Dive Brief:
- Front Row Education surveyed teachers about social media use and found some striking differences among those of different age brackets and those who live in different areas of the country, as well as a clear break in personal versus professional use.
- The education technology provider reports only 20% of teachers use social media to communicate with parents, though 71% of teachers use Facebook daily for personal use, followed by 33% using Google+ — a portion helped up by the 51% of teachers over 50 who report using the platform daily.
- Most teachers who use Pinterest at all report using it for professional purposes as well, though the under-30 crowd and teachers in the South are more likely than their other colleagues to use the platform professionally.
Dive Insight:
As schools gear up to welcome a new cohort of families, teachers need to spend the beginning of the year laying down a foundation for productive learning with their students as well as reliable communication with parents. Some parents prefer to receive communication via text message or phone call, while others can use email or some other online app or social media platform. Still others need written notes home. The beginning of the year is a good time for an informal survey of communication preferences to keep on file.
All schools receiving federal funding are required to provide engagement opportunities for parents. The research is clear that parental involvement is positively correlated with higher graduation rates, grades and standardized test scores. A reinforced commitment to welcoming parents as partners frequently, and especially at the start of the academic year, may become increasingly necessary for schools and districts.
