It's an Increasingly Complex World. Does Your School Have a Policy for Making Statements on World Events?

A community message from your Head, shared with the intention of affirming the school’s commitment to inclusion or showing support for members of your community has the potential to light a tinderbox of controversy, polarizing students, parents and alumni.

Over the last several years independent schools have faced increasing pressure to comment/opine/“weigh in” on national and global events. While many schools began to do so, many school leaders are now telling us that this practice has begun to feel untenable in an increasingly complex, frenetic and polarized world. Perhaps no single event highlighted this tension more than the  terrorist attack on Israel on October 7,2024. Now, one year later some of our clients have begun to reexamine this practice.

So, what is right for your school? Unfortunately, there is not one easy answer. Each school has to decide how, when and if they should respond to events happening in the world.

TJG’s senior consultant Kim Newsome has worked extensively with schools, helping them to craft communication plans moving forward as world conflicts become increasingly complicated. “Recently we’ve been working with schools to articulate what their Guiding Principles are as they consider when/if to make a statement on a particular national/global event.

We consider everything from mission, values and community culture to more practical considerations related to resources, and then develop a plan that’s appropriate for each school. Using these Principles as a foundation some schools have gone on to develop a Statement on Statements which they share with stakeholders to communicate their process and to manage expectations around public statements.

Here are a few of the  questions Kim Newsome recommends schools ask themselves in making this decision.

• Is there something that our students, fac/staff need from us at this moment that is best provided through a community statement?
   
• What is our purpose in speaking out in this way? Who does it serve? Why is it necessary or helpful?
   
• Does speaking out publicly about world/domestic affairs extend and/or affirm our mission?

If you’d like to learn more about developing a Statement on Statements or if you have questions about using Guiding Principles to develop a process that informs your decision making we’d love to help you!

Contact The Jane Group

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