Social Media

Superintendent Peter Hannigan's series of video interviews with students and other activities was "renewed" for a second season after a five-episode run last school year. "Being visible as a superintendent is one of my top priorities," says the Chicago-area district leader.

"Eyes on the Board Act," which singles out TikTok and Instagram, would require schools and districts that receive federal broadband funding to prohibit students from accessing any and all social media apps on "subsidized services, devices, and networks."

Superintendent John B. Gordon III leads Suffolk Public Schools in telling a positive story about students and staff in the face of political antagonism and racism, deploying social media—Facebook and Instagram, in particular—to keep the community informed and engaged in Suffolk Public Schools' achievements and activities.

Can social media—a source of much consternation in K12 these days—play a crucial role in whether the states your districts call home remain among the best (or worst) for educators? Superintendents and their teams should consider leveraging Instagram, X and other platforms to connect teaching recruits with more experienced educators who can share reasons to come work in the district, advises Ramon Goings, an associate professor in the Language Literacy & Culture Doctoral Program at the University of Maryland.

District leaders are implementing new restrictions as they look to eliminate distractions and shift academic recovery into a higher gear in the 2023-24 school year.

Outside of education, policymakers and children's advocates are ready to putt age limits on social media use. Inside K12, educators are blaming social media for the worsening teen mental health crisis.