Today’s Rundown

• Welcome school communicators

• Today’s Crisis Headlines

• Charlie Kirk’s death, and the response to the response to the response

• When October school traditions cross the line

• Look like a pro on your next webcam

• The Softer Side: How a teacher’s new role caught the nation’s attention

• Coming next month

• How can we help?

Welcome School Communicators

Well, that didn’t take long.

We’re sure you’re already knee-deep in the school year. But as you’ve settled into a routine, we thought it might be helpful to offer three quick strategies to get off on the right foot by communicating transparently, building public trust and mitigating controversy.

First, be proactive and not reactive. Jump on issues early. Whether they’re about curriculum changes, safety protocols or extracurriculars, get ahead of misinformation.

Second — how we love to say this — own your narrative. Don’t just announce a decision, explain it. Share the “why”. People are more accepting of a decision — even an unpopular one — if they understand the rationale behind it.

And finally, use multiple channels but one voice. Meet your community where they are — email, social media, website, text message, printed flyers — but keep your messaging unified and your staff informed. Remember, they’re your first and most powerful ambassadors of transparent communication!

And with that, here is our October newsletter. As always, we aim to provide insight without overload. If you find this useful, we hope you’ll ask your colleagues to subscribe!

Today’s Crisis Headlines

Building a formal crisis communications plan requires an awareness of the challenges other school districts are facing. What is your risk? Here are some recent news headlines from around the country:

School districts respond after viral video shows high school football player injuring competitor

Teaching assistant charged with spraying mysterious ‘poop’ smell in school, causing $55k in damage and triggering student asthma

Former high school assistant principal pleads guilty to student sexual abuse

Administrators respond to staff posts about Charlie Kirk’s assassination

School Board calls on fellow member to resign following Charlie Kirk post

School administrator resigns after selling schools’ lawnmowers on Facebook Marketplace

School cancels homecoming after photo of students emerges spelling out a racial slur

2 boys turned in by moms after allegedly causing over $50k in damage to school library

District and head football coach apologize after players interrupt marching band performance

Charlie Kirk’s death, and the response to the response to the response

It should come as no surprise that in our hyper-connected and hyper-partisan world, the death of Charlie Kirk ignited a firestorm. And so, too, was the response … to the response. And the response … to the response … to the response that inevitably followed. There’s a valuable lesson here.

Click here to read the full article.

When October school traditions cross the line

We’re well into the school year, and October brings a full lineup of fall traditions—Halloween, Homecoming, Spirit Week, costumes, pranks, and excitement. But every year, we see a few cases where things go too far.

Click here to read the full article.

Look like a pro on your next webcam: 7 tips in 5 minutes

Whether it’s remote working or e-learning, leading a virtual presentation or building video content, webcam use has exploded. Microsoft Teams has 320 million daily participants; Zoom has 300 million. Isn’t it time you upped your game? Here are seven tips in five minutes to look like a pro the next time you flip on the cam.

THE SOFTER SIDE: How a teacher’s new role caught the nation’s attention

Matt Hart’s leap of faith to leave high school teaching to become a first-grade music teacher is paying off in ways he couldn’t have imagined. All it took was some musical talent, ingenuity, and the “record” button on his iPhone. He and his school are now reaping the rewards, and we can all learn from it.

Click here to read the full article.

Coming Next Month

What the public wants to hear is often not what your school attorney wants you to say. Next month, we’ll examine how to balance legal concerns with transparency and public trust.

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.