-- 5300 -- OEN Virtual Crisis Response Plan
1. PURPOSE & SCOPE
This plan outlines how the school will prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises that may affect students, staff, operations, and reputation.
Scope: Includes technology disruptions, cyber threats, natural disasters, safety concerns, public relations incidents, and health-related emergencies.
Goal: Ensure continuity of instruction, protect students and staff, safeguard data, and maintain community trust.
2. CRISIS TEAM & ROLES
Crisis Response Team (CRT)
Head of School (Incident Commander): Overall authority, final decisions, public statements.
Dean of Academics: Ensures instructional continuity, liaises with teachers.
Technology Director: Manages platform stability, cybersecurity, and IT recovery.
Dean of Student Life: Coordinates student well-being and counseling.
Marketing Team: Handles media communication.
Director of Compliance: Tracks regulatory obligations, legal issues, and incident reports.
Backup Assignments
Each role has a designated alternate to ensure coverage.
3. RISK SCENARIOS
Technology Disruptions
Platform outages (LMS, video conferencing tools).
Cyberattacks (phishing, ransomware, DDoS).
Data breaches (student records, payment info).
Student & Staff Safety Concerns
Online bullying, threats, or harassment.
Self-harm disclosures or mental health crises.
Child protection or abuse reports.
External Crises
Natural disasters impacting staff or students.
Pandemics/health crises affecting online operations.
Negative publicity or reputational threats.
4. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE PROTOCOL
Step 1: Identify & Assess
First staff member to notice issue notifies Crisis Team immediately.
Crisis Team meets within 30 minutes (virtual or phone).
Step 2: Stabilize
Contain the problem (e.g., suspend compromised accounts, switch to backup platform, notify IT vendor).
Ensure student safety first (report threats, activate counseling outreach, communicate with parents and guardians, involve authorities as required).
Step 3: Communicate
Send an initial holding statement to staff and parents within 1 hour: acknowledge issue, confirm awareness, outline next update time. Use multiple channels: email, LMS announcement, SMS, parent portal.
Step 4: Document
Log timeline of events, actions taken, decisions made. Maintain incident report file for compliance and review.
5. CONTINUITY OF INSTRUCTION
Technology Outage:
Backup learning platforms pre-identified (e.g., Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams).
Teachers provided with offline lesson packets and asynchronous modules.
Staff Unavailability:
Maintain a substitute teacher pool with platform access and training.
Cross-train administrators for key functions.
Student Support:
Virtual counseling and advisory check-ins continue via alternate communication tools (phone, email, secure chat).
6. COMMUNICATION FRAMEWORK
Key Principles
7. RECOVERY & AFTER-ACTION
Conduct an after-action review within 1 week: what worked, what failed, improvements needed.
Update policies, staff training, and vendor agreements based on lessons learned.
Provide community reassurance and highlight improvements to build trust.
8. PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Technology: Regular cybersecurity audits, data backups, redundancy plans.
Training: Annual staff/student training on online safety, crisis reporting, emergency tools.
Well-being: Clear mental health escalation protocols, parent workshops, counselor availability.
Policy: Annual review of child protection, privacy, and acceptable use policies.
9. KEY CONTACTS & RESOURCES
Emergency hotlines (911, suicide prevention, child protection agencies). School Counselors to maintain database of local resources in each student's local county or district.
Vendor contacts for LMS, video platforms, and IT providers.
Legal/compliance advisor.
Crisis counseling services.
Approved: 09/09/2025
This plan outlines how the school will prepare for, respond to, and recover from crises that may affect students, staff, operations, and reputation.
Scope: Includes technology disruptions, cyber threats, natural disasters, safety concerns, public relations incidents, and health-related emergencies.
Goal: Ensure continuity of instruction, protect students and staff, safeguard data, and maintain community trust.
2. CRISIS TEAM & ROLES
Crisis Response Team (CRT)
Head of School (Incident Commander): Overall authority, final decisions, public statements.
Dean of Academics: Ensures instructional continuity, liaises with teachers.
Technology Director: Manages platform stability, cybersecurity, and IT recovery.
Dean of Student Life: Coordinates student well-being and counseling.
Marketing Team: Handles media communication.
Director of Compliance: Tracks regulatory obligations, legal issues, and incident reports.
Backup Assignments
Each role has a designated alternate to ensure coverage.
3. RISK SCENARIOS
Technology Disruptions
Platform outages (LMS, video conferencing tools).
Cyberattacks (phishing, ransomware, DDoS).
Data breaches (student records, payment info).
Student & Staff Safety Concerns
Online bullying, threats, or harassment.
Self-harm disclosures or mental health crises.
Child protection or abuse reports.
External Crises
Natural disasters impacting staff or students.
Pandemics/health crises affecting online operations.
Negative publicity or reputational threats.
4. IMMEDIATE RESPONSE PROTOCOL
Step 1: Identify & Assess
First staff member to notice issue notifies Crisis Team immediately.
Crisis Team meets within 30 minutes (virtual or phone).
Step 2: Stabilize
Contain the problem (e.g., suspend compromised accounts, switch to backup platform, notify IT vendor).
Ensure student safety first (report threats, activate counseling outreach, communicate with parents and guardians, involve authorities as required).
Step 3: Communicate
Send an initial holding statement to staff and parents within 1 hour: acknowledge issue, confirm awareness, outline next update time. Use multiple channels: email, LMS announcement, SMS, parent portal.
Step 4: Document
Log timeline of events, actions taken, decisions made. Maintain incident report file for compliance and review.
5. CONTINUITY OF INSTRUCTION
Technology Outage:
Backup learning platforms pre-identified (e.g., Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams).
Teachers provided with offline lesson packets and asynchronous modules.
Staff Unavailability:
Maintain a substitute teacher pool with platform access and training.
Cross-train administrators for key functions.
Student Support:
Virtual counseling and advisory check-ins continue via alternate communication tools (phone, email, secure chat).
6. COMMUNICATION FRAMEWORK
Key Principles
- Timely, Transparent, Consistent.
- Single Source: Communications Officer consolidates messages to prevent confusion.
- Audience-Specific: Adjust tone and detail for parents, students, teachers, and media.
- Initial Alert: Acknowledge situation and next steps.
- Progress Update: Share facts, actions underway, and resources.
- Resolution Notice: Confirm restoration, thank community, outline preventive measures.
7. RECOVERY & AFTER-ACTION
Conduct an after-action review within 1 week: what worked, what failed, improvements needed.
Update policies, staff training, and vendor agreements based on lessons learned.
Provide community reassurance and highlight improvements to build trust.
8. PREVENTIVE MEASURES
Technology: Regular cybersecurity audits, data backups, redundancy plans.
Training: Annual staff/student training on online safety, crisis reporting, emergency tools.
Well-being: Clear mental health escalation protocols, parent workshops, counselor availability.
Policy: Annual review of child protection, privacy, and acceptable use policies.
9. KEY CONTACTS & RESOURCES
Emergency hotlines (911, suicide prevention, child protection agencies). School Counselors to maintain database of local resources in each student's local county or district.
Vendor contacts for LMS, video platforms, and IT providers.
Legal/compliance advisor.
Crisis counseling services.
Approved: 09/09/2025