Navigating through Navigating through multiple crises with multiple crises with

effective communicationseffective communicationsClear, consistent and timely Clear, consistent and timely

communications delivered through communications delivered through multiple channels works multiple channels works

30,000 Foot Level30,000 Foot Level

District & School Board issues, events and District & School Board issues, events and situations mostly happen at the flight levelssituations mostly happen at the flight levels

School Board discord, test cheating School Board discord, test cheating allegations, administration transitions are allegations, administration transitions are background noise for most audiencesbackground noise for most audiences

Politics, flavor of the month programs, vendor Politics, flavor of the month programs, vendor contract issues hardly resonate at the local contract issues hardly resonate at the local community and school levelcommunity and school level

Ground Level Ground Level

Educating Today’s Students For Tomorrow’s Educating Today’s Students For Tomorrow’s WorldWorld

Teaching & Learning environment is where the Teaching & Learning environment is where the rubber hits the road in schools and classroomsrubber hits the road in schools and classrooms

Board rooms and CEO/Superintendent’s corner Board rooms and CEO/Superintendent’s corner offices are mostly off the radaroffices are mostly off the radar

If students and teachers are not clearly in the If students and teachers are not clearly in the picture, do most people really care about it?picture, do most people really care about it?

The Perfect StormThe Perfect Storm

‘‘The Perfect Storm’ only had a couple of The Perfect Storm’ only had a couple of elements – a hurricane, a low pressure area elements – a hurricane, a low pressure area and a cold frontand a cold front

APS experienced ‘The Perfect Storm Plus’ - APS experienced ‘The Perfect Storm Plus’ - International Test Cheating Scandal, International Test Cheating Scandal, Transitioning Administration, Accreditation Transitioning Administration, Accreditation Threat and Budget issues/Reduction in ForceThreat and Budget issues/Reduction in Force

Atlanta media market turned its full attention Atlanta media market turned its full attention on APS during the summer news droughton APS during the summer news drought

Keeping the Ship Level Keeping the Ship Level

Reacted immediately to test cheating scandal. Reacted immediately to test cheating scandal. Placed all accused on immediate leavePlaced all accused on immediate leave

Stressed the importance of ethics over Stressed the importance of ethics over attaining goals and targetsattaining goals and targets

Emphasized that leadership assumes Emphasized that leadership assumes responsibility for the cheating and the remedyresponsibility for the cheating and the remedy

Reminded all of the new APS leadership and Reminded all of the new APS leadership and that the sins of the past will not be repeated.that the sins of the past will not be repeated.

Multiple ChannelsMultiple Channels

Use established channels to inform employees of the Use established channels to inform employees of the district’s reaction and responsedistrict’s reaction and response

Email messages, Web site postings, Social Media, Email messages, Web site postings, Social Media, Employee meetings Employee meetings

Communications presentations at annual leadership Communications presentations at annual leadership meeting, professional development meeting, professional development

Superintendent video presentations reacting strongly, Superintendent video presentations reacting strongly, stressing culture change and ethicsstressing culture change and ethics

Put the Superintendent before the media often as the Put the Superintendent before the media often as the new captain in the midst of the stormnew captain in the midst of the storm

Be honest about condition of shipBe honest about condition of ship

Curriculum and H-R divisions were leaderlessCurriculum and H-R divisions were leaderless Test cheating report and superintendent Test cheating report and superintendent

transition happened simultaneouslytransition happened simultaneously Honeymoon lasted for only a few daysHoneymoon lasted for only a few days Major issues: placing new leadership in almost Major issues: placing new leadership in almost

half of the schools, getting ready for new school half of the schools, getting ready for new school year starting in a month.year starting in a month.

Assessing condition of district after a dozen Assessing condition of district after a dozen years under the previous administrationyears under the previous administration

Take on emergent elementsTake on emergent elements

Nearly half of district’s principals were Nearly half of district’s principals were teachers a month before opening of schoolsteachers a month before opening of schools

Communications issues often arose because of Communications issues often arose because of inexperienceinexperience

Leveling effort continued for months with Leveling effort continued for months with major staffing issues impacting schoolsmajor staffing issues impacting schools

Unanticipated budget gap prompted belt-Unanticipated budget gap prompted belt-tightening, administration reorganizationtightening, administration reorganization

What workedWhat worked

Putting a credible, experienced, media savvy Putting a credible, experienced, media savvy leader out front often - but not too muchleader out front often - but not too much

Incorporating social media, including APS Incorporating social media, including APS blog, Twitter and FaceBook into the mix blog, Twitter and FaceBook into the mix

Avoiding news conferences, responding to Avoiding news conferences, responding to media inquiries as they arosemedia inquiries as they arose

Distancing APS from past leadership without Distancing APS from past leadership without trashing themtrashing them

What didn’t workWhat didn’t work

Trying to redirect the public’s and media’s Trying to redirect the public’s and media’s attention from cheating scandalattention from cheating scandal

Trying to minimize dysfunction associated Trying to minimize dysfunction associated with new administrationwith new administration

Minimizing the cumulative impact of multiple Minimizing the cumulative impact of multiple crises happening almost simultaneouslycrises happening almost simultaneously

Protecting the accused educators from the Protecting the accused educators from the presumption of guilt presumption of guilt

Unanticipated ConsequencesUnanticipated Consequences

Everyone knew the test cheating scandal Everyone knew the test cheating scandal would be big. No one guessed how bigwould be big. No one guessed how big

Evidence collected during the year-long, $1 Evidence collected during the year-long, $1 million state investigation wasn’t availablemillion state investigation wasn’t available

Tenured educators in Georgia cannot be Tenured educators in Georgia cannot be unilaterally fired; charge letters/tribunalsunilaterally fired; charge letters/tribunals

Placing 178 educators on leave cost APS $1 Placing 178 educators on leave cost APS $1 million a month, not including replacements million a month, not including replacements

Apparent RepercussionsApparent Repercussions

APS’ reputation was deeply tainted, but the APS’ reputation was deeply tainted, but the public and media embraced superintendentpublic and media embraced superintendent

Crises continued to arise, but the public and Crises continued to arise, but the public and media gave him the benefit of the doubtmedia gave him the benefit of the doubt

Teaching & learning continued amidst the Teaching & learning continued amidst the turmoilturmoil

Issues continually arose at individual schools Issues continually arose at individual schools due to inexperienced leadersdue to inexperienced leaders

Lessons LearnedLessons Learned

Stay the course through the storm Stay the course through the storm Use the superintendent’s honeymoon period to Use the superintendent’s honeymoon period to

its greatest advantageits greatest advantage At the least do no further harm. Don’t gaff, At the least do no further harm. Don’t gaff,

cover up, hide things or redirect attentioncover up, hide things or redirect attention Don’t trash the prior leadership, but make it Don’t trash the prior leadership, but make it

clear the issues are rooted in the pastclear the issues are rooted in the past Try to focus attention on the majority of Try to focus attention on the majority of

employees who are ethical and working hardemployees who are ethical and working hard

How Did We Do?How Did We Do?

APS experienced too many crises at once to APS experienced too many crises at once to obtain an accurate gauge of audience obtain an accurate gauge of audience perceptions of the districtperceptions of the district

We knew we were off the charts during the We knew we were off the charts during the height of the storm in negative perceptionsheight of the storm in negative perceptions

Engaged supporters were our best allies; they Engaged supporters were our best allies; they added perspective when needed the mostadded perspective when needed the most

Our social media outlets came into their own – Our social media outlets came into their own – TalkUp APS blog, Twitter and FaceBookTalkUp APS blog, Twitter and FaceBook

Where do we presently stand?Where do we presently stand?

Continued daily coverage of test cheating Continued daily coverage of test cheating tribunals, anticipation of criminal chargestribunals, anticipation of criminal charges

Budget, redistricting and other global district Budget, redistricting and other global district challengeschallenges

A still transitioning administration, new A still transitioning administration, new cabinet and sub-cabinet administratorscabinet and sub-cabinet administrators

An uncertain and insecure employee base, An uncertain and insecure employee base, many still ‘seasick’ from all these eventsmany still ‘seasick’ from all these events

Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?

Implementing the redistricting plan with Implementing the redistricting plan with school closures and new school clustersschool closures and new school clusters

Living within a leaner budget with fewer Living within a leaner budget with fewer resources and prospect of more layoffsresources and prospect of more layoffs

Continuing to forge the culture change with an Continuing to forge the culture change with an emphasis on ethics and excellenceemphasis on ethics and excellence

Preparing for another leadership change at the Preparing for another leadership change at the end of the 2012-13 school year end of the 2012-13 school year

Communications ChallengesCommunications Challenges

Breaking through the storm wall with Breaking through the storm wall with programs and initiatives tied to the classroomprograms and initiatives tied to the classroom

Putting the cheating scandal in perspective as Putting the cheating scandal in perspective as the tribunal process decimates perpetratorsthe tribunal process decimates perpetrators

Promoting stellar teachers, principals and Promoting stellar teachers, principals and teachers to begin to erase the scandal taintteachers to begin to erase the scandal taint

Affirming that the culture has indeed changed Affirming that the culture has indeed changed and that ethics surpasses goals and targetsand that ethics surpasses goals and targets

Cut to the ChaseCut to the Chase

QUESTIONS?QUESTIONS?