The Newsletter for School Communicators - January, 2026

Volume 8: Crisis Communications: Learning from 2025 ⎮ Your 2026 'One-Task-a-Month" Checklist ⎮ When Board Members Speak: The Importance of Clear, Consistent Messaging ⎮ Engaging the Unengaged ⎮ Crisis Headlines ⎮The Softer Side: Dedication that Broke a Guinness World Record

Author

Brad Sattin
January 06, 2026

Welcome School Communicators

Happy New Year! As we return from the holiday break, it’s a great time to pause, reflect, and gear up for another year of supporting our schools and communities.

In this edition of The Warning Bell, we bring together insights and stories to help school leaders navigate the unique communications challenges—and opportunities—2026 may bring. We offer you a lineup of insights designed to strengthen your communication toolbox, support your teams, and help you connect more meaningfully with the families you serve.

Our article, “Crisis Communications: Learning from 2025” emphasizes the importance of a well-prepared crisis communications plan following a year of growing communications challenges. Plus, our “2026 One-Task-A-Month Checklist” offers up some bite-sized projects to move your communication processes forward all year long.

If you work closely with your School Board of Trustees, our featured podcast interview dives into the communication challenges faced by board members; often everyday folks suddenly thrust into the spotlight … ready or not.

Our article, “Engaging the Unengaged” offers strategies to reach families who traditionally don’t open newsletters or read emails—an important step to building strong, inclusive school communities.

And this month, our “Softer Side” celebrates the teacher who broke a Guinness World Record for school dedication!

As always, we continue our commitment to learning from the field with a roundup of notable school crises from across the country, providing opportunities to reflect on response strategies and identify lessons for your school.

If our Newsletter helps to inspire you, we hope you’ll share it!

Crisis Communications: Learning From 2025

While planning often centers on academics, staffing, and budgets, the past year has made one thing clear: crisis communications deserve a seat at the table. There’s no better time than now to get ready for situations districts across the country have already faced—and many more will experience in 2026. How ready are you? 

Your 2026 ‘One-Task-A-Month” Checklist

Sure, “lose weight and exercise more” may top your New Year’s Resolutions (join the club), but here’s one that offers a fresh start, is strategic and shareable, and best of all: it’s bite-sized.

When Board Members Speak: The Importance of Clear, Consistent Messaging

School board members are elected leaders who come to the role with very different backgrounds, and most are not trained communicators. That can make it tricky to know when to speak up, when to stay quiet, and how to make sure their message lines up with the administration’s. In this podcast, we talk with three current or former board members about what that balance really looks like, the communication challenges they faced with the public, and the advice they’d offer school administrators on working together to stay on message. (Runs 22 mins.)

Engaging the Unengaged

In 2026, school districts face a growing challenge: how to reach families who don’t open newsletters, emails, or printed flyers. While traditional communications remain important, relying solely on them risks leaving some community members uninformed and disconnected. Effective engagement requires diverse and intentional strategies that meet families where they are …

THE SOFTER SIDE: Dedication That Broke a Guinness World Record

Great schools aren’t built on lessons alone—they’re built on people. Some teachers leave a quiet mark. Glenda Akin set a world record.

Coming Next Month

Parents have more choices than ever when it comes to their children’s education. That growing competition is why one forward-thinking superintendent argues that school districts must market themselves with the same strategic focus as a business. At the center of that effort: strong, effective communication. We’ll hear from him next month.

HOW CAN WE HELP?

We offer a variety of in-person, virtual and asynchronous 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 and Community Engagement Training in Schools

▷ Controlling Your Narrative: Getting Positive Publicity for the Good Things

▷ Managing Your Stakeholders, 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 any Camera

▷ On-Camera Media Training: One-on-One Crisis Interviewing 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]