By Bob Riefstahl
As a district leader, adapting how you communicate during the COVID-19 pandemic can significantly increase your impact.
Like teachers, students, and parents, district leaders have had to discover new ways to communicate effectively. Public meetings are limited and one-on-one conversations have become rare. Day-to-day communication is often reduced to email and video calls on platforms such as Zoom or Teams. Even so, there are practical steps you can take to strengthen communication under pandemic constraints and keep your district moving forward.
Use Short, Regular Videos to Replace Large Public Meetings
Recorded video messages from district leaders are an excellent way to replace in-person town halls and frequent large meetings. In many organizations, short leader-recorded videos have proved more effective than occasional live events. Videos can promote initiatives, align staff across departments, and maintain visible leadership presence. Sending short, regular video communiqués allows administrators to reach every corner of the district efficiently and keep momentum on important priorities.
Deliver Updates That People Actually Absorb
People naturally tune out communications that become too familiar. Routine email updates often suffer from this effect: as recipients receive similar messages repeatedly, they stop reading them carefully or stop opening them entirely. School administrators can receive hundreds of emails each week, so relying only on written updates risks important information being missed.
Video messages offer a richer, more engaging experience. Instead of black text on a white page, staff members see and hear a familiar leader speaking directly to them. Visual aids, slides, and brief music or sound cues can reinforce meaning and create an emotional connection that supports retention. The result is more consistent engagement and better alignment with district strategy and expectations.
Measure Engagement with Cloud Video Analytics
Cloud video platforms provide analytics that let senders monitor who watches a video and how long viewers stay engaged. Those statistics help you evaluate the clarity and relevance of a message, and guide improvements for future recordings. When critical decisions, policy updates, or strategic direction are shared via video, knowing who actually viewed the content becomes an important part of building a unified district culture.
Build Stronger Connections with Staff Through Video
When an administrative leader appears on camera and speaks in their own voice, the communication is more personal and memorable than text alone. Video conveys tone, emphasis, and presence—elements easily lost in email. By presenting updates and expectations in short, thoughtful recordings, leaders can reduce misunderstandings, lessen the risk of resentment that stems from perceived absence or distance, and create a foundation of trust. Unlike live meetings, recorded video lets you refine your message and ensure the tone is appropriate before sharing.
Extend Video Communications to Parents and Community Stakeholders
Once video updates become routine and comfortable within the district, expand their use to parents and community stakeholders. Short, clear video messages can explain policy changes, outline the rationale for decisions, and rally support for initiatives such as funding measures or bond proposals. Video helps build clarity and confidence among the public by putting a familiar, human face on leadership and explaining complex information in accessible ways.
Practice and Improve Your Video Skills
Producing brief weekly video updates is a manageable practice that quickly builds skill and efficiency. Repetition improves scripting, delivery, and basic production techniques. As you produce more videos, you’ll learn what length works best, which visuals support comprehension, and how to pace a message so it resonates with educators, staff, and families. These improved communication skills will serve your district well beyond the pandemic.
Changing circumstances demand new skill sets. The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated the need for effective, visible leadership at all levels of education. By embracing short, consistent video communications, district leaders can turn the communication challenges of the pandemic into an opportunity to strengthen connection, clarity, and trust—ultimately supporting better outcomes for learners and the broader community.
About the author
Bob Riefstahl founded 2Win! Global on the premise that greater success comes from focusing not only on best practices but also on correcting common habits that undermine performance. He is a practical senior executive committed to helping education and industry professionals advance their careers. In his Virtual Classroom 2.0 course for educators, Bob shares straightforward methods for making personal video recording easy, effective, and fast.
This article was originally published by The Learning Counsel, a research institute and news media hub focused on providing context for the shift in education to digital curriculum.