Teaching · Related Services

Tell the right people, in the right order.

Confirm the facts, then work down the order. The checklist shows the next step, who has not heard yet and anything done out of order.

Open an incidentWhat you get

The incident

One record per incident, with no names. The example is made up.

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What you get

Teaching · Related ServicesFree

What you finish with
The next step in order, open items, audiences not yet reached and a timed log of every message.
Who it is for
Crisis team leads, principals, school psychologists and counselors responsible for communication after a crisis.
Format
Browser checklist. One saved record per incident; printed for the team or as a blank form; CSV; export and import a file.
Access
Free. No account and no sign-in. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Related Services space in Caveat Teaching.
Support
Questions about an order, access or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.
the right people, in the right order
Drawn for this page. Who hears first matters: staff before students, close friends before the whole school, and families the same day.

How to use it

  1. Open a record with an incident code, never a name.
  2. Confirm the facts and agree what the family wants shared.
  3. Brief staff before students, then work down the order.
  4. Log each message with its time and who approved it.
  5. Print the record for the team’s debrief.

Open an incident

What the order and the rules are

The order

Most school crisis guidance tells staff first so they can support students, then close friends in small groups, then all students at the same time with one prepared statement, and families the same day. Rumors fill any gap, so speed matters as much as order.

Privacy

Under FERPA, information from education records may be shared without consent with appropriate parties in connection with a health or safety emergency (34 CFR 99.31(a)(10) and 99.36), and the school must record what was shared and with whom (99.32(a)(5)).

After a possible suicide

Safe messaging guidance asks schools not to describe the method, not to present suicide as a solution or a choice, to avoid memorials that glamorize, and to name where students can get help in every message.

Sources

  1. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act regulations, 34 CFR 99.31(a)(10), 99.32(a)(5) and 99.36.
  2. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Suicide Prevention Resource Center. After a Suicide: A Toolkit for Schools (2nd ed., 2018).
  3. National Association of School Psychologists. PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training Curriculum, and NASP crisis communication resources.
  4. U.S. Department of Education, Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center: Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (2013).

The example incident is made up. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.