Take Control of Your Crisis: Plan Ahead!

Kathleen Kennedy, APRExecutive Director

Communications and Public RelationsOklahoma City Public Schools

When you don’t follow a plan…Superintendent/ Board Chair Firing/Resignation

When you don’t follow a plan…Superintendent /Board Chair firing/resignation

When you don’t follow a plan….

DISTRICT REFUSES TO NAME MAN Teacher released over lap incidents BY ROBERT MEDLEY Staff Writer rmedley@opubco.com

An Oklahoma City Public Schools substitute teacher has been taken off the substitute roster due to allegations that female elementary students sat on his lap.

Police have found no criminal wrongdoing, but the male teacher was released from the substitute roster Friday as a precaution, said Tierney Cook, district spokeswoman.

Police do not have evidence a crime occurred, Oklahoma City police Sgt. Gary Knight said.

Nine girls ages 7 to 9, from Hawthorne Elementary, 2300 NW 15, told parents the substitute had them sit on his lap, a police report states. Parents went to school officials who called police on Friday, Cook said. The same teacher had been the subject of similar complaints in April 2008 at Eugene Fields Elementary School, 1515 N Klein, police said.

Two 8-year-old girls said the teacher had them sit on his lap to help them with homework.

The name of the teacher and his age were not released by police or the district. The teacher worked in the district as a substitute since 2000, Cook said, and passed background checks and had a good employment record when hired, Cook added.

In a statement released after conferring with the district’s legal advisers, Cook wrote in an e-mail:

“Our district has worked closely with the Oklahoma City Police Department during this investigation; and the outcome does not involve criminal charges against the substitute. We want to err on the side of caution even though nothing was found against him and pull him from the substitute roster. We want to make sure the children are safe."

The Oklahoman asked for the man’s name, citing the Open Records Act, but Cook wrote in the e-mail that releasing his name could make the district “liable for defamation.”

Planning and Execution

– Transparency and trust do not happen just because the PR Director wants it to….

• Superintendent must share philosophy • Or you need to demonstrate with solid examples

how transparency can help your district• Top administrators need to be intimately involved

in the philosophy

New Formula for Planning Crisis Outcomes

– Develop templates and scripts for phone and parent letters

– Website overhaul: new communication vehicle

– Upgrade district’s parent phone notification system: AlertNOW

Old Website Homepage

New Website Homepage

New Formula for Planning Crisis Outcomes

– Draft internal letters– Notify Media last (if necessary) to get out

message• Press Conference • Media Advisory• Open Records Party

Star Spencer High School Example of Process

– Notified at 1:30pm– Developed parent phone message– Developed letter for web posting– Developed principal speaking points for press

conference (scheduled at 3:30pm)– Principal read statement and answered ?’s– Superintendent stood by principal in support

Outcome of Process used at Star Spencer HS

– All TV stations and print attended press conference

– Story covered on all local networks and local newspapers that evening and following day

– End of coverage

Open Records Party

• More than 20 years worth of asbestos records for every building in OKCPS requested.

• The story was a hot topic covered by all the local media.

• Needed an end to the story.

Open Records Party Strategy• Make available every asbestos record for

every OKCPS building in the district• Invite ALL Media Outlets (not just the

requestor) to view the information at the same time

• Post any findings, discrepancies, or resolutions on the district’s website and at school sites

• Video tape the event for documentation and possible viewing on the district’s website

Outcome of Process with Open Records Party

– All local media attended the party including the requestor

– Every story aired and printed was positive– Requestor did not air the story– The story came to a complete halt with a

positive ending

EVALUATION

– Review/Debrief with key players following the execution of the plan

• Pluses (what went well)• Deltas (what would we do differently)

– Review media content and number of stories– Continue to make necessary

changes/adjustments– Follow the plan and keep reminding other key

leaders of the plan and successes

2008‐2009  OKCPS Media Analysis

• Totals include:• Radio, Television, Newspaper and 

Online publishes in English & Spanish.

Contact InfoKathleen M. Kennedy, APR

Ex. Director of Communications and Public RelationsOklahoma City Public Schools

900 N. KleinOklahoma City, OK 73106

405.587.0224 officekmkennedy@okcps.org

www.okcps.org