Misinformation erodes trust, which in turn impacts communication between parents and teachers, students and teachers, and parents and administrators. In fact, a 2004 NSPRA survey found that 96% of respondents said the spread of false information is an issue for school districts today and 78% said their school system had experienced a challenge caused by false information being circulated in their community within the previous year. In addition, 41% of respondents said the false information was spread deliberately, and 89% knew which groups or individuals were behind the intentional spread of misinformation.
Unsurprisingly, handling issues that arise from the spreading of misinformation can be time-consuming, stressful, and costly. For example, 66% of school district leaders who responded to the survey reported that they or others on their teams spend one to four hours responding to false information each week. So, with a focus on consistency, simplicity, and thorough planning, Thus, as misinformation floods school communities, panelists at The School Superintendents Association (AASA) annual conference provided three strategies superintendents and their communication teams can use to combat this challenge.
Click here to see the strategies.