Bristol Township School District Superintendent Dr. Sam Lee issued a letter last week on the topic of social media groups.
“It has recently come to the attention of this Administration that there are numerous social media sites, Facebook groups and web pages operating under the guise of the Bristol Township School District,” the letter reads and goes on to say the pages were not authorized or monitored by the school system.
Advertisements
Facebook is filled with numerous Facebook pages and groups related to the district. Some are parent and taxpayer forums and others are for students. The “Parents of Bristol Township Schools PA” features over 1,100 members and is a corner for residents of the district to ask questions, vent and talk about life in Bristol Township.
Some controversy arose last week when it came to light a closed group consisting of students was formed. Lee seems to tackle that by saying some pages “permit the participation of selective adults who have the ability to communicate directly to minors without oversight.”
The letter from Lee also encourages residents to like the district’s official Facebook page. The page has not been updated since October 2013 but Lee writes officials are contemplating expanding use of the page in the “coming weeks and months.”
Advertisements
The school board last week approved the hiring of public relations firm The Communications Solutions Group for $3,200 a month. The company will work with the district through at least June and fill part of the role left when the district’s grant writer and spokesperson left in October due to budgetary reasons. It is not yet clear if the company will operate the district Facebook page or website.
A copy of Lee’s letter can be read in its entirety below.
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Social media provides many benefits to our community, but we all must be informed as to from where our information originates. It has recently come to the attention of this Administration that there are numerous social media sites, Facebook groups and web pages operating under the guise of the Bristol Township School District. Those groups include students, parents, and community members and have many stated purposes. Please be aware that, despite their names, these groups, sites, and pages are not created by, authorized by, monitored by, and the statements and information communicated therein do not represent the official position or view of the Bristol Township School District.
We have all become familiar with the advantages and unfortunate consequences of using social media and, as parents and guardians. We encourage you all to review the descriptions of the groups and pages that your children are viewing so that you are aware whether their forums are appropriate. Just because the group contains “Bristol Township School District,” “BTSD,” or “BT” in the title does not make it necessarily safe or suitable for students. For instance, some forums expressly exclude participation by parents, but permit the participation of selective adults who have the ability to communicate directly to minors without oversight. We ask you, as parents and guardians, to act diligently in monitoring your children’s social media use.
Bristol Township School District does have an official Facebook page, titled “Bristol Township School District” which currently contains a picture of the Bristol Township School District seal. In the coming weeks and months, the Administration will investigate expanding the scope and use of the Bristol Township School District’s Facebook page. We welcome members of our community to “Like” us on Facebook.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Samuel Lee, Ed.D. Superintendent
