A New Monthly Newsletter for School Communicators

In This Issue: Welcome School Communicators ⎮Current Crisis Trends ⎮Building a Robust Crisis Communications Plan ⎮ When to Go Off-the-Record ⎮Mastering the Webcam Interview ⎮Going Above and Beyond

Author

Brad Sattin
June 04, 2025

Welcome School Communicators

Welcome to The Warning Bell, a free monthly online newsletter for school superintendents, administrators, and communications specialists across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and beyond. When I was in school (more than a few years ago), the warning bell signaled it was time to get a move ‘on. Get to class or else. And that’s the inspiration behind our Newsletter’s name. Warning bells are everywhere: in viral videos, rumor mills, school critics, unhappy staffers, social media, and drama-filled media coverage. School districts are often easy targets, which makes it hard to control your narrative when everyone else is trying to do it for you. Taking control starts with an awareness of what’s happening around you, so when the warning bell sounds, you’re already two steps ahead. Click here to read the full article.

Building a Robust Crisis Communications Plan

All it takes is an angry parent with a social media account. How ready are you?

A viral video, a teacher's arrest, and a policy backlash—this is the reality of 2025, where politics and education frequently clash. In today's world, a single disgruntled parent, staff member, or community individual with a social media presence can quickly rally a group of critics. From there, it's just a matter of contacting the media, and soon the district office is inundated with calls. Click here to read the full article.

Watch our one-hour April Lunch ‘n Learn Webinar, Building a Crisis Communications Plan.

During the webinar, we asked school leaders from PA, NJ and DE how many incidents they faced in the past three years that harmed, or had the potential of harming, their district’s reputation. Nearly a quarter of them said five or more.

When to Go “Off-the-Record”

Move cautiously, but sometimes a quiet conversation could save the day.

We get this question a lot from public relations specialists at schools and municipal governments: should I ever talk to a reporter off-the-record? Simple question. Not so simple answer. Click here to read the full article.

Video Boot Camp: Mastering the Webcam Interview

You’ve prepared well for an interview or on-camera presentation. So don’t overlook the obvious! Before your next Teams or Zoom interview, watch this 2-minute video. Want links to our entire Video Boot Camp series? Email us at [email protected].

Going Above and Beyond

Good things happen in schools every day. Here’s one example that caught our eye and got the local news in Minneapolis calling.

Dan Lee is a former Minneapolis news cameraman-turned-fourth-grade-teacher with an admitted goofy sense of humor. All the ingredients needed to create a hit YouTube show for students (and, shhhh, parents, too!) that has become a true school and community sensation in Crystal, Minnesota. Started during Covid, his show, “Mr. Lee’s Brain Break” enlists other teachers, administrators and staff as a way to engage elementary school students by mixing fun with learning. Five years and 58 episodes later, his wacky channel has hundreds of subscribers and some episodes get more than a thousand views! A little creativity goes a long way in promoting the good things!

Coming Next Month

Are your social media posts effectively telling your story? We recently examined the posts of every school district in one Pennsylvania county for a week. That’s 172 posts targeting half a million stakeholders. We’ll have an interesting examination of them in July!

HOW CAN WE HELP?

We offer a variety of in-person and virtual school district training curriculums for the 2025-2026 school year that work with your schedule and budget.

Topics include:

▷ The Case for Media & Crisis Communications Training in Schools

▷ Controlling Your Narrative: Getting Positive Publicity

▷ Managing the Media (and Your Expectations)

▷ Preparing Effective Messaging and Talking Points

▷ Building a Crisis Communications Plan Before You Need It

▷ Navigating a Crisis When It Hits

▷ Video Performance: Looking & Sounding Your Best

▷ On-Camera Media Training: One-on-One with Veteran Reporters

Our Media and Crisis Communications training may count toward professional development hours with the PA Department of Education and in other states.

Focus Media Services has been awarded a contract with PCA, the Purchasing Cooperative of America. If your school district is a PCA member, we already have a contract with you.

Focus Media Services, LLC
24 Veterans Square
Media, PA 19063
o (610) 269-0278

Need immediate assistance? Email [email protected]