I launched my blog, Wawascene, in 2005. Technically, a blog is shorthand for weblog, which is a series of items posted on the Internet for others to read. My blog is a hybrid of an electronic newsletter, press release, editorial forum, school calendar, and personal diary. It's hip, it's authentic, and it's the most time-efficient method I've found to strengthen relationships with my employees, students, parents, and the community at large on a daily basis.

Getting Started
Launching a blog is relatively easy, even for a technophobe. Blogging software is widely accessible, user-friendly, and available for free online. I had no blogging experience before Wawascene, and had no problem getting it off the ground.

Time Commitment
Compelling blogs are updated with fresh text, images, and links to other websites every day. I spend between ten minutes and an hour blogging each morning—it's become part of my routine. Sometimes I get on a roll and publish several posts in a day. I save them as drafts and use them on days that I have writer's block.

Topic Ideas

• Articulate your vision.
• Make important announcements. I post school delays and closings on Wawascene before alerting local media outlets. I encourage constituents to make Wawascene their homepage so they hear updates from me first.
• Share your perspective on an issue facing the district.
• Squelch rumors.
• Discuss current news and education trends. I was curious about how Wawascene readers felt about a four-day school week. I stressed that the idea was not under active consideration before I posed the question to my constituents. Not only did I get rich and varied responses from parents, teachers, and community members, but I even got information from members of a teachers' union in British Columbia. When you blog, you expand your reach within your community and beyond.
• Explain your decisions.
• Applaud staff and student success.
• Share personal stories to bring the human touch to the superintendency. Many Wawascene readers were brought to tears after reading my Mother's Day tribute to my beloved mother. On the flip side, one of Wawascene's most popular posts is Friday's Funnies, where I share humorous stories involving students or parents. Blogging is a way to create intimacy in a district.

Taking Risks
Many superintendents' primary fear of blogging is that constituents will post anonymous negative comments. In my experience, most negative comments are quickly followed by positive or neutral responses. You're providing a forum where people with varying views can have a running conversation, and you can learn a lot from them.

As the blog moderator, you can remove postings and restrict posting privileges to only registered users, but you may be criticized for censoring conversations. Never underestimate the power of putting yourself out on a public limb. The public will most likely admire and respect your courage to do so. I allow all comments, but do post the following rules: Comments should be respectful and pertain to the topic posted. Comments about personnel matters should be made directly to the administrators responsible. Blog moderators reserve the right to remove any comment determined not in keeping with these guidelines.

A blog also has the potential to create tension between the superintendent and school board members, especially if the superintendent's issues, opinions, and ideas don't mesh with the school board's views. To address that concern, our president asked me in a public school board meeting to put a statement on my blog that reminds readers that my views do not necessarily reflect the school board's views. Wawascene clearly states that it is the personal weblog of Dr. Mark J. Stock, superintendent of schools for the Wawasee Community School Corporation, to avoid any confusion or controversy.

Reaping the Rewards
Since its inception in 2005, Wawascene has generated more than 1.5 million hits. In a recent thirty-day span, Wawascene had 475,000 page loads by more than 181,407 visitors. People stop me on the street to talk to me about my blog posts. Local reporters also monitor Wawascene on a regular basis to learn about what's going on in the district firsthand. The blog's success has exceeded all expectations, and enriched my relationships with constituents more than I ever thought possible.

Is blogging for you? Consider this: If you don't start blogging to your constituents, they're going to start blogging about you. Blogging is a strategy that is underutilized by superintendents. In the communication void, constituents will fill in the gaps. Wouldn't you rather be the lead messenger for your district?

To read Mark Stock's blog, visit http://wawasee.blogspot.com.