#DCPublicSchools Is Only a Trend

"Praising public education on social media doesn't equate with real support.                                                        It's not that often that an urban public school district gets a shout-out during a major cultural event. Education and media analysts were surprised Sunday night when passing comments by Dave Chappelle and John Oliver briefly made #DCPublicSchools the number two trending topic on Twitter. As an education policy analyst, I enjoyed seeing a deserving education organization get a moment in the sun. And as a D.C. resident who remembers (as Chappelle does) when D.C.'s schools were among the nation's worst, it's great to see our city's progress get attention outside the edu-sphere.                                                                                                  But there are also things about the #DCPublicSchools trend that gave me pause: As Washington Post columnist Petula Dvorak observed, trending on Twitter isn't exactly a merit-based honor. Even acknowledging that the Chappelle- and Oliver-fueled tweetstorm isn't exactly in the same class as such dubious Twitter trending topics as #dogbuns or #glitterbeards, the outpouring of #DCPublicSchools tweets reflects just how cheap it is to show "support" for something – be it a cause or a school system – on social media. Although social media can catalyze activism and help activists coordinate, it can also be an easy release valve for expressing views on public affairs – giving users the illusion of taking a stand without engaging in the hard work endemic in influencing complex public systems. "

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