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"Public education has been taking a beating in the press and in popular culture for some time now. If you judge schools solely by the news and peoples' perceptions, all US educators would all be working in downright awful schools. But the truth isn't close to what is portrayed by many of those outside education. As educators working on the front lines every day, what can we do to accurately tell our stories?"

One place where schools and districts can take charge of their image is Facebook. And as of September 2013, 71 percent of online adults used Facebook -- so the audience is there.

For the Beginner

Setting up a school Facebook page is relatively simple ( this video from Pasco County Schools gives step-by-step instructions).

But before diving in, review your district's social media policy (if applicable) to make sure you act appropriately. And think through a few key decisions about how you will incorporate Facebook into your school or district culture and communication plan. For example, who will have administrator rights -- and responsibility for uploading content? To ensure active use, task someone on staff with collecting and posting content. At the district level, a central office official might make sense. At the school level, the principal, assistant principal, library media specialist, head custodian or someone else may be appropriate, based on the school's context.

Also consider questions such as: Are you going to post pictures of students? Who can post to your page (comments and pictures)? Are you going to tag students, staff and others? Who is going to moderate comments?

Content Ideas: Low-Hanging Fruit

You also have to decide what content to feature. Some types of content will help improve communications with families or strengthen engagement at home. For PR purposes, include content that spreads the word about the great things happening in your school or district. Here are a few specific ideas, many of which come from Lincoln Public Schools (NE) Communications Specialist Zachary Baehr, via a breakout session at the National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) 2014 Annual Seminar.

Some educators are concerned about joining social media because of time constraints. However, there is a great deal of content you can post in very little time:

Idea #1: Share the School Calendar. A main reason that people visit a school or district Facebook page is the calendar and calendar-related announcements. Rumor has it the number-one driver of traffic to school social media sites is school closings. But once they come for the calendar, take advantage of the following to let them know the great things that are happening.

Idea #2: Link to Positive Stories. Was your school featured in the local paper? Post a link. Did the basketball team win a big game? Post a link. Was a teacher interviewed for the news? Post a link. And don't forget that a school is part of something bigger -- share district-wide success stories as well.

Idea #3: Post Photos of Events. Many of us carry smartphones that allow us to both take pictures and upload them to Facebook, so this can be a very simple process. Even if in general you don't post photos of individual learners, take team or action shots at athletic events. Band and choir concerts, student art shows, science fairs, school plays and other such events offer the opportunity to highlight what schools offer beyond the basics.

Idea #4: Congratulate Students and Staff Who Achieve. A sentence congratulating the students of the week, teacher of the month, swimmer who broke a district record, class that brought the most cans for a food drive or baseball team for a big win is quick to write. In addition to sharing the good news with the wider community, this simple activity can also improve school culture.

Going Deeper

After mastering the basics, you may be interested in creating additional content to truly highlight what makes your learning community special.

1. Post a Photo of the Week on a consistent day and time. Thanks to smartphones, this can be relatively easy. And giving people a glimpse into a school reminds them that it is a real place where real students go. In addition to (or in lieu of) photos of students, consider pictures of cafeteria food, students' shoes, hallway banners, classroom pets, school media centers and so on. You may also invite teachers, students and parents to submit photos for consideration.

2. Highlight New and Retiring Teachers and Staff. Facebook can be a great way to welcome new staff and celebrate the accomplishments of those moving on. In addition to sharing their photos, create short questionnaires for them to complete. Choose a highlight to include in the post, and upload the complete document.

3. Celebrate Staff Accomplishments -- and Highlight How They Benefit Students. When teachers and other staff members win awards, go on study trips, get advanced degrees or achieve any else you would like to highlight, have them write a sentence or two explaining what they did and how it benefits students. Use the response to craft a congratulatory post.

4. Create Written or Video Q & As with Students. According to Baehr, these are his most popular content. To start, target a small group of students (such as student government representatives, athletes, participants in other activities or winners of academic awards) to share their perspectives on their school. After conducting a few, you may want to open it up to all students.

5. Give Staff a "Homework" Assignment. Have staff share what they are teaching each week and post it with a related fact or link.

6. Feature Alumni. Create written or video Q & As with recent graduates discussing their transition to college and career. Elementary and middle schools can also feature success stories about moving up to new schools. These pieces both contribute to PR by highlighting success and serve as advice for current students and parents.

Post Strategically

Regardless of your content, it is best to share it strategically. Ritenour School District's (MO) Doug Bray offers tips on doing so on NSPRA's Social School Public Relations blog. Some of his best practices:

Be consistent in posting multiple times a week

Include photos with your post when possible

Don't publish too many stories in the same time frame (no more than three in a 24-hour period)

Don't publish multiple stories about the same subject in the same time frame

Do you have other ideas on using Facebook to spread the word about the good work happening in your school? Please share in the comments section below.

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Creating a Dynamic Facebook Page for Your School | Edutopia

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"Public education has been taking a beating in the press and in popular culture for some time now. If you judge schools solely by the news and peoples' perceptions, all US educators would all be working in downright awful schools. But the truth isn't close to what is portrayed by many of those outside education.

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Social media and schools are not always a match made in heaven. Instead of being a cause for excitement, the words Facebook and Twitter can be a headache for many headteachers who worry about safeguarding, cyberbulling and abusive messaging.

But the intersection between schools and the online world is not merely a question of educating pupils about online safety. In parallel, though with far less of a fanfare, schools are starting to use social media in their own right, employing the same tools students use to post selfies to talk to parents, display and explain classroom activities and, albeit tentatively, encourage feedback and debate.

While there appears to be no comprehensive research so far examining schools' ventures into the digital world, experts in the field report that many are becoming bolder in using social media to reveal daily life inside schools, and increasingly with the explicit aim of connecting with the hardest-to-reach parents.

Sion Humphreys, policy adviser for the National Association of Headteachers, is one of many to stress that a lot of schools still fear Facebook, and worry that it risks opening them up to parental criticism of the school or those within it. The site can "cause schools lots of grief," says Humphreys, and then "it's a case of once bitten, twice shy".

But while schools are right to take a responsible attitude over safeguarding, the advantages of social networks in connecting with parents are significant, according to Simon Shaw, who led the parental engagement programme at the now defunct technology in education agency, BECTA.

School websites explaining the modern maths curriculum, or direct tweets to parents showing classroom work activities, can provide vital information for parents, allowing them to start a conversation with their child about their learning that goes beyond the traditional end-of-the-day grunt, Shaw says. A child in turn can direct parents to their artwork on a Facebook photogallery, for example, with the public nature of the work providing extra motivation.

Shaw adds: "There is a lot of international evidence saying the greatest impact on a child's learning is the extent of parental engagement in their children's education. Technology has transformed that three-way relationship between parents, schools and learners."

Dughall McCormick, an e-learning consultant, argues that schools remain too "e-cautious", fearing abusive messages and lack of control. Anecdotally, he says, parents "cause fewer problems with social media when the school also has a presence on it - it's like having a teacher posted on the virtual school gate". The key for schools, McCormick says, is to make sure protocols are in place and those in charge of the school accounts fully understand their workings and are vigilant about monitoring - and not only during school hours.

Websites such as Facebook allow the option of moderation before comments go live, and - a few years and legal cases down the line from the launch of Twitter - the police and courts can now take action against online abuse.

Parents too may feel a kind of "generalised, non-specific concern" about their children's images being posted online, says McCormick, but most put fears aside once the issues are discussed. Indeed, schools often educate parents about their own home online safety, while demonstratingsafe ways to use online media to students, he adds.

At Westfields Junior school in Yately, Hampshire, the hook that drew parents to social media was a school trip to France. Amid parental worries that their youngsters would not eat properly on the residential visit, headteacher Karine George made sure moment-by-moment updates - including photos of each meal - were posted on the school's Twitter feed, prompting parents not only to sign up and follow the school but also call for more photos if they felt their own child was not visible enough.

"It just spiralled from there," says George, whose school won a Naace award as a leader in technology this year. Parents, including the third of families where both parents are not living together, can keep track of their children's learning and use the information to talk to their children. "We know parents can't keep taking days off work to come into school. This is not a substitute intended to replace coming in but it gives parents something meaningful to talk about. It's about being with the children on their learning journey."

Parents retain some fear of Facebook, George says, while those who are unhappy about something will still post comments - though on their own webpages, not the school's. "As with any technology, it's a question of how you use it."

Concern at parental response has prompted Francis Clarke, communications manager at Ark Kings Academy, Birmingham, to trial a non-live school Facebook webpage for a few months to help build confidence about the concept within the school. Ark Kings, which serves a challenging area of Birmingham, already uses Twitter to provide parents with general information, together with stories and special moments - including recent pictures of newly-hatched chicks - intended to help reverse any negative attitudes towards the school.

Clarke hopes to move from "broadcasting to public service", a shift he acknowledges could mean the school has to use its social media sites to respond to criticism. "My ultimate goal is that meaningful conversations about school policy can go on there. A professional response to critical comments can be powerful."

That shift from broadcasting announcements to a real two-way conversation is the next stage in schools' use of social media, according to John Bidder of Getloggedin, a company advising schools on technology and parental engagement. Parents are now almost universally using social media, and to reach them schools must "fish where the fish are", Bidder says. Even a website updated occasionally is now too slow; social media with its possibility of constant small updates and opportunities for response represents the "pulse of a school", Bidder says.

Meaningful consultation with parents is the next phase, says Bidder - though even this social media enthusiast suggests the process will start on Facebook with selected groups initially.

After all, he adds: "There is no magic formula to this. All there are is people who are willing to take managed risks and work along with that. It's very much a work in progress, but it always is in schools because you're always learning."

The school leadership and management hub is funded by Zurich. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled advertisement feature. Find out more here.
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Talking to parents in 140 characters: how are schools using social media?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Social media and schools are not always a match made in heaven. Instead of being a cause for excitement, the words Facebook and Twitter can be a headache for many headteachers who worry about safeguarding, cyberbulling and abusive messaging. But the intersection between schools and the online world is not merely a question of educating pupils about online safety.