Communicating About Coronavirus? Find Help in NSPRA Resources

The spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing issue for public health officials, but it also presents operational and communication challenges for school systems. NSPRA has compiled helpful tips, resources and news items to assist school communicators and administrators in communicating about coronavirus-related preparation steps, response efforts and emergencies.

Free NSPRA Resources for Coronavirus Crisis Communications

Following are three resources offered free to the public:

• Download the Coronavirus Communications Crisis for Public Schools guide (PDF), which offers 10 tips for COVID-19 communications, important words to know, expert resources and communication examples from several public schools. It was developed through a partnership between NSPRA and Blackboard.
• Watch the Communicating COVID-19 webinar recording, which features a panel of five notable school PR experts sharing tips and advice for how to effectively manage communications about the new coronavirus disease. It was offered through a partnership between NSPRA and Blackboard
• Watch the latest NSPRA Insight on Crisis Communications Best Practices, which features a virtual roundtable discussion between experienced school public relations professionals: Tracy Jentz, APR; Rick Kaufmann, APR; Terry Locke; and moderator Rich Bagin, APR. (Press the play button and select the "maximize video" option, found in the upper right corner, to see full-size images of panelists.)

NSPRA Member Resources 

NSPRA members also have access to a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Crisis Resources site (must be logged into NSPRA website as a member) with:

• Tips to prepare to address this issue;
• Tips for communicators working remotely in the midst of the crisis; and
• Sample letters, website articles, tool kits, guidance documents, communication plans, fact sheets and videos. To share your planning steps or district resources, email NSPRA Communication Manager Rebecca Shaw at rshaw@nspra.org and/or post them on NSPRA Connect.

Members, be sure to join the conversation about this topic in your NSPRA Connect online community forum as well.

Additional Resources for School Systems

Following are additional resources shared by those in the health industry, governmental organizations and news outlets.

Associations, Health Industry, Government and Research Centers 

Associations, Research Centers and Other Data Sources

• A Plan to Safely Reopen America's Schools and Communities – AFT
• A Blueprint for Back to School - American Enterprise Institute
• Recovery and Renewal: Principles for Advancing Public Education Post-Crisis - The Aspen Institute: Education & Society Program
• Return to School Roadmap: Where Public Education and Public Health Meet - Opportunity Labs​
• Coronavirus Share My Lesson Plans - American Federation of Teachers
• COVID-19 and Cyberattacks: What You Need To Know-eSchool News
• COVID-19 Fact Sheets in 35 Languages - Health Literacy Project 
• CISA Information & Updates on COVID-19- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• District Responses to COVID-19 School Closures Database - Center on Reinventing Public Education
• Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report on COVID-19 - Edelman
• Free Teaching Resources During Coronavirus Pandemic- District Administration 
• Map: Coronavirus and School Closures - Education Week (This page is updated twice a day.) 
• Posters for Download on COVID-19 (PDF) - Environmental Resource Council
• Schools and COVID-19: How Districts and State Education Systems are Responding to the Pandemic - Chiefs for Change 
• Social Distancing Mobile App - Discovery Education and Afterschool Alliance

Governmental Guidance and Resources

• Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Should you consider opening? (decision tree) - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19 - U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Education Stabilization Fund and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund - U.S Department of Education Office of Elementary & Secondary Education
• Clarifying Guidance on Accessibility and Distance Learning Options - U.S. Department of Education

• USDA Makes it Easier to Feed Kids and Those Who Need Food During the COVID-19 National Emergency - U.S. Department of Agriculture (March 26, 2020)

• FCC Extends Key E-Rate Program Deadlines Due to COVID-19 Pandemic - Federal Communications Commission (April 1, 2020)

• Guidance for Educational Settings - Gov.UK 
• Advice for School About Self-Isolation Requirements - Goverment of Western Australia Department of Health 

Health Industry Organizations

• COVID-19 Fact Sheets in Multiple Languages - COVID-19 Health Literacy Project

• Watch: How to protect yourself against COVID-19 - World Health Organization 
• Watch: Expert Tips: Special Edition — Dr Peter Lin — Understanding the Novel Coronavirus - World Health Organization
• Taking Care of Yourself - National Child Traumatic Stress Network 
• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) website - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
  • Guidance for School Settings Before and During an Outbreak 
  • Considerations for School Closure 
  • Interim Guidance for Administrators of US Childcare Programs and K-12 Schools to Plan, Prepare, and Respond to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
  • Travelers from Countries with Widespread Sustained (Ongoing) Transmission Arriving in the United States 
  • Seasonal Flu vs. Pandemic Flu Infographic - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Coronavirus Fact Sheet in English and Spanish - DuPage (Ill.) County Health Department
• Communicating About Coronavirus - CommunicateHealth 
• NHS Inform Fact Sheet - Scotland's National Health Information Service (NHS) 

Other

• Coronavirus Topical Guide - AP Stylebook
• Coronavirus and Learning: What's Happening in Each State (School closures, reopening dates, remote learning and more) - Education Week
• Free icons for coronavirus awareness - Iconfinder
• Watch: Responding to Coronavirus: A 3-Minute Guide for Schools - Education Week 
• Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus - NPR
• Coronavirus: Guidance for Schools - Shipman & Goodwin LLP

• Update on Coronavirus COVID-19 for ESL Teachers in China - Gold Star TEFL Recruitment ​

News Updates  

• (2020, May 21) Webinar: Reopening schools in the fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Brookings Institution

• Blad, Evie (2020, May 20) When Schools Reopen, All Staff Should Wear Masks, New CDC Guidance Says. Education Week blog

• Wenner Moyer, Melinda (2020, May 19) What We Know About the COVID-Related Syndrome Affecting Children. The New York Times

• (2020, May 13) - Saturday classes? Schools mull ways to make up lost time. Associated Press

• (2020, May 4) No Prom. No Graduation. Now, No School. The Journal podcast

• Blad, Evie (2020, May 4) An Idaho School Reopens. Are Its Precautions the 'New Normal'? Education Week blog

• Camera, Lauren (2020, May 1) Schools Face Nightmare Scenario After Coronavirus Crisis. US News & World Report

• Alphonso, Caroline (2020, May 1) All eyes are on Quebec’s move to reopen schools as COVID-19 worries persist. The Globe and Mail: Canada

• Bailey, John P. (2020, May 1) A Blueprint for Reopening This Fall: What Will It Take to Get Schools Ready? Education Week blog

• Harris, Douglas (2020, April 24) How will COVID-19 change our schools in the long run? The Brookings Institution

• Kirsch, Zoe (2020, April 21) As Impacts From the Coronavirus Shutdown Multiply, State & District School Chiefs Demand Boost to ‘Woefully Insufficient’ Federal Funds. The 74

• Burnette II, Daarel (2020, April 16) Draconian Cuts to Schools Could Come As Soon As This Summer. Education Week blog

• (2020, April 16) President Trump’s proposed guidelines for relaxing social distancing guidance. The Washington Post

• (2020, April 16) Opinion: 50 Million Kids Can’t Attend School. What Happens to Them? The New York Times

• Blad, Evie (2020, April 16) Closed Schools Would Stay Shut in First Phase of Trump Reopening Guidelines. Education Week blog

• McNichol, Elizabeth (2020, April 14) States Need Significantly More Fiscal Relief to Slow the Emerging Deep Recession (Subhead: Spending Cuts Will Hurt Families and Communities, Slow Economic Recovery). Center on Budget and Policy Priorities

• (2020, April 14) Secretary DeVos Announces $3 Billion in Emergency Education Block Grants for Governors. U.S. Department of Education

• Burnette, Daarel (2020, April 13) How Will Coronavirus Affect School Spending? 9 Questions Answered. Education Week

• Fleming, Noria (2020, April 10) There’s an App for That—School Counseling and SEL Go Online. edutopia​

• Roza, Marguerite (2020, April 9) How the coronavirus shutdown will affect school district revenues. The Brookings Institution

• Sarah D. Sparks (2020, April 8) Amid Coronavirus Shutdown, States Tweak Graduation Requirements for Class of 2020. Education Week

• Barnum, Matt (2020, April 7) School budgets are in big trouble, especially in high-poverty areas. Here’s why — and what could help. Chalkbeat

• Ujifusa, Andrew (2020, April 7) Coronavirus Aid Might Not Prevent Cuts to School Funding, Analysis Shows. Education Week

• Cohn, Alisa (2020, March 30) Your Employee Tested Positive for Covid-19. What Do You Do? Harvard Business Review

• Ujifusa, Andrew (2020, March 25) Senate Passes Coronavirus Bill With $13.5 Billion for Schools, DeVos Waiver Power. Education Week blog

• Zarracina, Javier (2020, March 24) Congress' $2 trillion coronavirus stimulus package, visualized. USA Today

• Mitchell, Corey (2020, March 24) Coronavirus Fears Lead School Districts to Halt or Make Changes to Children's Food Services. Education Week

• (2020, March 20) Secretary DeVos Announces Broad Flexibilities for States to Cancel Testing During National Emergency. U.S. Department of Education

• Saleh Rauf, David (2020, March 19) Rapid Deployment of Remote Learning: Lessons From 4 Districts. Education Week

• Reynolds, Jacob (2020, March 18) S.C. likely to roll out Wi-Fi-enabled buses on Monday as students learn at home. WLTX 19

• Staff (2020, March 18) Publishers Adapt Policies To Help Educators. School Library Journal

• O'Kane, Caitlin (2020, March 18) Some schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year. Here's what to expect if it happens in your district. CBS News

• Williams, Mara Rose (2020, March 18) KC area districts race to plan how and if they can educate while schools are closed. The Kansas City Star

• O'Kane, Caitlin (2020, March 18) Some schools will remain closed for the rest of the school year. Here's what to expect if it happens in your district. CBS News

• Easley, Kiesha (2020, March 17) I've Been Teaching Online for Years. Here's How to Prevent Burnout During a School Closure. Education Week

• Will, Madeline (2020, March 17) Providing Child Care During Coronavirus School Closures a Tough Question. Education Week

• Wilson, Mary (2020, March 15) How Schools Are Approaching Coronavirus Plans: Lessons and Advice From One District in Devising ‘a Collaborative Process’ in Drafting a Preparation Guide. The 74
• Spring and Klein ISD Offering Free Curbside Meals To Students During Coronavirus Closure (March 12, 2020)- SpringHappenings.Com 
• Lake, Robin (2020, March 10) Lessons from A District At the Epicenter of the Outbreak - The 74 
• Schwartz, Sarah (2020, March 6) Teaching About Coronavirus: 3 Lesson Plans for Science, Math, and Media Literacy. Education Week
• Furfaro, Hannah (2020, March 5) How to talk to kids about the novel coronavirus. The Seattle Times
• Marfin, Catherine (2020, March 5) Coronavirus fact and fiction: Experts are still learning, but some widespread rumors just aren’t true. The Dallas Morning News
• Ujifusa, Andrew (2020, March 5) Feds Warn Schools About Bullying Over Coronavirus. Education Week
• Schwartz, Sarah (2020, March 3) How Teachers Are Talking to Students About the Coronavirus. Education Week
• Freyer, Felice (2020, March 3) You had coronavirus questions. We had doctors answer them. Boston Globe 
• Lieberman, Mark (2020, March 2) How to Respond to Coronavirus: 6 Steps for Schools. Education Week 
• Zalaznick, Matt (2020, Feb. 28) Coronavirus fears force schools to plan to move online. District Administration 
• Winthrop, Rebecca (2020, Feb. 27) How has the coronavirus impacted the classroom? On the frontlines with Dr. Jin Chi of Beijing Normal University. The Brookings Institution
• Smith, Tierra (2020, Feb. 26) What Houston-Area School Districts Are Doing To Protect Students, Staff From Coronavirus. Click2Houston 
• Superville, Denisa R. (2020, Feb. 26) Are Schools Ready for Coronavirus? Trump Says They Should Be. Education Week
• Lieberman, Mark (2020 Feb. 25) Schools Should Prepare for Coronavirus Outbreaks, CDC Officials Warn. Education Week
• Malaka Gharib (2020 Feb. 21) Fake Facts Are Flying About Coronavirus. Now There's A Plan To Debunk Them​. NPR [Find ongoing coverage from NPR here.] 
• Griffiths, James (2020, Jan. 29) Number of coronavirus cases inside mainland China overtakes SARS, as virus spreads worldwide. CNN
• Prothero, Arianna (2020, Jan. 29) Coronavirus: How Some Schools Are Responding. Education Week
• Tindale, Kathryn; MacMahon, Martin (2020, Jan. 28) 'Hope for the best, prepare the worst': B.C. school districts plan for coronavirus. News 1130
• Wigglesworth, Alex (2020, Jan. 26) California’s first two cases of coronavirus are confirmed in L.A. and Orange counties. Los Angeles Times
• Heim, Joe (2020, Jan. 22) Coronavirus concerns lead Virginia middle school to cancel visit by Chinese exchange students. The Washington Post