New Policies on Staff Conduct, Social Media, Wireless Devices

Post date: Jul 17, 2012 7:42:42 PM

You may recall that during 2011-2012 a number of proposed new district policies were shared with staff via email by site principals. Feedback was to be sent to the BEA Chief Negotiator, Granger Meador, who received a dozen or so messages. He took those concerns to Chuck McCauley, the Executive Director of Human Resources. Together they revised the proposed policies to address concerns raised by activity sponsors, staff who have other roles in the community such as youth ministers or scout leaders, and others. The revised policies were presented to the Board of Education in July and on July 16, 2012 the board unanimously adopted them as presented.  All school board policies are online, and here are direct links to the four new/revised policies:

• DBA – Professional Conduct by Staff

• ECC – Use of Internet and Social Networks and Other Methods of Communication

• FIH – Wireless Telecommunication Devices  - Students

• FIHH – Wireless Telecommunication Devices – Employees

It is important that employees read and study each of those policies to ensure compliance.

Highlights of the new policies are given below and a printable summary document is attached which can be downloaded. The new policies have been incorporated into the Filters, Policies, and User Advice section of the district's Technology Support website.

POLICY HIGHLIGHTS

DBA – Professional Conduct by Staff

Review the list of prohibited behaviors. They’re pretty obvious, but include worthy reminders about avoiding the use of vulgar language and avoiding discussion with students of your personal life issues such as divorce and sex. Also prohibited are comments or statements, even in jest, reflecting adversely on any person or group with reference to race, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, or handicapping conditions.

Report suspected inappropriate relationships. Staff members who suspect or recognize an inappropriate relationship between a student or staff member or observe inappropriate conduct toward or contact with a student are required to report this in writing to their supervisor, the Superintendent, or other district official.

Travel with students:  Sponsors or chaperones shall not sleep in the same rooms with students on overnight activity trips unless the sponsor or chaperone is the parent or legal guardian of the student. Likewise, instructors, sponsors or chaperones shall not accompany a single student on a trip or activity unless written approval is received from parents or legal guardian of the student and the Superintendent or Superintendent’s designee.

ECC – Use of Internet and Social Networks and Other Methods of Communication

Use good judgment and think about the type of image you want to convey on behalf of the district when you are posting to social networks and social media sites. Remember that what you post will be viewed and permanently archived. Social media websites and blogs are not private. Internet search engines can find information years after it was originally posted. Comments can be forwarded or copied, and archival systems save information even if a post is deleted.

Your communications with students and parents are NOT private. While an employee’s personal equipment may only be inspected with the employee’s express consent, administrators may require employees to provide access to any websites used for communications with students or parents and to produce copies of any electronic communication with students or parents, including text messages, web page posts, etc.

Whenever feasible student contacts should be made with school-sponsored systems which provide both administrators and parents/guardians with access to the messages. So for student and parent email, employees must use their school email addresses, not personal ones. Social networking contacts with students and parents are best handled through school-related systems like Edmodo, which allow for parental and administrative access.

Use of social networking websites:

If you identify yourself as a school employee on a social media website, like Facebook, you are prohibited from posting any items with sexual content or exhibiting or advocating the use of drugs or alcohol.

While the policy does not prohibit becoming “friends” with a student on a service like Facebook,be cautious. If you do allow students to be ‘friends’ or you allow public access to your posts on a social media service, the above restrictions apply and you are responsible for all of the information accessible to students via the service. In general, keep ALL communications professional in both tone and content.

You may not post pictures, video, or audio of students unless the parent (or the student, if he or she is over 17), has provided the building administrator with written permission to do so.

Use school email whenever feasible, rather than personal email or a social media site’s messaging services.

Student/staff contacts via email, phone, and other devices are limited to school-related professional business. So you are allowed to contact students regarding homework assistance and activity logistics. The policy includes exceptions for appropriate contacts in non-school contexts such as youth ministers, community organization members, babysitters, etc. as well as exceptions for an employee’s own son, daughter, niece, or nephew.

Text and instant messaging are limited to school activity logistics between a sponsor and participating studentsOR when staff members are using school-sponsored systems for instruction which give full access to both administrators and parents/guardians. It is best to keep texts and instant messages to a minimum.

FIH – Wireless Telecommunication Devices  - Students

Students will keep cellular telephones turned off and out of sight during class time. During these times students shall be restricted from text or picture messaging, calling, electronic mailing, instant messaging, uploading, downloading, gaming, web-surfing, accessing social networking sites, or using any features or applications installed on communication devices. Students may only use cellular telephones before and after school and at lunch or during break periods (the definition of a “break period” is up to the administrators and need not include passing periods). The above restrictions may be lifted by an instructor during a class period if the use of a device is authorized as part of the planned instruction.

FIHH – Wireless Telecommunication Devices – Employees

Don’t engage in personal emails, web surfing, instant or text messaging, etc. during the work day unless you are on your lunch or a break period.

You are not allowed to text or email while operating a vehicle in the context of your work.

Phones and other devices are to be turned OFF and kept OUT OF SIGHT in “private areas” such as restrooms, locker rooms, and changing rooms.

Do NOT record conversations or events via audio or video without first advising all affected individuals of the intent to make a recording.

Creating and using your own school-related website: No staff member may establish an internet site for the purpose of communicating with students regarding school matters without the express permission of his or her supervisor, having shared with the supervisor the purpose of the site, the name of the internet site’s administrator, the anticipated content of the site, and instructions for site access.