The school district expects its employees to model responsible and appropriate conduct, both at school and away from school. Employee use of social media, including social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; personal web pages or blogs; and electronic messaging, including texting, is subject to the requirements of applicable law, school district policies, and sound professional and ethical behavior for school district employees within the school district community. Employees who fail to comply with this policy or who otherwise engage in inappropriate use of social media may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. If an employee has any questions about the application of this policy, the employee should consult the employee’s supervisor.
Professional Use of Social Media
An employee using social media in the employee’s professional capacity as an employee of the school district and/or pursuant to the employee’s official duties should be truthful regarding their identity and thoughtful and respectful when engaging in the use of social media. Employees using social media in their professional capacity should adhere to the following guidelines:
- Employees may use professional web pages that are created through the school district and used solely for school-related purposes. Employees must notify parents of their intention to use social media to communicate with students and the intended purpose of such communications. All professional, legal, and ethical expectations for appropriate communications and relationships must be followed.
- If an employee is participating on a social networking website, web page, and/or blog for school district-related business, an employee may do so only with the prior approval of the employee’s supervisor.
- Employees must accurately identify themselves and their position with the school district in all social media communications. Employees shall not use an alias or engage in anonymous social media communications.
- Any school district identifying information associated with an employee, the employee’s name, and/or the employee’s email creates the impression the employee is acting in their capacity as a school district employee and/or acting on behalf of the school district and, as such, the employee is expected to conduct themselves in a legal, ethical, and professional manner.
- Any information shared by an employee via social media regarding the business of the school district, whether using personal or school district technology may be considered a public record.
- All information communicated through or maintained on the school district’s technology is subject to the school district’s acceptable use policy and is subject to being monitored or inspected at any time.
- Employees shall not submit or post confidential information about the school district, its students, alumni or employees, including student photos without prior permission. Employees should assume that most information about a student is required to be kept confidential by both federal law and/or state law.
- Employees should be aware that even if they intend for a communication on social media to be private, communications on social media are not truly private. To minimize unintended disclosure of information, employees should set and maintain their social networking privacy settings at the most restrictive level.
- Internet search engines can find information years after it was originally posted. Comments can be forwarded or copied and archival systems can save information even if an employee deletes a post or uses private messaging. Employees should assume that a message or image which is posted or communicated can never be completely deleted.
- Employees should spell check and grammar check a message’s content before they submit or post messages, and correct any mistakes as soon as they can. Employees must remember they are writing for publication, even if it is just for a social networking website. Employees shall refrain from making unsubstantiated statements and shall avoid making careless comments, such as “research shows” unless the employee also provides full citations of the research.
- Employees shall only provide their official school district e-mail address and/or telephone number as a way to communicate with students or parents regarding school district business.
- Employees shall limit communications with individual students on social media to school related issues such as class lessons, grades, and missed assignments and copy parents and/or other appropriate staff members on all communications with students.
- Employees shall not communicate with students using one to one text messages, private chats, direct messages, and/or other one to one communications.
Personal Use of Social Media
The school district recognizes the use of social media for personal purposes and acknowledges that its employees have the right under the law to express themselves on matters of public concern. However, the school district also has the right to regulate the speech of employees in certain circumstances, such as when the personal use of social media interferes with the employee’s ability to perform the employee’s duties or affects the school district’s ability to efficiently provide educational services. Accordingly, it is essential that employees conduct themselves in such a way that their personal use of social media does not adversely affect their position with the school district or the school district. Employees using social media for such purposes should adhere to the following guidelines:
- If an employee is participating on a social networking website, web page, and/or blog for personal use, the employee may identify themselves as an employee of the school district. However, if an employee does so, the employee must state that they are expressing your own opinion, not that of the school district, and the employee will be fully responsible for your actions.
- If an employee identifies themselves as a school district employee, their actions will reflect not only on the employee but on the school district as well.
- Employees shall not submit or post information concerning the school district using an identity other than their own.
- Employees shall not use the school district’s school logos or mascots, photographs, any other such graphic representations or images or link any personal page on a social networking website or other personal web page to any school district website or material.
- If an employee submits or posts information or comments that are not related to the school district, the employee’s activities may still result in professional consequences. Such actions include, but are not limited to, posting of photographs or information which violates federal or state law and regulations and/or school district policies and rules.
- Employees shall be aware that they do not have control of what others may submit or post on social networking websites; therefore, employees shall be aware that their conduct in their private life may affect their professional life. Employees shall be vigilant about what others post about them or on their social networking sites and, if necessary, take steps to remove comments that are inappropriate and/or reflect poorly on the employee and/or the school district.
- Employees should carefully consider whether to interact with and/or whether to provide personal contact information to students currently enrolled in the school district on social media.
- Employees should refrain from providing their personal contact information to students currently enrolled in the school district.
- During the work day, employees should refrain from participating on any personal social media, regardless of whether such participation is through school district or personal technology.
- Employees are encouraged to post positive information about the school district. Employees should exercise appropriate discretion concerning posting, agreeing or liking negative comments about the school district, its employees, staff, and/or students.
