Is This Thing On?

Last week, I wrote about communication failures in the HCPSS. Communication between the Superintendent/Central Office and the Board of Ed and the teachers and the employees' union seems to leave much to be desired.

Communication with parents, at least this parent, also leaves much to be desired.

As a teenager and young adult, much of what I knew about current events in Howard County schools and Howard County government came from reading the Columbia Flier every Thursday. By reading the paper I learned about candidates for office, changes to curriculum programs, construction projects, redistricting, and celebrations of school achievements.

That remained true when I moved back to this county about ten years ago. When I became an HCPSS parent, however, I was pleased to get additional information through frequent email newsletters from our school and our school system. Today, these communications, along with HCPSS TV and the BoardDocs system really enhance my ability to participate in my children's public school education. I also greatly appreciate the text messaging system in place to deliver inclement weather closings and school bus delays. 

That said, HCPSS is living in the 1990's. It is time take another step forward. According to this Pew Research Center report from 2011, 35% of American adults own a smartphone, and 25% of smartphone owners use their phone for most of their online browsing. In addition, 83% of adults in this country have a cell phone of some kind.

Do you see where I am going with this?

It's time for HCPSS to follow the lead of our own Howard County Government and employ social media tools as a part of its communications program. During the historic snowstorms of 2010, County Executive Ulman kept a steady stream of information flowing from his Twitter and Facebook accounts. People could learn and respond in real time. They didn't have to wait for the Flier to publish an article, or a county employee to wait to be plowed out, drive to work, then draft and send an email. Howard County has recently expanded their outreach with the NotifyMeHoward service, which delivers general announcements and public safety alerts to citizens via email or mobile device without requiring people to have a particular social media account. This is a complementary and inclusive communications approach.  

Social media isn't just for high school and college students. It is a rare person I meet who does not have a Facebook account. Twitter use is growing day by day. The Washington Post recently ran an article describing Montgomery County Superintendent Starr's Twitter use and the encouragement he gives to his principals and teachers to do the same. The superintendents of Frederick, Prince George's, and St. Mary's counties also use Twitter on an almost daily basis. 

The Howard County Public School System has made great progress since the days of paper-only communications. How about we build on that progress? Neighboring school systems and our own county government have set an example of meeting citizens where they are through technology. We should do the same.

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*updated to correct the year of the Pew report to 2011