How One School Communicator Leveraged Her Social Media Expertise Into a District-Wide “Communications Cadres” Program!

Jamie Brace leads a team of social media champions at Claremore Public Schools in Oklahoma, dubbed the “Communication Cadres.” She taps into her membership in the Social Media Crew for Schools to bring them best practices, new ideas, and time-saving hacks. Let’s learn more about what Jamie is up to!

Career Arc

Jamie didn’t start out working for Claremore Public Schools in Oklahoma as its Communications Director. Prior to working in School PR, she taught marketing education and worked in corporate marketing and public relations. To get her job at the school, she leveraged her status as a passionate and involved parent. She actually began as a Career Development teacher and director, working at the high school.

Jamie will admit that the social media part of her job started out slowly. She began with a school Facebook page that administrators wanted to only use for announcements. She slowly earned her chops as a school communicator by dealing with a couple of crises and working closely with a supportive superintendent. Jamie later took over communications for the district, and now is enjoying her new promotion as the Director of Communications.

Social media really started to take off under Jamie’s leadership when she turned to #SocialSchool4EDU to support her! Jamie began by hiring #SocialSchool4EDU for 1:1 coaching, which later rolled into the Social Media Membership Program. As an active member of the Crew, Jamie takes every lesson to heart.

Communication Cadres

Encouragement, accountability, and team-building are critical aspects of a successful social media presence. So at each building in the Claremore district, Jamie identified an individual to help with social media. They receive small stipends to compensate for these extra efforts. Last year, the Communication Cadres met every Friday for an hour or two of professional development.

In these weekly meetings, the Cadres discuss events and content ideas for their respective schools. Jamie cherry-picks the very best content to also be shared on the district pages.

This program also serves as a spot for accountability. Jamie asks each Cadre to report on what percentage of their posts were announcements, celebrations, etc. She challenges her social media storytellers to post content that is as engaging as possible.

Too Much Content!

The Claremore transformation from a Facebook page that only curated announcements to a flourishing, vibrant social media presence has now gotten to the point where Jamie says she has “too much content.” That’s not a bad problem to have!

Throughout the summer of 2021, for example, Jamie found herself posting content that she was never able to squeeze in during the school year.

Here’s where you can find Claremore Public Schools on social media:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaremorePublicSchools
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClaremoreZebras
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claremore.zebras/

Support, Community, and Ongoing Professional Development

“I need a tribe and I need people who understand what I was doing and how.”

Leading a team of very part-time communicators can be a lonely job. That’s why Jamie appreciates the support and community that comes with the Crew.

“There’s no better money you can spend, period. You will definitely see a return on the investment!”

Jamie also admits that she has a competitive side! Every month, the Crew recognizes its top contributors, and Jamie often snags a leading spot.

“I’m really competitive with myself! It makes me feel like I’ve reached my goal of not only being a consumer, but also being a contributor.”

Jamie’s competitive streak helped her win a coveted award in the 2021 Best of School Social Media contest. Her title? “Social Media All-Star”!

We are so proud of Jamie and all her hard work. This transformation story is incredible, and we can’t wait to see what she does next!

You can learn more about Jamie’s best practices in her appearance on the “Mastering Social Media for School’s podcast. Catch it at the link below.