Publication record
- Original publication period
- July–December 2020
- Digitized / uploaded online
- August 10, 2026
The digitization/upload date records when this file was added to the website; it is not the article's original publication date.
Abstract
COVID-19 required school leaders to make rapid decisions across health protection, learning continuity, staff work, family communication, resource allocation, and student welfare. This conceptual review argues that crisis leadership is not a sequence of announcements but a recurring cycle of sensemaking, prioritization, coordination, care, and learning. Evidence through 2021 is synthesized into a School Crisis Leadership Cycle designed for institutions with limited staff and incomplete information. The cycle begins with a verified situation picture, converts that picture into a small set of protected priorities, assigns decision rights and communication routes, monitors staff and learner burden, and records changes for the next cycle. The article distinguishes strategic decisions from routine reporting and proposes a minimum crisis register containing the issue, evidence, affected groups, owner, action, trigger, and review date. The framework is normative and testable; it does not evaluate a particular principal, school, or division.