Cheerleaders, the Anthem and the VFW

Social Media

FOR MANY OF US in school leadership, social media has become a vital tool for connecting with colleagues and professional growth and an important vehicle for communicating with our various stakeholders

But when it is used for less admirable purposes or abused, social media can exact a heavy adverse toll on a school district, fueling community anger, wide misunderstanding and student disciplinary actions.

What happens when you and your school district are put in an extreme situation where you can’t seem to stay ahead of the misinformation being spread across social media? What do you do when your district becomes the focal point for individuals — many of them with no connection to your community or schools — to express their displeasure in the most coarse ways, and what recourse do you have when the superintendent becomes the designated target of these nasty and relentless attacks?