Preparing for District Flashpoints Resource Center
One in three superintendents nationwide has addressed a divisive flashpoint that brought everyday work in their district to a screeching halt. Many district leaders are unsure of how to approach these controversial issues because the flashpoints of today are entirely different. Consequently, time otherwise spent on strategic initiatives is wasted as these flashpoints continue to drag on.
EAB researched best-practice strategies for managing divisive flashpoints from the fields of public relations, crisis management, and education. The results can be found in this resource center—designed to help your district respond to flashpoints more quickly and stay focused on building great schools for your communities.
Three actions every superintendent should take to prepare for the next district flashpoint
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Make faster flashpoint response decisions using the Cynefin framework
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Identify and prioritize flashpoint risks before they occur
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Prepare critical flashpoint communications in advance
1. Make faster flashpoint response decisions using the Cynefin framework
Learn a critical decision-making strategy used by crisis management professionals
Superintendents need a new approach to flashpoint response that recognizes the complexity and nuance of today’s problems. Lessons from other industries show how to quickly deconstruct a complex flashpoint into its simple parts and then deploy appropriate strategies accordingly. Watch our webinar to learn a new decision-making framework and reduce the likelihood that complex flashpoints will derail regular work toward strategic priorities.
What is the Cynefin decision-making framework?
The Cynefin framework categorizes problems into four domains, guiding district leaders to solutions that work best for each flashpoint type. Applying the appropriate solution for each problem type keeps problems from spiraling out of control and allows leaders to refocus on what matters most to their organization.
2. Identify and prioritize flashpoint risks before they occur
Watch our workshop on identifying flashpoint risks
The polarizing issues making headlines in K-12 education today may not be the same next month or even next week, so how can district leaders be prepared to navigate divisive conversations on topics that change so frequently?
Respond to flashpoints effectively by building a system to identify and prioritize the greatest risks to your own district. Review materials from our district leader working session to learn how you can identify and prioritize the top flashpoint risks in your district.
Build a flashpoint risk register
The most important step to preparing for flashpoints is identifying issues before they occur, but most K-12 districts lack effective methods for monitoring current or potential flashpoint risks. EAB’s Risk Register gives districts a tool to compile potential risks in one location. The register directs district leaders to assign risks into categories, evaluate current responses, and score risks based on objective criteria.
This process will help district leadership determine which risks need immediate response or preparation without overlooking potential risks. Download EAB’s Risk Register to prioritize your district’s flashpoint preparation.
Access a list of other districts’ top flashpoint risks
Today’s most common flashpoint risks change frequently, and district leaders need to know what may be evolving locally versus nationally. To help districts start thinking about which issues may be flashpoint risks, EAB created a guide for identifying today’s evolving and evergreen flashpoint topics.
This guide will help support districts’ comprehensive risk registers and avoid overlooking potential flashpoints. Access the guide to learn about today’s top flashpoint risks evolving nationwide.
Get ahead of parent concerns and build stronger district-parent partnerships
Strong district-parent relationships are essential for student success, employee morale, and community engagement. Unfortunately, district leaders report that building positive relationships with parents is not as straightforward as it once was. Today’s parents expect more from their local school district.
As part of our research on preventing district flashpoints, EAB surfaced four best practices that district leaders can implement immediately to build positive parent communities, help prevent escalatory behavior, and reduce the impact of controversial issues in the district.
To get started, implement these four practices in the order they appear in the toolkit.
3. Prepare flashpoint communications in advance
Compile a flashpoint communications package according to PR best practices
This recorded working session introduces a host of best-practice communication strategies for navigating divisive conversations with the public, during board meetings, and within your district leadership team—no matter the topic. Develop strategies to craft communication in advance to save time and avoid additional controversy when a flashpoint occurs.
Avoid costly mistakes on public statements using EAB’s Flashpoint Statement Checklist
District leaders often feel pressure to publicly respond to flashpoints at a moment’s notice. Unfortunately, speedy responses can result in small-but-costly mistakes, causing flashpoints to spiral further.
EAB developed a peer-reviewed checklist that K-12 superintendents can use to limit these errors when publicly responding to controversial flashpoints. Refer to the flashpoint statement checklist before publishing a public statement to capture all key elements of an effective district response.
This resource requires EAB partnership access to view.
Access the resource center
Learn how you can get access to this resource as well as hands-on support from our experts through District Leadership Forum.
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