MCPS is hiring a new agency for its crisis communications

[Anonymous]

I guess they got tired of Chris Cram and his spectacular failures. I hope this results in better, more coherent explanations for all of the sh*tshows going on in MCPS. Or at least more believable lies than the stuff we've been getting to date.

[Anonymous]

DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

For MCPS and all of us here, if nothing else, i hope this crisis firm finally convinces you that your posts do more harm than good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

*this* no matter what they do the same people will find a way to spin things negatively

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

For MCPS and all of us here, if nothing else, i hope this crisis firm finally convinces you that your posts do more harm than good.

and if they didn't post this the same people would complain that MCPS isn't transparent and trying to pull a fast one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

*this* no matter what they do the same people will find a way to spin things negatively

Don't they already have someone internally to deal with communication? Why are taxpaying paying for this person AND for an agency to do what this person should be doing?

Fire the person if they are so incompetent that you need to spend more to higher someone who knows what they're doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

DCUM said nothing. That was the person who posted the notice on Twitter.

I'm the OP and I actually think its money well spent if it results in better, more believable and relevant communications.

But it does make me wonder what the heck Chris Cram and his team are there for.

[Anonymous]

MCPS is in crisis right now.
McKnight cares about image more than actually fixing anything unfortunately

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

*this* no matter what they do the same people will find a way to spin things negatively

Don't they already have someone internally to deal with communication? Why are taxpaying paying for this person AND for an agency to do what this person should be doing?

Fire the person if they are so incompetent that you need to spend more to higher someone who knows what they're doing.

Given the level of fee, $105,000 is more of a consultative scope of work and not a retained, all-in scope of work. So this agency would likely come in, provide a POV and strategy and then rely on MCPS comms staff to implement.

That....is optimistic given the level of execution I've seen come out of MCPS to date, but that's likely the set up here.

[Anonymous]

You're talking about a school system that sent out a letter to families about the attack in Israel without using the words Israel, Jew or Jewish. It felt very hurtful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're talking about a school system that sent out a letter to families about the attack in Israel without using the words Israel, Jew or Jewish. It felt very hurtful.

You're right. That letter was oddly neutered and avoided mentioning what should be uncontroversial to mention.

My guess is that since it's easy to get blasted as being pro-Palestinian or anti-Israel, they decided to just mention war and not say anything about either side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're talking about a school system that sent out a letter to families about the attack in Israel without using the words Israel, Jew or Jewish. It felt very hurtful.

When was this? I didn't receive any letter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DCUM - MCPS is terrible at communicating during a crisis!!!!

MCPS - *hires communications firm*

DCUM - OMG MCPS is spending money to fix the communications problem!!!!!

*this* no matter what they do the same people will find a way to spin things negatively

Don't they already have someone internally to deal with communication? Why are taxpaying paying for this person AND for an agency to do what this person should be doing?

Fire the person if they are so incompetent that you need to spend more to higher someone who knows what they're doing.

That's what I was wondering..

[Anonymous]

I am totally disgusted by MCPS. At the same time, crisis communications is actually really difficult. They do need help because they are doing terribly.

The problem remains that MCPS is not remotely committed to keeping staff and students safe, and unfortunately this does nothing to fix that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You're talking about a school system that sent out a letter to families about the attack in Israel without using the words Israel, Jew or Jewish. It felt very hurtful.

When was this? I didn't receive any letter.

Here is the letter (addressed to a specific cluster)

News of war or natural disasters can elicit feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. As a school community, we strive to care for one another and provide support when needed. In difficult times, it is important that we demonstrate care and compassion in an environment where all voices are heard and respected.

It is important that we are available to provide support to our students as they cope with emotions and help make sense of what they are hearing and seeing. Our counseling department and administrative team will be available to speak with students. Please encourage your child to reach out to a trusted adult in the building if needed. That adult could be any staff member with whom they feel safe to share their thoughts and feelings.

In these challenging times, we remain confident that [X] High School can be a shining example of inclusivity and unity. Please see the following resources for families and similar resources have also been shared with MCPS staff.

Resources for families:
How to Talk to Kids About Violence, Crime, and War: Common Sense Media gathers tips and conversation starters to help you talk to kids of different ages about the toughest topics.
Resilience in a time of war: Tips for parents and teachers of middle school children: This article from the American Psychological Association can help adults guide their adolescent children beyond fear and to resilience.
National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Provides resources that can be filtered by topic or keyword and by audience with a focus on how adults can identify traumatic responses in young people and how to support them.