This document provides guidance and strategies for developing an effective communications plan to engage stakeholders and address challenges facing a school district. It discusses: 1) Conducting stakeholder mapping and media audits to understand key audiences and influencers. 2) Defining goals and objectives for advocacy and PR efforts over the short, medium, and long term. 3) Developing targeted messaging and selecting appropriate communication channels to reach different stakeholder groups. 4) Engaging stakeholders through various in-person and digital engagement strategies to understand their perspectives and build support. 5) Creating a crisis management plan to effectively respond to and recover from potential crises through open communication and demonstrating commitment to transparency.

1. Making sure your message is heard
STUCK

2. YOUR HEADLINES

6. Detroit News

8. Getting unSTUCK!
• We will solve a problem specific to your district or general
enough that you can bring the tools & resources learned
to back to your district.
• Know when, where and how to engage your stakeholders.
• Emerge with strategies for building mutually beneficial,
long-term strategic partnerships to benefit students, the
district & community.

9. TELL ME ABOUT YOU …

10. Now I will tell you about me …

15. YOUR COMMUNITY

16. Now tell me about your school community

17. Lets talk issues … Deficit District
School Closures
Program Elimination
Layoffs Grade
Reconfiguration Loss
of Enrollment CharterS
sCHOOLS Low
Academic Performance
Outsourcing Bonds
Elections SAFETY

18. 30 Days
90 Days
One Year (or more)
ACTION IS NEEDED:

19. If you are not defining the perception you
want everyone to have, then everyone defines
you based on their own perceptions.
And even if those perceptions are wrong, then
they are still right as far as the audience is
concerned.
Creating a communications playbook:

20. GET A SNAPSHOT OF YOUR COMMUNITY + SCHOOL
DISTRICT
DEFINE THE CHALLENGE
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR PR OR ADVOCACY
DEFINE THE SHORT TERM, MEDIUM AND LONG TERM
GOALS

21. objectives| COMMUNICATIONS STRATEGY
Example
Increase Brand Awareness
Diversify funding sources
Maintain and expand current programs
Develop new opportunities
Provide Leadership & Voice

22. Media.
What are the influential publications + media
Who are the reporters you need to know
Digital.
Is your website up-to-date
Is it mobile friendly
Social.
Are you on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
How often do you post?
Mobile.
Do you have cell phone numbers to send TXT alerts
Marketing Audit
Your TOOLBOX
Relationships | Media |Digital Media| Social Media |Town Halls |One-on-Ones |Direct Mail

23. STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

24. PROBLEM | SOLUTION
• Identify the problem?
• Who are the stakeholders?*
• What are their positions?
• How can it be resolved?
• What needs to get done in the next 30 days|90 days|1+ year
• How can we influence their positions to support ours?
• What is the message?
• What is the medium?
traditional media, digital, one-on-one engagement, other community leaders

25. Government
local| state| federal| legislators | regulators
Community advocates | Business | Faith-Based
Students | Parents
Labor | Media
KNOW THE INFLUENCERS, THE STAKEHOLDERS, THE NAYSAYERS
WHAT ARE THEIR POSITIONS?...Key Contact?

26. What do they care about| What do you want them to do?
Collecting the data| Collecting the stories
message| Key Messages

27. SHARE THE STORY| MEDIA RELATIONS
• Know the media / journalists that cover your industry
• Become familiar with the media channels your students, parents, teachers and staff
use
• Monitor the news (in your community & elsewhere)
• Find opportunities to continuously engage reporters / CONTENT
• Reach out to those reporters and share information about your teachers/admin,
students, volunteers and others, key events and perhaps the impact you are having
in the community.

28. Community + Stakeholder Engagement +
Online Engagement |
To solicit stakeholder input, leverage online
engagement tools that functions as a virtual
town hall, where stakeholders can generate
ideas, help others evolve their ideas, and
ultimately vote on and prioritize the best
ideas for a project or community.
In addition, stakeholders should be
encouraged to use social media networks
(i.e., Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn) to
share their ideas or organize facilitated
meetings.

29. Based on the feed back received,
Create a work group of influential
stakeholders and community leaders to
organize in support of the District and
proactively work with this group as a
bell weather for potential issues
down the road.
Community + Stakeholder Engagement + Online Engagement |

30. Manage the stakeholder group by:
– Holding monthly meetings with specific outcomes
– Develop pro-active relationships with key influencers
– Seek out one-on-one meetings and host periodic conference calls
with stakeholder groups
Create a series of regional quarterly roundtable discussions on
our progress to involve the community.
– Plan on meeting regularly with editors, producers and journalists
on issues affecting the process.
– Host site visits/tours
– Getting District employees and board members engaged in the
community through volunteer opportunities
– Encourage local business to get involved with the schools
– Create initiatives that generate a better understanding of District,
its mission and role in the community and involve municipal
officials and the community in that effort — perhaps it fills a need
in the community, is fun, etc.
Community + Stakeholder Engagement + Online Engagement |

31. ☐ Identify Problem
☐ State the objective for community engagement
☐ Create a list of Stakeholders
☐ Create a media List (create a Twitter list and Google Alerts)
☐ Develop messaging
☐ Identify best media channels to deliver messages
☐ Prepare the collateral materials such as: Fact sheets, FAQs
☐ Create a website with the relevant information
☐ Engage stakeholders in a conversation about the issue
☐ Become responsive to media requests through statements or interviews
A CHECKLIST

32. CRISIS MANAGEMENT

33. Crisis Management At times there will be circumstances beyond your control that have
the potential to damage your reputation. An organizational crisis is a specific,
unexpected, and non-routine event or series of events that create high levels of
uncertainty and simultaneously present an organization with both opportunities for and
threats to its high-priority goals.

34. Regardless of the industry, every company faces its own set of risks. Being able to
anticipate potential threats is crucial to ensuring that your organization is well positioned
to manage crisis situations.
The following four phases are the cornerstones of any successful crisis communications
strategy.

35. Know your business and know where you are vulnerable
Develop strategic relationships in these areas.
Listen to the community and what is going on in the industry.
Prepare and plan for a crisis.
Earn the trust of stakeholders by building and maintaining relationships that are based
on honesty and transparency.
Act quickly when a crisis happens.
Make sure all company spokespeople deliver a consistent message that is simple, easy to
understand and honest.
To avoid crises or minimize risk

36. Readiness – A sound crisis management strategy starts with preparation long before the
onset of an actual crisis. While it’s impossible to plan for every future scenario, examine
your company, facilities, people, products and environment to assess areas of significant
risk and identify the potential threats that are both most likely to happen and most likely
to cause harm. When a crisis breaks, things are going to accelerate and you need a solid
response plan in advance in order for your organization to react quickly.

37. Response – Crisis moments rupture normal day-to-day operations. As a result, they
demand an immediate response. This means it’s often necessary to respond before your
organization has had a chance to assess all of the facts. Begin by acknowledging the
situation, as well as its impact on all affected parties, and commit to a full investigation.
Remember, acknowledging a crisis is not synonymous with accepting responsibility.
However, by responding immediately, you demonstrate to the public that you’re taking
the incident seriously, and ensure that your company’s message is a part of the narrative
right from the start.

38. Reassurance – Following the initial response, effective crisis management requires
conducting an investigation and developing an action plan that seeks to rectify the
situation at hand. From the implementation phase to the plan’s intended outcomes,
reassure the public that their needs are being adequately addressed by communicating
all of the pertinent details. Demonstrate your commitment to transparency and let the
public know that your organization intends to share the results of its investigation as well
as take corrective action.

39. Recovery – Ultimately, managing a crisis is about more than just stopping the bleeding in
the short term; it’s also about restoring the district’s long-term health and reputation and
preventing reoccurrence. Reestablishing public trust and consumer loyalty often require
going above and beyond immediate action. Operational and cultural changes may be
necessary to ensure that history does not repeat itself. Ongoing communication regarding
company-wide changes is an important part of demonstrating your organization’s
responsiveness and continued commitment to making things right.

40. 5 Minute Media Training & 5 Tips

41. 1) If a reporter emerges from the bushes or otherwise ambushes you, STOP in your
tracks.
2) Don't continue to walk, don't avoid them, don't put your hand in front of the camera
and whatever you do, DON"T SAY NO COMMENT.
3) Stop! Look the reporter in the eye.
4) And answer the question -- even if it is with a non-answer.
5) Let the reporter and the public know you hear them and be prepared to respond in a
way that will preserve your reputation.

42. 5 Minute Media Training
After the initial confrontation and if this issue caught you by surprise, go back to your
office, gather your thoughts, draft a few key messages, post a blog or tweet or video in
your own words and call the reporter back for a more detailed on the record discussion.
Make sure your version of the facts is out there for the public to decide. Their opinion
may already be made up if you continue to avoid the media.
If you did something wrong, admit it. But also tell me what you are doing about it. And
whatever you do, don't run. It is not what we elected you do. You may find that despite
your past and your faults or admit what you did we will still support you. We all have
faults, as a public official, you need to admit them.
It is the role of media, to investigate, to inform and to drive change in the public arena.
Many reporters have a lot invested in developing these stories. Chances are, by the time
they get to you, their stories have already been written and produced. They are simply
looking for a quick visual and a sound bite.
You will be better off if you talk with them, rather than avoid them

44. • Listen carefully & Make sure
everyone has a chance to speak
• Keep an open mind
• Do your best to understand
the other point of view
• Talk to the group not to me
• It’s okay to disagree
• Its okay to use humor
• Participate & Speak Up
• Keep the discussion on topic
The Ground Rules: Tips for a great discussion