It’s about to get loud in here - Fine Point Communications

As we savor these final days of 2023, take a moment to indulge in the quiet satisfaction of a year of achievement. Recognize the accomplishments of your team and your school and how these advanced the institution in important ways. Be proud of all you’ve done.

Whether this is your first year in communications or your 20th, this sort of reflection — honoring the value you deliver for your school — can help sustain your investment in the work.

One other end-of-year tip: Give yourself permission over the holiday break to step far away from that work and use the time to recharge. At this midpoint of the school year, all that you’ve done to assist admissions, development and others can leave you weary and drained.

This December is more important than most for gathering professional validation and creative restoration.

Next month, after all, the 2024 presidential campaign will kick off.

Recent events portend an unusually tumultuous and divisive year for independent schools, and you’re going to want all the strength, patience, confidence and inventiveness you can muster.

Our fractious times

Refill has examined this year how both the country’s polarized culture and the expectation on schools to speak about national and international matters have complicated campus life. Nearly every head told NAIS last year of their independent school dealing with some sort of community conflict.

Expect a presidential election to aggravate this tendency.

Since the national campaign often filters into classrooms — teachers using the election as material for lessons, especially in social studies and government classes — schools may be called to explain that students are not being told what to think about particular candidates or issues. Will parents and alumni, particularly those with low trust in the school or other institutions, accept this explanation? And will faculty feel supported and valued by it?

School leaders should anticipate employees and students wanting to speak publicly about the election. Do you have a policy about on- and off-campus protests, for example? If students (or employees) choose to walk out of classes and off school grounds to participate in a march, are there ramifications? How well have you communicated these points?

You might want to acquaint parents, faculty, staff and students with the school’s plans and expectations, both in January and the fall, to avoid surprises later.

Is neutrality really an option?

Nearly every independent school will stand institutionally neutral on the outcome of the election. Any public statement would likely rest on the steadfast, nonpartisan faith in democracy and the hope that candidates who win races will govern wisely and in the best interest of the nation.

Yet elections are driven by issues, and remaining neutral on the latter will test schools. Immigration, for example, is very likely to be a prime issue in 2024, as are public safety and health care.

Community members who see particular issues as deeply personal may want to express their point of view — within class or on bulletin boards. Can educators authentically promote and maintain an expectation of respectful dialogue on these matters when emotions are high and people are vulnerable?

Deerfield Academy Head of School John P.N. Austin made the affirmative case in 2021, calling in a speech to parents for faculty to practice “pedagogical neutrality” and to embrace controversy in the classroom. It bears noting, though, that Austin’s principles have not yet been tested by a national election.

Then there is the day-after to consider, when winners and losers will have been decided. How can the school bring people back together in common cause — particularly if the outcome of certain races feels questionable to some?

There are no simple answers for these questions. Finding the right approach for a particular school will take soul-searching, creativity and extremely thick skin.

Where you least expect it

The experiences of 2016 and 2020 suggest that election-related questions will arise frequently through the year. Even the humble Class Notes can become a battleground.

Will a school be comfortable, for instance, with alumni using its magazine to promote their volunteer work on behalf of issues and candidates? Does this situation differ from other volunteerism, and if so, can you explain the difference to a disgruntled alum?

Hopefully your administrative team is already anticipating the election and developing some likely responses to particular scenarios. Some of those should find their way into communications plans. The year ahead promises a lot of work for already busy offices.

Now, then, is the time to rest up so that you can be ready for the challenges to come.

Don’t-miss clicks

Refill has been following a court case, known as Buettner-Hartsoe, that could subject independent schools to the federal requirements of Title IX. That case is now before an appeals court, and oral argument has been scheduled for Jan. 25 in Richmond, Va. Meanwhile, the case showed up this month in a Wall Street Journal column that examined lawsuits tied to Title IX.
A big thank-you to the many Refill subscribers who made time last week to attend RW Jones Agency’s webinar on improving your team’s marketing. Jamie Ceman’s presentation featured an infographic of the marketing maturity model, which Jamie was gracious to share as a standalone. By adjusting the goals and standards for progress, the model could work for other MarComm office functions, too. If you missed the webinar, a recording is online. It’s a good one!
We have a few seats still open for our Jan. 21 dinner in Austin. If you’re planning to attend the CASE-NAIS conference, join us for an evening of good company and tasty Tex-Mex food. Reach out to reserve your spot.