A former colleague once joked that in her role as an independent school communications director, the strategic work was often eclipsed by all of the messages about “lice in the fifth grade.”
Schools are full of urgent needs, and communications teams are constantly responding to the issue of the day. In the rare quiet moment when you catch your breath, you might wonder: Would we actually be ready if a real crisis happened? Maybe you have a plan, but is it enough?
One of the hardest questions for many schools is simply determining when something becomes a crisis. Schools regularly handle difficult situations, from weather closures to student discipline issues to social media flare-ups. Any of these can escalate if they begin to generate widespread disruption or anxiety that the school’s normal rhythms are breaking down.
Defining a School Crisis: Beyond the “Issue of the Day”
A crisis is a situation involving an imminent threat to safety, reputation or the stability of the school, or a looming change that causes significant fear or distress within the community. In these moments, school leaders are under pressure to make decisions quickly, often before all the facts are known. The stakes are high, the potential for negative outcomes is real and scrutiny of the school’s response increases dramatically.
Not every crisis erupts suddenly. Some develop gradually. At first it’s a small problem. Then it becomes a pattern. Over time there’s a nagging sense that things are getting worse. These “slow-burn” crises can be especially difficult to detect because each step feels manageable on its own. But eventually, the accumulated disruption and anxiety resemble the same dynamics as a sudden emergency.
Measuring Impact: Using Sentiment Tracking for Strategic Clarity
Sentiment tracking is a useful way to gauge the severity of a situation is to track incoming messages, including email, phone calls, social media posts and other feedback, and rate the sentiment they express. For highly empathic people, even one angry message can feel overwhelming, but systematic tracking allows you to step back from the emotional intensity and assess the bigger picture. Are many people upset or just a few individuals who feel strongly? Sentiment tracking (see below for example) can help you determine whether a situation is stabilizing or escalating. It won’t eliminate the stress of a crisis, but it can help you respond with strategic clarity rather than panic.
Preparing for a Crisis
Crisis situations can test even the strongest school communities. Fortunately, there are steps you can take today to prepare. One helpful framework for evaluating your school’s readiness is the classic set of questions: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How.
Who: Building Your Core Crisis Response Team and External Resource
Before a crisis occurs, identify who will be responsible for decisions and communication. Core crisis teams typically include:
- Head of school
- Communications director
- Legal counsel
- Key operational leaders such as the security director and CFO
Clarify roles in advance. Who has authority to make which decisions? What is the chain of command if someone is unavailable? Who drafts messages, who approves them and who serves as the official spokesperson?
Build a list of external resources who could support the school in different situations. This might include law enforcement contacts, mental health professionals, diversity practitioners, legal specialists, crisis communications consultants and investigators. Parent leaders can also serve as important support networks within the community.
Once the crisis team and external resources are identified, put all contact information in a shared document. Keep it updated and make sure core team members have access in case you need it. In the midst of a crisis is not the time to gather cell phone numbers.
Finally, create a comprehensive list of the school’s constituencies, such as board members, administrators, faculty, parents, students, alumni, donors, partners and contractors. During a stressful situation, it’s surprisingly easy to overlook a key group if you don’t have a clear reference list.
What: Developing Scenarios and a Communications Toolbox
Consider the steps your school would need to take in a variety of potential emergencies or crises:
- What procedures should be followed during a lockdown?
- An evacuation?
- A serious accident on campus?
- A disclosure that an alumna/us was abused in the past?
For each scenario, think about what your different constituencies need to hear and feel. What questions will they have? How can your messaging reinforce your core commitments to safety, transparency and care for students?
Create your communications toolbox in advance: Draft holding statements (see below for examples) for the most likely situations or create templates that outline the key information to include. Sample community letters can save valuable time, as can scripts for the school’s operator, front desk staff, and other front-line personnel who may receive calls during a crisis.
When: Timing and the Power of the “Holding Statement”
In an emergency, even simple processes can be hard to remember. A good crisis communications plan outlines the steps the school should take in different situations and the order in which those steps occur.
Timing matters. Aim to acknowledge an issue quickly, even if details are still emerging. A holding statement—a message that briefly acknowledges an issue and lets people know that more information will be forthcoming—demonstrates responsiveness and builds trust (see below for examples). Whenever possible, let people know when they can expect the next update. This small step can reduce anxiety significantly.
Don’t forget to build the post-crisis stage into your plan. Schedule a debrief after every crisis situation and drill. Ask, “What went well?” and “What could we improve?” Incorporate key learnings into the school’s systems (i.e., policies, procedures and culture) to increase resilience and ensure that the school continues to learn and innovate.
Where: Establishing On-Campus and Media Coordination Hubs
Decide in advance where major crisis response activities will take place.
Identify a primary location where the crisis response team can gather immediately to coordinate decisions and messaging. This space should be private, large enough for key personnel and equipped with reliable internet access, phone service and charging capability so the team can monitor information and communicate in real time. Because some emergencies may make the primary location inaccessible, designate a backup meeting space as well.
Choose a media-gathering space for a breaking news event: News trucks can unintentionally disrupt student drop-off or pick-up traffic. Consider designating a location on campus for media that is separate from students, families and emergency operations. You may also want to identify a suitable location for a press conference should one become necessary.
Why: Grounding Your Crisis Response in School Mission and Values
As a mission-driven organization, your “why” should remain central in both good times and difficult ones.
Ground your messages in the school’s mission, values and commitment to student well-being. Doing so helps families understand the reasoning behind decisions and reinforces confidence in school leadership.
Make sure your mission, vision, and values are documented in an easily accessible place. When adrenaline is high and information is coming quickly, having a clear written reference can help keep messaging consistent.
How: Training, Drills and Internal Communication Platforms
Finally, determine how your communications processes will function before you ever need it:
- Identify the channels you will monitor to gather information.
- Identify the communication platforms you will use to reach your community.
- Appoint a member of the crisis communications team to monitor and respond to messages that come in through email or your school’s social channels.
- Consider backup plans in case those systems become unavailable.
Practice, practice, practice: Drills and tabletop exercises allow teams to rehearse their response before a real crisis occurs. These exercises can reveal unexpected challenges, highlight tools that may not function as intended and uncover strengths within your team. Most importantly, preparation reduces confusion and allows people to act decisively when it matters most.
Be sure to talk about crisis scenarios with your faculty and staff. Walk through what would happen in the event of a campus crisis, including how school leaders will communicate, best practices for cell phone use during a crisis, expectations of teachers, etc. Having your internal community briefed and ready makes a big difference.
No amount of planning can eliminate the stress that accompanies a crisis. But by thinking through the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How ahead of time, schools can respond with greater clarity, confidence and compassion when their communities need it most.
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About Myra McGovern
Founder and Principal, The Polaris Collaborative
Myra McGovern and The Polaris Collaborative: The Polaris Collaborative was founded to help schools and nonprofit organizations manage crisis situations while staying true to their missions. Myra worked for the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) for more than two decades before starting The Polaris Collaborative in 2025. Most recently, she was the Vice President of External Relations for NAIS, where her team handled media and public relations, advocacy and public affairs communications, executive communications, and supported schools in crisis. Prior, she served as the Vice President of Media for eight years, overseeing the team responsible for book publishing, a quarterly magazine, multiple content-rich websites, video content and social media and public relations.
