Ideas are free, and networking is the cornerstone of educational leadership. That’s why we’re elevating these two leaders who celebrate their districts, unfiltered, on social media for other leaders and their communities.
Centralia Elementary School District Superintendent Norma Martinez says social media significantly impacts her role as a leader, communicator and advocate for her students. On LinkedIn, one of the more popular networks used by superintendents, you’ll find that she holds true to her positive nature, recognizing the frequent accomplishments of students and staff.
I’m so excited for this team and our District! We are looking forward to a site validation from @CSBA_Now to observe the amazing work done in our Innovation Labs with our TK-6th grade scholars. We are #FutureReady and #Innovative! This is #greatnesswithin. #CESDproud. pic.twitter.com/DGmD4HGf0n
— Norma E. Martinez (@CentraliaSup) August 26, 2024
“My social media presence allows me to have direct communication with internal and external audiences, utilizing my voice and heightening the strength of my platform,” she says.
She approaches each social media post intentionally, weaving three to five “message points” into each message. Such transparency and thoughtfulness allow her to tell her district’s story while imbuing the message with her leadership philosophy.
“All of this engenders trust with our greater community,” she explains. “Of course, in today’s instant culture, social media is a wonderful way of facilitating crisis communication. Social media absolutely helps to build and leverage trust with my inside and outside stakeholders.”
Santa Ana Unified School District Jerry Almendarez entered the superintendency when Twitter launched. As a fairly new superintendent, he learned early on that folks in his district needed to know what he was up to prevent negative assumptions.
For example, a few years in, he began hearing complaints claiming that he wasn’t visiting his classrooms and was spending too much time in the office, which was far from the truth, he explains.
“That’s when I said, ‘OK, I’m going to leverage social media to be able to impact a greater number of people,'” says Almendarez. That’s when he began posting frequently on Twitter, highlighting what he and other employees were doing throughout the district.
Take this post, for instance, which he reposted from the district’s X (formerly known as Twitter) account, honoring 40-plus employees for their years of service.
🎥🌟 A closer look at our recent Longevity Recognition celebration! Honoring 40+ dedicated #SAUSD employees for their years of service—thank you for all you do! 💙 #SAUSDBetterTogether #WeAreSAUSD pic.twitter.com/sME5JtQ5DO
— Santa Ana USD (@SantaAnaUSD) October 27, 2024
Fast forward to 2024 and Almendarez says it’s important to lead with “social influence,” a new leadership characteristic in today’s innovative environment. He leans into the fact that more than 50% of U.S. adults get their news on social media.
“If we’re not in this space telling our story, then we’re missing a good chunk of our market,” he explains. “Our parents and our kids are in these spaces. That’s why we leverage it.”
Like Martinez, Almendarez takes a celebratory approach to his social media posts. He says he’s trying to change the narrative in Santa Ana, a socio-economically disadvantaged district in the middle of Orange County, California.
“We’re trying to leverage social media to show people we are high performing,” he says. “We do have kids going to Harvard and Princeton, and we’re doing amazing things in the classroom with innovation and technology.”
Santa Ana USD also utilizes its brand ambassador program to train volunteers districtwide on what content they should be pushing out that supports the district’s priorities.
“We give them examples of what type of posts and content create high visibility,” he says. “We have about 80 brand ambassadors districtwide who we bring in for training twice a year led by a social media facilitator.”
Advice for superintendents
Almendarez encourages other leaders to identify their peers with a strong social media presence. Observe what they post and how they craft each post. Then, when you feel comfortable, start sharing your district’s latest achievements on different platforms. And, most importantly, ensure each post reflects your district’s graduate profile.
“We used to just take pictures at our football games and assemblies,” he explains. “Now, we’re more intentional and tactical about what we post.”
