When Should You Call The Jane Group?

Hint: it's sooner, not later—and not only in a crisis.

One thing we hear from our school leaders is, “When should we call The Jane Group?” We know from experience that when leaders take the ‘wait and see’ approach, it can have serious consequences for a school’s reputation—especially in the age of social media. And beyond helping school leaders communicate in response to a crisis, The Jane Group regularly supports schools with communications and communications plans for sensitive and strategic matters. 

When you call The Jane Group at the first sign of conflict, you can greatly mitigate or even avoid a crisis altogether. Here are valuable recommendations to keep you proactive, not reactive whether:

• In a Crisis
• In Moments of Change
• In Sensitive Situations

In A Crisis

Hurry Up and Slow Down:

When you delay responding, school crises often escalate. Situations can spiral out of control quickly,  which is why it’s important to swiftly convene and brief your crisis response team. Once you do, it may be appropriate to slow down.

Feeling like you need to respond to a media request before you’ve shared anything with your school community? We recommend that you pause and let us help you put a plan together. The Jane Group can provide immediate triage including drafting holding statements to anticipate various scenarios while you are still gathering the facts, as well as communication plans and messaging specific to your student, parent, alumni and faculty audiences.

When you call us with an issue, we will return the call within two hours. That is our policy.

Don’t Wait Until You Have All the Facts:

Many schools hesitate to reach out because they don’t have all the facts yet, but early consultation can de-escalate or even prevent a situation. The Jane Group offers flexible support—answering questions, reviewing draft communications, or providing situational analysis. Whether addressing a rumored staff misconduct issue or navigating sensitive alumni relations, timely guidance helps avert larger problems.

And, unlike large PR firms most of whom require a large retainer up front, at The Jane Group you pay an hourly rate and only for the hours we spend working for you.

In Moments of Change

Be Strategic and Proactive When it Comes to New Initiatives or Changes to Existing Programs or Traditions:

Rolling out a new initiative?  Changing a beloved tradition? Sunsetting a longstanding program? All require nuanced communications to avoid parent dissatisfaction, confusion, and even media attention. Implementing change in school communities can be fraught. Avoid unintended backlash by communicating proactively.

What is your timeline? When should a school address the matter with its community? Sooner? Or later? The Jane Group can help craft messaging that aligns with your values, anticipates concerns, and prevents misunderstandings. Proactive process will help ensure that you socialize a change with your community so that they will listen beyond what the change is and can hear why it matters.

In Sensitive Situations

Reputation Management During Leadership Transitions:

Leadership changes, like the hiring of a new head of school or the resignation of a board chair, often trigger scrutiny. The Jane Group can help manage transitions by framing narratives, addressing stakeholder concerns, and mitigating rumors. For example, if a popular head resigns abruptly, strategic communication can prevent speculation about misconduct or institutional instability. Proactive messaging reinforces stability, trust and continuity.

Is Your Team Prepared? Building Confidence Through Structured Training:

Many school leaders lack experience managing high-stakes situations whether a sticky situation with parents, an on campus emergency or a challenging personnel issue. A dedicated leadership training day administered onsite by the The Jane Group—featuring tabletop exercises, decision-making frameworks, and post-crisis recovery planning—equips teams to act decisively under pressure. Simulations might include a parent pushback on policy or curriculum, student suicide, financial malfeasance, or other case studies specific to your school.

We’ve Got This

The Jane Group has 25 years of experience dealing with every kind of crisis. We’re here to help you, whether it’s a short phone call to ask a question or walking you through a difficult situation from beginning to end. Contacting us early can foster trust, streamline communication, and avoid reactive missteps. And unlike many PR firms, we do not require a retainer.

Contact us today!