Christopher Marczak

SOCIAL MEDIA BEARS a double-edged sword. The indispensably disruptive tools of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram can be used to inform, educate and inspire or they can tear down, spread falsehoods and destroy.
I’ve seen both sharp edges cut through in a recent situation that brought undue national attention to our school district in a world that now thrives on immediate information.

In March 2017, a former high school teacher in our school district abducted a 15-year-old student, spurring an Amber Alert and nationwide manhunt. He traveled with the young girl across the country, escaping detention until police caught and arrested him five weeks later in California. The suspect subsequently pleaded guilty to federal charges and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

The news coverage focused undue attention on our 12,500-student school system in south-central Tennessee and all those connected to it. The social media targeting was especially intense.

Navigating Lessons

»While navigating the crisis of the child-abduction case, I learned several important things about leveraging the power of social media.

Before posting anything, share information with your board members, your internal executive team and, if applicable, local law enforcement and the board attorney. Public information needs to be coordinated and strategically disseminated. Anything the school district posts may become Exhibit A should there be future litigation. Thoughtful coordination and strategic posting is a sign of leadership maturity.

»Be professional. Triple-check the sentence structure, grammar, punctuation and spelling in any information you distribute. Only post related images that are preapproved by local law enforcement and the board attorney. Never post GIF images since the graphics interchange format allows moving images, which looks less professional than static ones. Your community will be looking to you to be the face of the district.

»Coordinate frequently with your internal team on the latest information and what should be shared on social media. Keep your team in the know and do not post any item that needs editing after the fact.

»Be sure you have a social media policy that has been approved by the board and attorney. Every state differs in its laws surrounding this.

»Assume you will be attacked on social media, no matter what you say. This is no different than our roles in the public. Conduct yourself on social media the exact same way that you would conduct yourself in a public meeting. Be positive. Be kind. Be a listener. You do not have to respond to hateful messages. If you want to respond to extremely negative posters who use foul language, you can remind them that your account is followed by children. If you, your family or your district staff are threatened with bodily harm, do not hesitate to save and print out the posting and turn it over to local law enforcement for investigation.

»Take time to eat, sleep, exercise and “pause” on social media. During a crisis, you will feel pressure, and your temperament and personal health will be tested. If you don’t take time to eat properly, get a good night’s sleep, exercise regularly to maintain the balance and put down social media to get away from it, you will break. With the tenacity of our jobs and the daily expectations upon our shoulders, one more large boulder could send us spiraling to a heart attack.

»Repeatedly thank others, including local law enforcement and district colleagues, for their supportive actions. Public statements ought to empathize with the victims and their families.

»Remember that most of the district is operating normally, even though the crisis may be consuming your time and attention. Repost social media messages that celebrate the positives taking place in district classrooms or schools. Just be careful to moderate your excitement and be aware of your posting interactions. There is a still a crisis taking place and your sensitivity will be watched.


 CHRISTOPHER MARCZAK is superintendent of Maury County Schools in Columbia, Tenn. E-mail: cmarczak@mauryk12.org. Twitter: @cjmarczak