Schools expanding social media use to reach parents :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet

Schools expanding social media use to reach parents :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet:



JULY 07, 2014

Schools expanding social media use to reach parents

by Alisha Kirby

(Calif.) Ninety-five percent of local and state education agencies nationwide are on Facebook and/or Twitter, according to a recent survey by the Reform Support Network.

Eighty percent are or plan to be active on YouTube, and over 50 percent are or intend to start blogging.

The survey is included in a four-part tip sheet released by the U.S. Department of Education urging LEAs and SEAs to continue to embrace social media as a communication tool between them and students, parents and the community as a whole.

“(Social media) is absolutely vital for us as people’s communication habits have changed,” said Trent Allen, a spokesperson for San Juan Unified School District. “You have more and more people using social media to communicate on a daily basis that allows them to do so on their own schedule.”

“It’s also important because it provides a two-way form of communication, which is a great advantage for us,” Allen said. “It’s a great way for a new section of our community to be able to interact with us who haven’t typically interacted with us in some of the more traditional methods.”

With plenty of research suggesting that parental involvement in a child’s education increases academic achievement, states are prioritizing the educator-parent relationship and schools are using every tool at their disposal to engage their local communities, with an emphasis on social media platforms.

“We are seeing higher levels of engagement, especially from some members of our community who haven’t necessarily been involved in the committees or PTAs and those things in the past,” Allen said. “We’re seeing folks who certainly care about education and their student’s education coming forward to interact and talk with us and be part of the conversation.”

With approximately 802 million people actively using Facebook daily, 255 million per month on Schools expanding social media use to reach parents :: SI&A Cabinet Report :: The Essential Resource for Superintendents and the Cabinet: