5 Questions You Should Consider When Reviewing Your School’s Online Presence
With COVID-19 temporarily moving much of our lives online, now is the perfect time to review your school’s online presence. For many families, the first impression of your school is just a click away. It’s not enough to simply list your school’s mission, vision, and values anymore. Instead, a good online presence will demonstrate the overall philosophy and culture of your school. What does one click reveal about your school?
- What is the purpose of your site? Is it a learning hub or hub of school information?
A hub of information- make sure to include easy to update calendars and important dates, downloadable newsletters, photos of activities and celebrations, and links to community resources for parents and families- Learning hub for students- provide password protected links to the school’s e-learning platform as well as links to other resources for students and families to access at home. Find a list of resources here!
- Does your website reflect and respect the diversity at your school?
- Check out these articles from the Center for the Advancement of Christian Education on Diversity in Christian Schools; specifically discussing diversity in handbooks and retention and the environment you create.
- Ask your families how they feel your school is bridging racial, class, and cultural differences. Consider the survey on page 12 of this document from the Nebraska Department of Education.
- How well does your website foster two-way communication with parents & families?
- Make the link to communicate easy to find on your website.
- Link your social media pages so that families can follow along with school events and interact in a way that is easy for them.
- Ask your parents and families how they feel about your school!
- Click here to find surveys for parents & families, checklists, needs assessments for new families, and more.
- Are you staying current with the times?
- Given our current national situation, consider how out of touch it might seem to have no mention of virtual learning plans, technology, contingency plans, or virtual communication on your school’s website.
- For ideas on what to include in your learning plan click here!
- What does your school’s social media say about your culture and philosophy?
- Remember to demonstrate your mission, vision, and values. If collaborative learning is important to your mission, reflect this by sharing photos of group science experiments, posting videos from daily classes, or tweeting about the activities of your debate team.
- Be sure your images and videos are current and show off what makes your school unique. Stock images and photos from other websites do not have the same effect as snapshots from a day in the life of your students.
- Maintain consistent branding between your website and social media sites. Parents looking to learn more about your school should be able to easily identify your school from the matching branding.
- For tips on how other administrators are using social media at their schools click here!
Frameworks of Tampa Bay is a nonprofit organization that empowers educators, youth services professionals, and parents and guardians with training, coaching, and research-based resources to equip students with social and emotional skills. Read more about the courses they offer here. For more information please contact:
Saima Qadree- Program Development Officer
sqadree@myframeworks.org
813-924-7563 (Cell)
To view all previous School Leadership Resources postings, click here.