Community in Crisis
School communities are not just school communities. For many people, the school is their community. With both parents working or one parent heading the household and little time to cultivate relationships, parents choose a school as much for the academics as for the community. The school can become the family's primary source of social network and support. How schools handle this piece in a time of crisis will have a long-lasting effect.
Heads of School have been working round the clock in the last three weeks to prepare for, launch, and support online learning with their faculty and staff. In my recent discussions with school leaders, some have mastered the transition beautifully and are on the receiving end of accolades from parents and students. Some were less prepared and less willing to leap, and they heard complaints from all sides. But, all schools are in a precarious position right now as families evaluate both their financial situation and their social connection to your school. Those two factors will determine if re-enrollment is still an option for them. How can you support your school community in this crisis?
Leaders must communicate transparently with faculty, staff, parents, alumni, and donors. The Head of School and Board of Trustees have been called into action to re-evaluate the financial picture of the school by creating alternative models for decreased enrollment, a smaller annual fund, and tuition assistance adjustments. The entire community needs brief and concise communication that conveys both the reality, need, and hope of your situation. Everyone on the same page, step by step.
Consider configuring your teaching staff into teams to allow teachers to manage their home life in ways that feel safer. Division heads are checking in regularly with teachers who have stretched themselves professionally in new ways. But, who is making sure that teachers can also care for their children who are at home?
Deploy the team of brand champions that you carefully coached for admissions and development outreach to check in with community members just to see how they are and to offer encouragement. Do your families have food, are they healthy, are they coping successfully? Don't leave this to the parent association to coordinate but do engage the infrastructure. The administration should control the flow of communication and dispatch assistance.
We are devoting much time to thinking about how to attract the attention of prospective families and managing online virtual tours, but what new processes have we put in place to fulfill our promise to current families to be their community in good times and bad? How are we thinking about retention right now? Let's redouble efforts to ensure that every family in our community is still part of the community in the fall.
The author, Jill Goodman, is a consultant working with independent school leaders to advance their school’s mission, enhance their processes, and bolster their skills.
