Back-to-School Considerations

As you start planning your back-to-school communications, consider the following resources that NSPRA compiled on the reopening of schools following COVID-19 shutdowns and on issues of equity, diversity and race relations. These resources were shared previously and continue to be updated, in the spirit of members helping members.

Use NSPRA Connect to ask questions, find help, share ideas, brainstorm solutions and commiserate through the ongoing crises with the largest community of school communicators in the United States and Canada. You can also share your examples by emailing editorial@nspra.org, and they may appear on this webpage or in future NSPRA publications.

• Reopening Schools Resources

• Race Relations and Equity Communications Resources

Reopening Schools Resources

Guidance Documents

• A Plan to Safely Reopen America's Schools and Communities – AFT
• A Blueprint for Back to School - American Enterprise Institute

• Back-To-School Rubric- CoSN, ClassLink and SETDA

• COVID-19 ("Coronavirus") Information and Resources for Schools and School Personnel-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• Questions for the Superintendent and the School Board About COVID-19- Horace Mann League’s Newsletter (Aug. 25, 2020)

• COVID-19 Contact Tracing Course (free) - Johns Hopkins University

• All Hands On Deck: Initial Guidance Regarding Reopening School Buildings-NEA
• eeGuidance for Reopening Schools-North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE)
• Ensuring Ethics and Equity in the Pandemic Response-John Hopkins University eSchool+ Initiative
• Preparing K-12 School Administrators for a Safe Return to School in Fall 2020 - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Recovery and Renewal: Principles for Advancing Public Education Post-Crisis - The Aspen Institute: Education & Society Program
• Re-entry and Reopening of Schools - Center for Education Safety, Missouri School Boards Association
• Return to School Roadmap: Where Public Education and Public Health Meet - Opportunity Labs
• Reunite, Renew and Thrive: SEL Roadmap for Reopening School - Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
• School Reentry Considerations: Supporting Student Social and Emotional Learning and Mental and Behavioral Health Amidst COVID-19- ASCA and the National Association of School Psychologists
• Schools and Social Distancing: Just Hard or Actually Impossible? - The Education Gadfly Show (podcast)
• Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Should you consider opening? (decision tree) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Toolkit for K-12 Schools  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  • What Do I Do? Quick Guide for School Nurses (poster)
  • What Do I Do? Quick Guide for Teachers (poster)
  • What Do I Do? Quick Guide for Parents and Guardians (poster)
• What Will It Cost to Reopen Schools? (graphic flier) - Association of School Business Officials International and AASA

Guides for Parents, Staff - School Districts

• Guidelines and Communication Protocol - Waterbury (Conn.) Public Schools
• Parent Guide to Distance Learning - Kingsburg (Calif.) Elementary Charter School District
• Reconnecting with Our Students: Digital Family Guide - Clark County (Nev.) School District
• Summer School 2020 Session II Guide - Stevens Point (Wis.) Area Public School District

• Return to School Plans- York County (Va.)  School Division 

Reopening Plans - School Districts

• Orioles in the Know: Superintendent's Podcast-Avon (Ind.) Community School Corporation 
• Central Staff Re-Entry Playbook - Dallas (Texas) ISD
• Communication Plan for COVID-19 and 2020 Summer & Fall Planning Communications Plan  -Bloomington (Minn.) Public Schools
• Smart Restart- Clay County District Schools, Green Cove Springs, Fla. 
• Top 10 Things You Need to Know: Back to School - Gunter (Texas) Independent School District
• Considerations for MCPS Fall 2020 Recovery: Reimagine, Reopen, Recover - Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools
• Infographic: Fall 2020 Return to School Options - Bloomington Public Schools
• Responsible Restart 2020- Groveport Madison Schools , Groveport, Ohio
• WE Are Prepared: 2020-21 Responsible Reopening- Lakota Local School District, Liberty Township, Ohio
• Stay Safe To Stay Open (Draft) -Muskego-Norway School District, Muskego, Wisc.
• 2020-21 School Relaunch Handbook- Foothills School Division, Alberta, Canada
• A Guide to Reopen Schools for the 2021-21 (English and Spanish)- Community Unit School District 303, St. Charles, Ill. 

• Return to Learn Plan-Otsego (Mich.) Public Schools

• COVID-19 Dashboard- Rock Hill (S.C.) Schools 

• #ReopenWithLove- Richmond (Va.) Public Schools

• Pandemic Event Preparedness Plan 2020-2021 - Tyler (Texas) ISD 
• Fall 2020 School Reopening Guide- Tamalpais Union  High School  District, Larkspur, Calif. 
• Reopening CCSD: Phase One Plan - Clark County (Nev.) School District
• Pattonville Returns 2020-Pattonville School District, St. Ann , Mo. 
• Reopening District 54: A Guide for the 2020-2021 School Year - School District 54, Schaumburg, Ill.
• Restart Jeffco Model, Summer Resources and Website - Jeffco Public Schools, Golden, Colo. 
• Smart Start 2020 - Juneau (Alaska) School District 
• Safeguards to Ensure a Safe Work Environment During the COVID-19 Pandemic - Fort Wayne (Ind.) Community Schools
• Summer School Protocols (JPG) - Raymore-Peculiar (Mo.) School District
• Superintendent's Message - Soccorro ISD, El Paso, Texas 
• COVID-19 Response Protocols Flowchart- Steven Point (Wisc.) Area Public School District 
• Safe Return to Schools Plan-Tolleson (Ariz.) Union High School District 

• Back to School Troup County- Troup (Ga.) County School System

Letter Templates

• What Went Right - Opening Day in a Pandemic-Marion County Public Schools, Ocala, FL 

Reopening Plans- NSPRA Chapters

• Return To School Plans: A Communication Toolkit (Section 1, Section 11, Section III) - Michigan School Public Relations Association (MSPRA)

Reopening Plans - State/Province/County Departments of Education

• COVID-19 Considerations for Reopening Schools: Supporting Student and Staff Wellness (May 26, 2020) - Kentucky Department of Education

• Stay Safe MN: Safe Learning Plan- Minnesota Department of Education

• Education Forward: Safely and Successfully Reopening Wisconsin Schools- Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction
• K-12 Education Restart Plan - Ministry of Education, British Columbia, Canada
• Recovery Plan for Education: COVID-19 Response and the Path Forward - Maryland State Department of Education
• School District and Charter School Re-entry Criteria - Idaho State Board of Education

• School Re-entry & Recovery After a Pandemic Event - Office of Public Instruction, State of Montana

• Strong Start 2020: A Planning Guide for School Systems in Implementing Priorities and Aligning Funding - Louisiana Department of Education
• School Year Planning: A Guide to Address the Challenges of COVID-19 (June 2, 2020) - Sacramento County Office of Education

• Student Guidance for Return to School-  Indiana State Department of Health

• The Road Back: Restart and Recovery Plan for Education-New Jersey Department of Education 

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Race Relations and Equity Communications Resources

NSPRA Articles 

• “Student Voices: Your Most Powerful Diversity & Equity Tool” by Jason Gaston, APR, public relations coordinator, Hoover City Schools, Birmingham, Ala. The NSPRA Network: Connecting Communities - February 2020

• “Creating Safe Spaces for 2SLGBTQ+ Students and Staff” by Carla Pereira, APR, director of communications and community relations, Peel District School Board, Mississauga, Ontario; and Joshua Sauer, APR, web and interactive media specialist, Moore Norman Technology Center, Oklahoma City, Okla. The NSPRA Network: Connecting Communities - November 2019

NSPRA Publications 

• Inclusive Practices: What Elements Are Crucial to Diversity? - NSPRA’s Communication Equity and Diversity Task Force shares information around the broader concept of diversity and inclusiveness, and how critical it is in today’s schools.

• Diversity Communications Toolkit - Offers school leaders a central resource that instantly provides an array of solutions to help plan and implement new and different communication strategies to reach increasingly diverse communities.​

Other Resources 

The following resources from other associations and organizations may also assist school communicators in developing key messages, talking points, public statements, publications, website content and social posts.

• 2020 Curriculum Resource Guide - Black Lives Matter At School

• An Action Guide for District Leaders- the Alliance for Resource Equity 

• An Action Guide For School Leaders- the Alliance for Resource Equity 

• How to Talk to Kids about Race and Racism - Parent Toolkit from NBC News Learn
• Race and Equity Resources - American School Counselor Association
• Racial Equity Resource Guide - W.K. Kellogg Foundation
• Talking About Race - National Museum of African American History and Culture
• Teaching About Race and Racism and Social Justice Issues - AFT Share My Lesson

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