Parents in the Vista Unified School District probably have noticed more information flowing recently through social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.
In large part, the increase is due to a push from Superintendent Devin Vodicka, who took over the district in July with a vision of more open and instant communication.
One of his first moves was to recommend a policy that dictates how educators and administrators should use social media sites.
Since then, the number of district officials using the sites to communicate with the public has exploded.
Before the policy was approved, there were only a couple of administrators in the district using Twitter to communicate with parents. Under Vodicka, the number has grown to nearly 50.
The change is great for parents, who are now able to get more information than in the past and get it more quickly, said Colleen Hervery, president of the district's Del Norte Parent-Teacher Association.
"I think it's going to be really helpful to get parents more involved,"she said. "I'm really excited about the direction that we're taking."
Some parents are even starting Twitter accounts just to get the updates, Hervey said.
Vodicka said he has been interested in the potential uses of social media sites for more than a decade. He even did his doctoral dissertation on the topic.
Still, he said he didn't realize the full power of the sites until a gunman opened fire on the playground at Kelly Elementary School in Carlsbad in 2010.
He was an administrator in the Carlsbad Unified School District at the time and saw how helpful the instant online updates could be as district officials tried to communicate with parents in the aftermath of the shooting.
"The social media tools allow us to intensify communication in some really powerful ways," he said.
Vodicka said he hasn't required anyone in the district to jump onto social networking sites, but he has encouraged it and tried to lead by example.
"There certainly is some element of concerted action, but a lot of it is kind of organic," he said.
One advantage to posting updates online is that people can read them when they have time, as opposed to automated calls schools sometimes make to parents with information.
The use of online messages probably will grow in the future, but it won't replace phone calls or letters, Vodicka said. Instead, it will be part of a larger communication strategy.
Trustee Carol Herrera said he has been happy with the amount of communication coming from the district office since Vodicka took over.
"His knowledge and use of technology has given the school board and the larger community an hour-by-hour look at what's happening in our schools," she said.
