Surveys suggest that more than 80% of us pick up our phones and scroll social media within 10 to 15 minutes of waking up. And if we turn on our favorite news programs in the morning, we are being hit with stories that anger and upset us, leaving us feeling that we have no control over most of what is coming at us. What does this mean for educators and school and district leaders? Not only are they personally dealing with all of this, but they also know that they may have a staff that is divided on these issues.

Taking moments to escape current events is nearly impossible. Many of us feel guilty for wanting to escape the current events. Schools have always been a microcosm of society at large, and we know that society seems to be a mess right now.

Why do we say that?

We need not look any further than what is happening in Minneapolis, racist photos of the Obamas, or outrage over Bad Bunny performing in Spanish at the Super Bowl half-time show to see that there are people on both sides of the issue. These sides of the debate play out in schools every day. Not just because of board members running for election or parents barging into the main office to demand what needs to be taught and not taught about current critical events; it’s that the very teachers and leaders responsible for teaching students about media literacy, critical thinking, and current events are on both sides of this debate, too.

We both coach and facilitate long-term working in many different types of schools and have found that there are a variety of issues that leaders are working through right now when it comes to these current events in the United States. And if you work in a school or have children going to a school where these issues do not seem to be prevalent, perhaps it’s good for you to understand that these issues exist.

Leaders are telling us that these are some of the issues they are working through:

• Staffing disruptions due to ICE detentions: Recently, we were working in a school district with a large number of J1 teachers—visa holders from different countries. We were shown evidence that even those with valid visas are being detained, requiring rapid reassignments or long-term substitute plans, and most importantly disrupting student learning in the classroom.
• Increased fear and anxiety among immigrant staff and families: Heightened ICE activity causes widespread fear among educators, students, and families, especially those who are immigrants, refugees, or part of mixed-status households. Leaders are managing emotional safety as much as physical safety.
• Intensifying equity and racial justice conversations: Recent deaths in Minneapolis may reignite national conversations about race, policing, and justice. Leaders need to hold space for these discussions in schools while maintaining a safe, structured learning environment. This includes supporting teachers in navigating tough conversations with students. Conversations about race have been uncomfortable in the best of times, and they are only more difficult now.
• Pressure to provide public statements or take a stance: District and school leaders are often called upon to issue statements of support or take public stances on immigration or police-related violence. Balancing legal risk, political tension, and community expectations can be a major challenge.
• Rising mental health and trauma support needs: Students and staff are being retraumatized by national events involving law enforcement or immigration. Leaders must ensure that trauma-informed practices are in place and that counselors are equipped to support those impacted directly or indirectly.
• Impact on school climate and student belonging: Events like these can erode the sense of safety and inclusion for students—particularly immigrants, BIPOC, and multilingual learners. Leaders must actively work to rebuild trust and foster belonging in classrooms and school communities.

So what can leaders do right now?

We know that leaders are exhausted. We work with teachers, school, and district leaders who have told us that they have seriously considered leaving their jobs in the last year due to the political and societal pressures they face. The weight of today’s national events is immense, and school leaders often carry it silently. While we can’t control what happens in the national news cycle, we can control how we lead through it.

Here are five ways leaders can ground themselves and support their communities:

1. Name the reality without amplifying the fear.

Create space to acknowledge current events in staff meetings or small group discussions. In a recent Education Week post, Marc Brackett, Robin Stern, and Dawn Brooks-DeCosta offer suggestions on how to hold space for these conversations.

2. Focus on the learner.

Leaders sharing learner-centered stories through videos, newsletters, and at meetings, will inspire staff to do the same with parents during their communication. This focus on the learner will change the types of conversations in staff rooms, hallways, parking lots, and ultimately throughout their communities. According to Bandura’s social-learning theory, what leaders consistently model becomes what others are most likely to replicate.

3. Keep the message local.

Research consistently shows that families believe their own schools and teachers are doing a good job, even when they are concerned about education more broadly. During this time of widespread messaging of unrest across our nation and world, leaders can play a critical role in what they choose to share. By grounding communication in the sharing of their school or district’s experiences, successes, and challenges, leaders can help communities make sense of what is happening here, rather than absorbing national and world news of what is happening elsewhere.

4. Offer gentle learning opportunities for staff.

Professional learning doesn’t always have to be formal. Share an article, podcast, or short video in your weekly bulletin. Focus on topics like trauma-informed practice, media literacy, or navigating conversations about identity.

5. Check in—authentically.

Frei and Morriss wrote this article about trust a few years ago, and we use it often in our workshops and long-term work. People trust leaders who show authenticity, logic, and empathy. It’s OK to be human. It’s OK to say, “This is hard, and I don’t have all the answers.”

Frei and Morriss write, “People tend to trust you when they believe they are interacting with the real you (authenticity), when they have faith in your judgment and competence (logic), and when they feel that you care about them (empathy). When trust is lost, it can almost always be traced back to a breakdown in one of these three drivers.”

When leaders show emotional intelligence, acknowledge they don’t have the solution for every problem, it gives permission for others to breathe. It reminds staff that vulnerability isn’t weakness, it’s part of collective healing.