Our facebook we post pictures of events. The parents love it them. The parents that work donate to our events, and love to see what happened.
I try to keep the calendar up to show what is going on. I have a disclaimer on ours that says to contact me by email not on facebook. I don't check our facebook regularly. But our President has facebook on her phone and the 1 problem that arose in the 3 years of ours was quickly noticed and taken down.
If there is something we need donations for (like Teachers Appreciation Week) and haven't completely filled up, I will post a request on it. I have an email list of parents that signed up, but facebook goes to friends they have that also attend our school.
We have the "don't release pictures" in our school without parent signature. I never post anything with a child in it. And only post a teacher's picture if they asked me too.
On our 8th grade appreciation, we have a parent sponsored event that is hard to get ahold of parents we don't have contact info on. Facebook has helped with that, a Group was set up under the PTO to reach those students/parents.
We are a Junior High level and would have to say it has been great having facebook.
I'm currently researching the pros/cons of creating an public Facebook page for a Parent Organization and would certainly appreciate any and all input.
Tiffany,
Sounds like you handled it well! I was also speaking to someone who said the same folks that are unkind in other places -- at the PTO meeting or whispering gossip in the hallways at an event -- are likely the same folks that are going to be unkind online. In other words, we have to deal with this from time to time, no matter the venue.
Good luck with the work you're doing,
Rose Cafasso
That is awesome to hear. Of coarse I said we never had a problem, then someone posted an option about our volunteer that did the memory book. I just messaged her and explained she was more than welcome to contact us directly, or contact the school with any problems. Also explained I didn't think Facebook was the place to get the matter handled. And then took down the post. The parent said some un-nice things about our PTO and de-friended our facebook. All in All we have had our page for 3 years now, and that was just one time. The parents I have spoke to love getting to see our Pictures, including parents that aren't PTO members.
Wanted to circle back to this thread because we recently reported on a story for PTO Today Magazine about groups using Facebook and Twitter. It will be in our October issue. One thing to share from the interviews, the PTO leaders I talked to said they just didn't have any problems with parents posting nasty comments or other unruly behavior. One PTO president said she'd had a Facebook page for four years and has never had even one problem.
