At the recent Alabama Association of School Boards fall conference, attendees were equipped with essential tools to navigate the often-turbulent waters of online communication during the presentation, “Social Media Survival Guide,” led by expert school communicator Lesley Bruinton.
Bruinton opened the session by emphasizing a core truth: Social media is a powerful asset for showcasing the great work in our schools, but it is also a platform where challenges can quickly escalate from a local issue to a major headache. The goal of the guide is to move past the “name and shame” cycle and ensure school leaders are prepared to tackle issues before they spiral out of control.
đź’ˇ Expert Advice: Be Prepared, Not Surprised
A key takeaway from the session was the critical need for preparedness. Bruinton, drawing on nearly two decades of experience, stressed that the biggest issues arise when school leaders lack a plan. “Before you have time to consider what your policy says about how you should respond, you now have another layer of scrutiny to deal with,” she noted.
A highlight of the conference session was a group activity in which attendees conducted a social media analysis of a trending educational topic, allowing them to practice identifying and responding to real-world scenarios.
âś… Best Practices for School Board Members and Leaders
Bruinton shared actionable advice focused primarily on the role of the board in maintaining professional standards and managing crises:
- Establish Clear Policies: Implement robust social media policies or guidelines. Bruinton advised that without a policy, it becomes incredibly difficult to take disciplinary action against a staff member if necessary.
- Maintain Separation of Accounts: Board members and superintendents should be extremely careful not to mix personal social media activity with content related to their official role. AASB’s legal team advises that mixing the two can open officials up to complex legal issues.
- Understand Free Speech Boundaries: While everyone—including staff and students—has free speech rights, these rights are not absolute. School employees, in particular, must be mindful of their “captive audience” (students) and ensure their speech does not violate policy or disrupt the educational process.
- Avoid Blocking Critics: Do not turn off comments or block users from district social media pages. Doing so can be legally viewed as violating the First Amendment by creating a limited public forum and then restricting access. It also only drives critical conversations “underground.”
- Let the District Speak: The power of a board member comes from the collective action of the board. Individual board members should generally avoid weighing in on controversial issues online, even on personal accounts. Instead, refer community members to the district’s official statement.
- Set Reasonable Expectations During Crisis: Resist the urge to have staff respond to online comments and dialogue at all hours of the night during a crisis. This is an unsustainable and unreasonable expectation.
Bruinton concluded by reminding attendees that while social media can be all-consuming, school leaders must remember that many stakeholders do not use the platforms. Basing all discussions and decisions solely on social media commentary risks missing the perspective of a large segment of the community. The ultimate work is to re-build trust by focusing board-level discussions and decisions on what’s best for the entire community, not just the vocal few online.
