Climate flashpoints—including incidents on campus, controversy around alumni, and viral social media posts—can catch schools off guard, making it difficult to craft a swift and appropriate response to incivility in the classroom.
Forward thinking schools recognize they must have a proactive strategy in place to not only minimize consequences when an incident arise, but also effectively address immediate student, parent, and community concerns.
The Case Study Compendium can prepare leadership at independent schools for a variety of potential campus flashpoints. Each of the following case studies have been inspired by real incidents of incivility in the classroom that have taken place at independent schools across the country. In meetings with the senior administrative or crisis response team, heads of school should use the case studies to brainstorm possible responses to the following scenarios, assess their school’s readiness for potential flashpoints, and develop strategies to prepare their school’s response.
This resource is part of the Promote a Culture of Civility on Independent School Campuses Roadmap. Access the Roadmap for stepwise guidance with additional tools and research.
Consider the general discussion questions below for all case scenarios:
Has a similar flashpoint occurred at your school or a nearby school before? What did you do well? What could you have done better?What parts of your school culture could contribute to an incident like this? What pre-emptive measures can you take to address incivility in the classroom?What is your main concern in addressing this flashpoint? What…