By Jodie Orzechowski, APR, and Monica Lester, APR

From the pandemic to the war in Ukraine to racial tensions across the United States, social unrest has amplified the issues in our modern society. Incidents around the world have had a profound impact on our communities and our schools. This blog post explores several key questions for school leaders and communications professionals about responding to these situations.

Over the past few years, social unrest has become so prevalent it has prompted ongoing internal discussions and grappling between district leadership and communications about when and how to weigh in.

What is social unrest?

In a recent Public Relations Society of America presentation, the public relations team at The Mayo Clinic defined social unrest as:

• attacks on specific classes of people;
• mistreatment of a race, gender, lifestyle;
• constitutional and legal rights, including gun access and privacy issues;
• controversial scientific debates such as vaccinations, GMO, or climate change;
• religious freedom/expression, including holiday displays, prayer groups, clothing; or
• political/geopolitical, i.e., immigration or the Affordable Care Act.

Often, these events may not have a direct impact on school district operations, but what they do have is a deep impact on the district’s stakeholders — their students, families, staff and community at large.

What should schools do?

Instinct and the urge to act often leads a school leader to feel compelled to say something, whether that something is acknowledging the event, weighing in on the issue, or somehow trying to make a connection that resonates with stakeholders.

But before a decision on whether to communicate is made, leadership should first consider the social unrest issue and its impact on the school community. Beyond that, how does the issue relate to the school district? Is saying something in alignment with the district mission and vision? What would an appropriate response be? Is a response expected or will it be a surprise? Perhaps most importantly, what are the objectives and/or potential benefits of issuing a response to the issue?

How does the issue relate to the school district?
Is saying something in alignment with the district mission and vision?
What would an appropriate response be?
Is a response expected or will it be a surprise?
Perhaps most importantly, what are the objectives and/or potential benefits of issuing a response to the issue?

Giving greater thought to these questions allows leadership to engage in deeper discussion about whether, when and how to respond, and also offers sound reasoning as to why a district would or wouldn’t take a stance on the issue.

Impact on stakeholders

Typical stakeholders in a school community include students, faculty and staff, families, taxpayers and the community at large. But stakeholders within each of these groups also exist. They may be as specific as students in a particular club, parents of athletes in a sport, or taxpayers who live across the street from the school. It’s important to consider specific stakeholders groups within your school community when determining who, if anyone, is impacted. 

Alignment to the district mission and vision

The district’s mission, vision and core values, should be at the forefront of decision-making. Many districts have value statements or clearly defined commitments. These could be in the areas of academic success, safety and security, social emotional learning, mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion, whole child learning, educating every student, and so on. If a district’s communication is always aligned with its mission and vision, members of the school community may be more likely to question why the school district would issue a statement related to a social unrest issue if it fails to connect.

Appropriateness of response

The appropriateness of the response is just as critical as determining whether to say something. If the statement is too broad or not timely, it may be perceived as an afterthought, or worse, as a half-baked response to an issue impacting a majority of your stakeholders.

Considering relevance, internal and external factors, as well as whether the issue is likely to gain national exposure or remain an issue for years to come should inform how, where and when to communicate. For schools, communication on social unrest issues without honesty, truth and action-taking can quickly lead to criticism.

Benefits and drawbacks

Before a statement is made, think critically about whether what is said will be of great significance. There may be potential benefits of communicating or downfalls of remaining silent. Conversely, benefits of remaining silent and the downfalls of communicating should also be explored.

If communicating leads to increasing positive stakeholder engagement, or strengthens relationships within the school and broader community, that’s obviously a benefit. If it leads to student or staff protests or prolonged media backlash, it’d be a drawback.

To move past “saying something” or to avoid the risk of public criticism for weighing in on an issue that doesn’t resonate with stakeholders or is misaligned with the mission of the district, consider bringing an authentic, honest voice to the district’s stance. The power of this voice can strengthen public support, reputation and a sense of safety and belonging for the community. Regardless, it’s imperative to spend time engaging with your trusted advisers before acting.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to responding to social unrest issues. What resonates with one community, school district or even school building may not with another. That’s okay, and should be expected—every community is different. The response will look different for each school district depending on their publics, values and the nature of social unrest issue itself.

About the authors

Jodie Orzechowski, APR, is Assistant Director of Capital Region BOCES’ Engagement & Development Division.

Monica Lester, APR, is a Program Manager with Capital Region BOCES’ Engagement & Development Division.