Facebook, Twitter,
Snapchat and
Instagram – oh my!
If we are not promoting
the positive happening
every day in our
schools, then who will?
16
Leadership
In this busy digital world, the
question for schools and districts is, “How
do we keep track of all the social media
trends to get our message out to the com-
munity, our families and school staff?” We
know our students are quite proficient at
connecting online, so why shouldn’t we as
educators be as well?
These digital natives get their news, in-
formation and social connections through
the “interweb.” So when it comes to con-
necting with families and staff, our school
and district make every effort to communi-
cate through many digital media pathways.
Through the years, it has become common-
place to get quick updates through Twitter,
Facebook and our webpages. We want to
make our school as accessible as possible to
our community and families.
Our district is one of low socio-eco-
nomics, homeless and foster youth, as well
as many students with disabilities. De-
spite their financial situation and lack of
resources, we have found that our families
typically always have access to a cell phone.
Our goal is to meet families where they are.
We inform parents of the various ways we
share important information, school updates
on events and other pertinent topics through
digital sources.
Too often the community hears from
news or social media the misdeeds or mis-
steps associated with schools. But as educa-
tors, we know that there is so much good
news to share. If we are not promoting the
positive happening every day in our schools,
then who will? Digital communication is so
very cost-effective, as there is typically no
cost required to share celebrations, updates,
coming events and news. Share what is hap-
pening with your school, your students, your
teachers, and share often.
Keeping families connected
Following are the various resources we
use on a regular basis to communicate with
families and staff. For Families we uti-
lize a variety of techniques, with the hopes
that through the information options, they
will stay updated and feel connected to the
school. We include how to connect in all
home/school communications, including
newsletters and fliers.
With all of the following suggestions, be
By Susan Denton