How to Be "Aggressive" with Social Media

DEALING WITH SOCIAL MEDIA

I vacillate between laughter and rage when I read posts that pop up on Facebook or any of the neighborhood b- - - - and gossip sites on the Internet. We sometimes cringe when our schools, our names, or references that describe us right down to eye color and shoe size appear; it is impossible to avoid detection. We cringe and we shudder. A false statement about our words or our actions cuts deeply and we feel defenseless and vulnerable. Statements where there is a hint or even the slightest sliver of truth can hurt even more. Therefore, we must be the “aggressor” before statements about us or our schools are made, but first we need to understand “aggressor” in this context, and then ask ourselves:

Did we perform below our professional standard of excellence?

Did our strict standards for customer service fall short because of our own actions or the actions of one of our employees who was having a bad day?

Was a nonexistent “rule” or “policy” enforced when it was just, “The way we have always done things?” If so, why? Were we just tired of a rude, aggressive person who insisted they get their way? If so, it is likely our decision will be overturned.

Did our investigation fall short of thorough?

Were we too fearful of being accused of not supporting a teacher who truly did use poor judgment, a poor choice of words, or a teacher (let us just say it) who did something incredibly stupid? (E.g., I recently learned about a problem concerning the dress code at one of our well-known charter schools where the shoes worn by students must be solid black with black laces and black soles. However a person at some level of authority, took it upon himself/herself to decide that the white trim around the bottom to which the soles are sewn on some very popular sneakers or even the stripes that distinguish one brand from a swoosh brand, would be colored over in black marker so the shoes would satisfy the dress code. Without a doubt, the decision made its way to the local social community Internet site, the newspaper, and the local news, and we are waiting for a slow news day when the national news will feature the story.)

Did we thoroughly proof the documents we sent home?

Did we follow a bad conference with a conciliatory phone call no matter who was at fault?

Did we check on how a student is doing?

Have we ever heard the words used that follow? ”Ms. Smith, I know you have some doubts that Johnny did not chop up a classmates cell phone with a cleaver; however, I am the principal and the preponderance of the evidence indicates he did, and I must make a difficult decision. Johnny will get through this, and if I have made a mistake, I want you and Johnny to know that I am genuinely sorry. I look forward to Johnny’s return.”

Did we call the teacher candidate who did not get the job? Did we offer a critique of the interview when time permits to help the person grow? Did we offer encouragement?

We must all face reality. We occasionally fall short of our own high standards of professionalism. We are all the occasional targets of false accusations and the vindictiveness of angry people. Sometimes our best efforts will not be sufficient; however, we must aggressively do the work up front, during, or after an incident to avoid a social media roast, or we must go the extra mile after a bad experience to mitigate the adverse attention we are likely to receive in the community “news.”

Sometimes we will not succeed; there will be times when our best efforts fall short. Parents will use an unfortunate incident to mollify the bad day they have had. Nevertheless, we will know that we have done our best.