When I talk to school leaders about how powerful a tool social media can be for engaging parents and their communities at large, common responses I hear are that they don’t want to open themselves up for even more criticism and that social media is more trouble than it’s worth.
When I talk to school leaders about how powerful a tool social media can be for engaging parents and their communities at large, common responses I hear are that they don’t want to open themselves up for even more criticism and that social media is more trouble than it’s worth.
I believe these comments come from a fear of the unknown and not understanding how to properly address online complaints, negative comments or other criticisms.
First of all, let’s look at just a few benefits of using social media:
But what about those concerns about the negative aspects of social media? We all know people do and will continue to use social media to voice their unhappiness and displeasure with a whole range of issues. And they’ll continue to do so whether you as a district are on social media or not. But here’s the kicker: if you aren’t on social media, you have no way of controlling the message. You can’t address or comment on the issue, and you can’t correct any inaccuracies that are posted.
Therefore, it’s incumbent upon school leaders to take charge and connect with the social media community to ensure that YOUR message is the one that is communicated, as opposed to “something someone heard.”
The key to addressing negative comments on social media is to first have a code of conduct posted on your Facebook pages. You can then refer anyone to it who posts slanderous material, profanity or other comments directed at specific individuals. Having this set of rules will also allow you to delete specific comments without someone thinking you are trying to hide something or prohibit someone’s free speech(This is the only time, though, that you would want to delete comments.).
You do not have to respond to each and every comment someone posts. However, if false accusations appear or you need to set the record straight, remember these things:
The thing to remember when dealing with negative comments is that they are an opportunity to have a conversation and improve. Maybe something is going on in one of your schools of which you weren’t aware. Begin to look at social media tools as ways inform the public, involve your community, and address potential issues surrounding your district, and you might just be surprised at the increased engagement and trust you begin to see!
Please contact me if you would like to learn more about the variety of social media options that are available to you.
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Gone are the days of making threats at school without repercussions. How are you teaching your students about the gravity of this topic?
The January 23rd school shooting in Benton, Kentucky was reported to be the eleventh so far in 2018. Let that sink in for a moment.
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