Pub. 2 2012-2013 Issue 2

21 U tah Association of Public Charter Schools kicked off the first Zions Bank-sponsored Charter School University training with a session in early February on communication in times of crises. Communication is an ongoing challenge and something that all institutions (commercial, private, and government) need to understand and do well. “It’s important to be communicating with your stakeholders and constituents, and getting out critical public information, and particularly, it’s important to do that in a sea of information that is not always entirely accurate,” said UAPCS president, Chris Bleak. Some of the education community’s most knowledgeable resources gathered together for the training to offer charter school board members, directors, and staff insights they’ve gained over many years of experience in communicating to the public. Panel members included Ben Horsley, Granite School District, Public Information Officer; Chief Chris Burbank, Salt Lake City Police Department; Laura Jones, Salt Lake City Police Department, Public Information Officer of Chief Burbank; Rob Brough, Vice President of Communications for Zions Bank andMarketing; Bryan Garret, Zions Bank Business Continuity and Military Relations; and Tom Gudako, Department of Health, Communications. Choosing to Cancel School When determining the right time to shut down the school for the day, whether it’s due to a public health emergency, snow storm, earthquake, or other crisis, consider the widespread effects on employees and their work, and results to customers and students. “Know who your stakeholders are,” said Horsley. “Obviously kids are part of our systemand they are our greatest priority. Parents are patrons. Local businesses are stakeholders. Grandma and grandpa, or empty nesters who live down the street, who may not have kids in our schools anymore, are still stakeholders. They pay taxes that go toward our school systems and we need to involve them in our communications as we develop plans at the local level.” Examine how weather and traffic safety impact your schools, and talk with experts, such as the county public works director and specialists at the National Weather Service, who can provide you with additional tools to help you make decisions. “So much of communicating is about partnerships and knowing the right people that are going to help you get the right messages out,” said Gudako. “Reach out to those departments.” In heavy snow fall, ground crews should start plowing around 1 or 2 a.m., and have a good idea by 4 a.m. if they can keep up or not. By 5 a.m., you will have the media calling for the decision. Announce it on your school’s website, Facebook and Twitter. It’s important that when you know and you have good information, that you act on it, and you work to communicate as effectively and quickly as possible. Responding to Allegations Oftentimes, schools get allegations and it’s important to com- municate effectively and help the media understand that accused individuals do have rights. Communicate that there is a process of investigation, and if appropriate, terminable action or discipline in those types of situations. Take allegations very seriously and take the appropriate action really fast. “In a school setting, there are limited amounts of infor- mation that you can provide because of privacy laws that protect individuals and students, so there is a very fine line that you need Just like in any business, charter schools need to develop a solid strategy of succession planning. Charter School University sponsored by Zions Bank presents Communication in Times of Crises By Shauna Guerrero, The newsLINK Group, LLC