Any issues for PTA using Facebook, Twitter, Blog's...ie bad comments?

[Midgeroo]

We are considering setting up a social network site for our PTA to send details of any up and coming events to the parents. At the moment we put notes in the kids bags & info on the school web site, notice board etc.

The communication is not great because sometimes the letters get lost etc and parents usually have lots of questions.

We really need a 'tool' to communicate better with the parents but we are worried about people posting negative/bullying comments.

Has anyone had any experience?

My DCs schools use ParentPay or ParentMail. They also both use Fronter. Messages are emailed to parents, and ParentPay allows online payment for anything over £10 (wraparound, school dinners, trips etc.). When it was set up, parents had to sign a fair use policy, thus far everyone has played nicely.

Our school uses Parentmail. Not everyone is on Fb or Twitter.

We also use txt service but was looking for something that was free and parents could comment if they had any questions...

Our PTA has a Facebook group. The main problem has been getting people to join the group; we haven't had any negative comments or any problems like that. I think it should be a great way to communicate - in theory, any parent can start or join in a discussion.

use facebook, but set it up as a messageboard and so that only the moderators can post.
from (school info board) experience, you really really don't want a free-for-all. all it takes is one person with a personal beef to ruin it as an information sharing facility.

we did it with guides and brownies and it worked brilliantly. you can still have a poc for people to go to with queries, but tbh the information is all to hand if it's not lost in a clutter of irrelevent discussion.

we didn't have any trouble with people joining, but we did live in a fairly fb obsessed neighbourhood... but only mods to post.

Our school does a whole school email, for info, which then takes you to the parent portal where you can find all the information you want/need, and is secure as you need to sign in.

I would not be willing to start using fb just for school stuff

We decided to stick to posters, fliers, school web site and text system.
Not all of us are on FB and, being a primary school, a great number of us don't want it promoted to our under age DCs.
Schools generate enough gossip without it ending up in writing, where some of our older pupils and most of their older siblings can see it.