Newtown and Social Media

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Evelyn McCormack

We all feel helpless. And we certainly remember feeling the same way during Columbine, 9/11, Aurora and countless other events in recent memory that took far too many lives in an instant. Today, when people feel helpless, many of us turn to social media. Some to argue and provoke. Others simply to vent and be heard.

Laurie Ruettimann, who writes a blog called The Cynical Girl, posted an item the other day noting that even with its many drawbacks, social media “knits the world together” during a crisis. At the same time, many have noted that social media is little more than a community bulletin board. We post, but we do little.

So I want to take this opportunity to focus on how a number of people have turned to social media after the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT, to do one thing: make a difference.

Brian Mauriello, a near-lifetime resident of Newtown, established the Newtown Memorial Fund within hours of the tragedy, creating a website, Facebook page and Twitter feed to accept donations for the purpose of building a memorial playground in honor of the Sandy Hook victims. He has already applied for 501c3 status and has named a board of directors that includes an accountant, an attorney, a member of the police force, a public school teacher and others. Mauriello’s six-year-old son attends a different elementary school in Newtown.
On Twitter, NBC News correspondent Ann Curry launched #26ActsofKindness, encouraging people to perform acts of kindness in memory of Newtown’s 26 victims, and share what they accomplished on Twitter. The movement has spread, with thousands of people tweeting their acts of kindness. Beth Steinberg, for example, tweeted this: “Just paid the school fees for 26 children with AIDS in Mombasa, Kenya.” And Heather Fournie sent this tweet out: “Just left dinner for two at Applebee’s for a town police officer on his car.”
The Emilie Parker Fund Facebook page was created by friends of the six-year-old victim’s family to raise money for their expenses through a fund set up with a credit union in Utah, where Emilie was born. Since the page was created on Dec. 14, more than 322,000 fans have joined.
Ryan Kraft, a former Sandy Hook Elementary School student, turned to crowdrise.com, a popular crowdfunding site, to create a Sandy Hook Elementary School Victims Relief Fund page. Kraft hopes the fund will support the victims, families and all others affected locally by the shooting, and the funds will be donated directly to the school’s PTSA. So far, Ryan has raised $103,170.
Earlier this week, Colette Connolly of my staff posted a message on my Facebook page about how the Connecticut PTSA is asking people to make paper snowflakes and send them to Newtown. The snowflakes will be used to decorate every corner of Chalk Hill Elementary School, when Sandy Hook students move in there in late January. I posted the information on my page and suggested that our district hold a snowflake-making day. On Monday, Jan. 7, our employees will be dropping in at our Snowflake Central to try their hand at making hundreds of paper snowflakes that will be boxed up and sent to Newtown. And NSPRA colleague Jim Cummings, a Facebook friend, posted that same idea on the Glendale (AZ) Elementary School District Facebook page, where he works. The snowflakes have gone viral.

No doubt, we have all read posts about gun control and revamping the way we treat mental illness in this country. But instead of using social media to simply yell from the rooftops, some people are using it to take concrete, lasting action.

Convocation: the Next Generation

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Leslie Robinette, APR

Convocation was a long-standing tradition in our district. It was the one opportunity each year to gather our entire team for an inspirational start to the new school year. From the staff choir to the guest speaker to the video, the event was motivational and unifying.

For the past three years, we cancelled convocation because the economic downturn resulted in lost staff workdays. While our superintendent made the rounds of September staff meetings, the moment of district unity was lost.

This year we created a workable compromise: a virtual convocation! With planning and some expert technical help, our team pulled off a live-streaming webcast that we simultaneously broadcasted to more than 30 schools and work sites.

We broadcasted it on our cable access television channel and straight to the computer of any employees who were unable to leave their desks.

What did it take? A massive server. An on-location production company ($1,400). And a test run the night before to troubleshoot issues like radio interference.

Our convocation had a studio audience of 75 employees. It included a “pre-game” slide show of highlights from each school and department. We had brief presentations from the school board chair, association leaders and our new interim superintendent. And of course, the video.

In just one hour, we accomplished what used to take half a day, giving teachers a gift of planning and staff development time.

Was it the same as a packed high school gym? Not quite. But for that moment in time, we were all together, remembering why we work in education. Employees felt moved. Energized. Appreciated. Mission accomplished.

NSPRA Seminar Will Include Plenty of Social School PR

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Nicole Kirby, APR

So you’ve been enjoying this blog and picking up great tips from our NSPRA members who are social media experts, but you need a little more – some in-person guidance.

Once again, NSPRA has the solution.

This summer’s NSPRA Seminar in Chicago will have several great sessions on social media. There are offerings designed to either get you up and running with these new tools or take your understanding to the next level if you are already comfortable with the basics.

There will be a pre-seminar session from Cody Cunningham and Terry Morawski called “Mobile Apps Strategy in School Communications.”
Another pre-seminar session from Dana VanDen Heuvel will focus on “Social Media Strategy for School Districts.”
VanDen Heuvel will also offer a session during the seminar called “What Every School District Needs to Know About Social Media.”
One of the contributers to this blog, Evelyn McCormack, will present “Connecting Your Social Media.”
Joseph Donzelli and Robert Dodig, Esq. will present “How to Use Social Media Properly.”
Terri McHugh, APR will present “I Know How to Tweet, But Not What to Say – Social Media Content.”
Shelly Hickman and Kathleen Kennedy, APR will present “Don’t Suppress Your APPetite: Tell Your Story to Everyone, Everywhere, Anytime!”
Another of our blog contributers, Shane Haggerty, along with Erika Daggett, will present “Stepping Into Social Media: A School District Case Study.”
McHugh will present another session with John Rork called “Blog Is Not a Bad Word – Design a User-Friendly Website.”
Meg Carnes, APR and Kitty Porterfield will present “Ten Things Your Superintendent Needs to Know About Social Media.”
Elise Shelton and Andrew Pitt will present “Making Web-Based Video an Essential Tool in School Communications.”
John Moss will present “Using Video Productions and Smart-Phone APPs to Tell Your Story.”
A.J. Huff wil present “Student Blogging for School Pride and High School Credit.”
Jennifer Woodley will present “You Have a Friend Request.”
And Annette Eyman and Kala Morrissey will offer an action lab on “Using Social Media to Improve Your Communication.”

Of course, there are dozens of offerings from national experts on all kinds of issues, so no matter your school PR question, you will find answers at this seminar.

Five ways Facebook can boost teacher morale

Posted on April 20, 2012 by Leslie Robinette, APR

Layoffs, budget cuts, large class sizes and the news media’s war on education means morale is plummeting for school employees. How can PR professionals change the conversation, and demonstrate the many ways teachers continue to go the extra mile?

Facebook is a tool you can use to publicly celebrate, reward and appreciate teachers and staff across the school district. Here’s how:

1) Tell a story: Give parents, students and staff a glimpse of some of the magic moments happening in your classrooms. Shine a light on an amazing turnaround story about how a teacher helped a single student or a group of challenged kids succeed. Describe the innovative projects teachers use to engage students in learning.

2) Post award nomination links: Give parents, students and educators the chance to nominate teachers and staff for awards, and watch the number of employees who win recognition build. From radio station and bookstore contests to professional associations, a win for any staff member makes them all stand proud. In addition to that, you’ll draw Facebook tributes from current and past students of the honored teacher.

3) Showcase moonlighters: Do you have staff members with hidden talents? The campus monitor who wrote a mystery novel? The history teacher who climbed K2? The counselor who’s a professional photographer? The dragon boat team from the payroll department? Post photos of them in action, and tell the back story even their co-workers don’t know.

4) Announce appreciation weeks: Take advantage of designated weeks to celebrate classified, certified and administrative staff, as well as school board members, school nurses, volunteers and secretaries. Ask fans for examples of how they are celebrating these events in their school, or ask them to share how one of the week’s honorees was a special help to their child. Remember, you can’t say thank you enough, especially now.

5) Show staff you’re listening: Likely, a good number of your district’s Facebook followers are employees. When you get them engaged in a conversation around a proposed change, show them you’re listening. Answer their questions promptly, and let them know you’ll forward their ideas, concerns and suggestions directly to district leaders. Then take what you learn and use it in your internal information campaign.

Six Strategies to Deal with Negative Posts

Posted on January 20, 2012 by Leslie Robinette, APR

Worried about negative comments on your Facebook page? Don’t be.

Social media is an opportunity for two-way communication with your community. The occasional negative comment provides an opportunity to understand which problems need fixing, to clarify rumors and misconceptions, and to truly listen to community members.

What’s the best strategy to deal with a negative post? Here are six tactics to respond effectively:

1) Wait. Very often, an involved, informed parent will counter-post in defense of the school district, or provide the needed facts to clarify a misconception. Having a parent leap to your defense can be more effective than anything you say.

2) Ask questions. If a post raises a new issue or a situation you are unaware of, this is an opportunity! Find out more. If this is best done privately, offer your phone number and ask the person to call you. If you are hearing the same message from several people, post an online survey to find out more.

3) Provide accurate information. If the negative post is based on a false assumption or a lack of understanding, this is your chance to open a two-way dialog and provide the facts. Don’t just do this on your social media site; look for opportunities to spread the information using several communication strategies.

4) Forward comments to district leaders. Does the post raise a safety concern? A complaint A suggestion? Many top district leaders are not social media users, or might have missed the post. Simply copy and paste the comment, then email it to district leaders. It’s important to also send them the positive comments, which can be a real morale booster for staff.

5) Enforce basic ground rules. Whether covered in district policy or not, a few simple rules will keep your social media site under control:

No profanity.
No personal attacks on any person: student, staff, or community member.
Offending posts will be deleted immediately.
Two-time offenders will be banned from the site.

6) If trolls have taken over, go dark. If you are overwhelmed by negative posts, click the “unpublish” box. Figure out a plan to deal with the situation, then turn your page back on when you are ready.

NSPRA: Social School Public Relations

National School Public Relations Association experts explore the use of social media to meet school communications goals

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