social media don’ts: a guide for your school’s social media page

Navigating the world of social media can be tricky, especially for schools aiming to maintain a professional yet engaging online presence. At The Alchemy Collaborative, we understand the importance of using social media to connect with your community while avoiding common pitfalls. Here are some key “don’ts” to remember when managing your school’s social media page.

Don’t Neglect Privacy and Security:
One of the most critical aspects of managing a school’s social media presence is ensuring the privacy and security of students, staff, and families.
Alchemy Tip: Never share personal information such as addresses, phone numbers, or personal emails. Obtain consent before posting photos or videos of students and ensure all content complies with privacy regulations. When hiring outside photographers/videographers to assist with content, have photo consent forms on hand for easy reference.
Don’t Over-post or Under-post
Finding the right balance in posting frequency is crucial. Overposting can overwhelm your audience, while under-posting can lead to disengagement.
Alchemy Tip: Develop a consistent posting schedule that informs your audience without flooding their feeds. Aim for a few quality posts per week that highlight important events, achievements, and announcements. For more tips, check out our post on maintaining a consistent posting schedule.
Don’t Ignore Negative Feedback
Ignoring or deleting negative comments can harm your school’s reputation. It’s essential to address concerns professionally and constructively.
Alchemy Tip: Respond to negative feedback promptly and courteously. Acknowledge the concern, offer to discuss it privately, and work towards a resolution. This shows your commitment to transparency and responsiveness.
Don’t Post Without a Plan
Posting randomly without a clear strategy can lead to a disjointed and ineffective social media presence.
Alchemy Tip: Create a content calendar to plan your posts. This ensures your messaging is cohesive and aligns with your school’s values and goals. Include a mix of content types, such as updates, event highlights, and educational resources. For a deeper understanding of broader communication challenges, visit Decoding District & School Communication Challenges.
Don’t Use Poor Quality Media
Low-quality images and videos can detract from your school’s professionalism and credibility.
Alchemy Tip: Invest in good-quality visuals. Use high-resolution photos and well-edited videos to showcase your school in the best light. If possible, designate someone with photography or videography skills to capture events and activities. Learn more about the importance of high-quality media in our post The Importance of High-Quality Photos for School and District Communications.
Don’t Be Inconsistent with Your Branding
Inconsistent branding can confuse your audience and dilute your school’s identity.
Alchemy Tip: Ensure all posts adhere to your school’s brand guide. Use consistent colors, fonts, logos, and tone of voice across all social media platforms. This helps reinforce your school’s brand and makes your content instantly recognizable.
Don’t Share Divisive Content
Sharing unverified facts, political data, or inaccurate information can lead to misinformation and erode trust within your community.
Alchemy Tip: Always double-check the accuracy and necessity of the information before posting. Verify sources and ensure that any announcements or updates are factual and up-to-date.
Don’t Forget to Engage with Your Audience
Social media is not just about broadcasting information; it’s also about engaging with your audience.
Alchemy Tip: Encourage interaction by asking questions, responding to comments, and creating interactive content such as polls and contests. Engaging with your audience fosters a sense of community and encourages ongoing participation.

Managing a school’s social media page requires careful consideration and a strategic approach. By avoiding these common pitfalls, you can create a professional, engaging, and effective social media presence that reflects the values and strengths of your school. At The Alchemy Collaborative, we believe in the power of thoughtful communication to build strong, connected communities. Follow these tips to ensure your school’s social media page is a positive and productive tool for engagement.

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the building leader's guide to local accountability

By Brooke Goff • July 21, 2026

Most principals are watching local accountability happen from the hallway. You don't have to wait for an invitation. There is a teacher in a school you probably know. Maybe you have someone like her on your team right now. She runs the PLCs. She sits in on planning sessions across grade levels. She knows which classrooms are doing cross-curricular vibrant learning work this quarter, and she knows which teachers need extra support to pull it off. When something remarkable happens in a student's learning, she finds out. She takes the photos. She writes the caption. She is the reason the school's story gets told at all. And she is one person. When local accountability arrives at your building (and it is arriving) it is going to ask for documented vibrant learning evidence, a Portrait of a Learner that lives somewhere public, data that shows your community what your school actually stands for. And if your answer to any of those requests runs through one person's head, one person's phone camera, one person's memory of what happened in third period on a random Tuesday in October, you have a fragility problem. Not a people problem. A systems problem. And it is fixable, but only if you start now, before the district finishes building the dashboard you will eventually be feeding. Here is what I want principals to know before anything else: you are not behind. You are not failing. The local accountability conversation in Kentucky has been happening almost entirely at the district level, and the assumption buried inside a lot of that work is that principals are naturally in the loop. That superintendents are passing information down. That buildings are ready. Most of them are not. And that is not the principal's fault. What is within a principal's control right now is whether the work already happening in their building gets captured in a way that will matter later. Not a new initiative. Not a new platform. Not a new committee. Three practices, intentionally done, that most strong principals are already doing accidentally.