergreen Park ESD #124). View presentation. 1 Control the narrative: School districts should draft the press release announcing the hire of a new superintendent to control the narrative of what the district wants said about the hire. Do not rely on the media or someone else to describe the superintendent’s background. 2 Connect themes in press release to superintendent survey: Generally, a community survey is conducted during the superintendent search process that asks the public for characteristics they want to see in a new school leader. The press release should connect the responses to the new hire to make the public feel like their input was important in the search process. 3 Webinar to introduce new superintendent: In addition to an in-person community event, a webinar to introduce the superintendent to the community should be consid - ered. In the webinar, you can gather questions ahead of time and only ask the questions you want the superin - tendent to answer. The chat and Q&A features should be disabled when taking this approach. 4 Invite special guest to first Institute Day: On the first Teacher Institute Day, invite a special teacher from your childhood to help tell the story of why you are excited and a good match to be superintendent of the new district. Having an educator tell your story will resonate better with teachers. 5 Create a video to introduce yourself: Another way to tell your story and background to staff and stakeholders in your new district is to create a video showcasing your story, your passions and goals for the district. The video should not be longer than 3 minutes.

10 LM Nov/Dec 2022