FacultySocialMediaPolicy

Thispolicyisdesignedtoguidefaculty,staff,andotherauthorizedusersintheuseofsocial
media.

Definition
SocialMediaisdefinedasanyelectronictoolthatallowsforsocial,interactive,and
connectivecommunicationandlearning,allowingforbutnotlimitedto:
Videoandphotosharing(YouTube,Slideshare,Flickr,Vimeo),
SocialNetworking(MySpace,Facebook,Ning,Twitter,LinkedIn,Foursquare)
Blogging,
Microblogging(Tumblr,Posterous)
UseofaWiki,
Instantmessaging,
UseofShortMessageService(texting),and
Webconferencing(ConnectNow,DimDim,TinyChat,Skype).

Context
RangeleyLakesRegionalSchoolrecognizestheimportanceofsocialmediatoolsbothwhen
usedasacurricularresource,andaspartofalargercommunicationnetwork,thatfosters
educationandpersonalgrowth,aswellasinstitutionaldevelopment.Thispolicyismeantas
anapplicationoftheprinciplesofrespectandreverenceforeveryperson,thedevelopmentof
thecommunityandtheidealsofeducationthatareatthecoreofouridentity.

Interactingwithpeopleonlineisnodifferentthaninteractingwithindividualsfacetofacein
thatSchoolEmployeesareexpectedtomaintaintherespect,dignity,andprofessionalismthat
isconsistentwithourmission,ideals,andactwithconcernforthesafetyandprotectionof
students,theSchool,andthemselves.

Policy
Withspecificregardtosocialmedia,asaSchoolemployee,youmust:
Understandthatyouareaccountableforyourpostingsandotherelectronic
communicationsthatarejobrelatedparticularlyonlineactivitiesconductedwitha
schoolemailaddress,orwhileusingschoolproperty,networksorresources,orwhile
discussingschoolrelatedactivities.

 Recognizethat:
yourabilitytoserveasapositiverolemodelforstudentsandasa
representativeoftheSchoolisacriticalaspectofyouremployment
socialmediaactivitiesmaybevisibletocurrent,past,orprospectivestudents,
parents,colleagues,andcommunitymembersand
accordingly,youmustexercisediscretionwhenusingsocialmedia(evenfor
personalcommunication)whenthosecommunicationscanreflectonyourrole
attheSchool.
Keepinmindtheunevenpowerdynamicsthatexistbetweenteacherandstudent
employeesmustactinamannerthatalwaysrespectsandneverexploitsthepower
inherentintheserelationships.

Guidelines
1.Useofsocialmediaformarketing/alumnirelationspurposes
Theschoolhasanofficialpresenceonvarioussocialmediasites,underthecontrolof
theDirectorofCommunicationassuch,employeesmaynotengageinofficial
marketingthroughtheirpersonalsocialmediaaccountswithouttheexpressapproval
oftheSuperintendent.Forexample,anemployee,ontheirown,analumnipagefor
theSchoolontheirpersonalblog.

2.Schoolrelatedusesofsocialmedia
a. PerFERPA,officialacademicinformation,suchasgrades,canonlybestored
inanddisplayedviatheSchoolsofficialStudentInformationSystem,Infinite
Campus,notinasocialmediaplatform.
b. Classblogs,Facebookpages,Twitteraccounts,wikis,podcastsorothersocial
mediatoolsusedbyateacherforacademicorcocurricularpurposesmustbe
activelymonitoredforproperonlineetiquette,andadherencetoUScopyright
laws.
i. Classblogs,Facebookpages,Twitteraccounts,wikis,podcasts,or
othersocialmediatoolsusedbyateacherwithstudents,thatarenot
hostedonofficialSchoolplatforms,shouldhaveatleasttwoadult
administrators.
c. Parentnotificationshouldbegivenregardingstudentuseofsocialmediafor
Schoolrelatedactivities.Forexample,ifclassprojectswillbepostedto
YouTubeoriftheclassusesaFacebookGroup,thisneedstobe
communicatedontheCourseDescription.

Note:theremainderoftheguidelinesbelowapplytopersonalsocialmediausesrather
thanofficialschoolpurposes.

3.Friendingstudents,alumni,andparents
Employeesareurgedtouseextremecautioninconnectingtostudents,alumni,and
parentsusingsocialmediatherearelegitimatereasonsandusesforthese
connections,butpersonalboundariesallaroundneedtoberespected.

EmployeesmustbemindfulofthepowerdynamicinvolvedinmakingFriendrequests,
andmustleavethattostudents,alumni,andparentstoinitiate.

Employeesshouldremindstudents,alumni,andparentsoftheirmoralandlegal
obligationsasaneducator.

4.Schoolrelatedfriends
Employeesshouldusegoodjudgmentwhenmakingand/oracceptingconnectionsto
orfromcolleagues.

Allemployeesareparticularlyencouragedtousecautionwhenmakingfriend
requestsoftheirsupervisorsorsubordinatesduetothepotentialforbothpartiesto
feelpressuredtoaccepttherequest,potentiallyimpactingtheworkrelationship(as
wellasraisingconflictofinterest,unequaltreatment,discrimination,orsimilar
concerns).

5.Nonschoolrelatedfriends
Remindothermembersofyoursocialnetworkofyourpositionasaneducatorwhose
profilemaybeaccessedbystudentsandothermembersoftheschoolcommunity.
Pleaseaskthemtomonitortheirpoststoyournetworkaccordingly.

6.Postedcontent
Exercisecarewithpersonalprofiledataandpostedcontent,toinsurethatthis
informationdoesnotreflectpoorlyonyourabilitytoserveasarolemodelorotherwise
createaconflictofinterest.

7.Privacysettings
Inherentinsocialmediatechnologyisthecapabilitytolimitaccesstoprofilesand
postedcontent.Employeesareencouragedtochecktheirprivacysettingsonaregular
basistoensurethattheyarerevealingonlywhattheywishto,onlytothosetheywish
torevealit.

8.Timeonsocialsites
Innocasemayuseofsocialmediainterferewithorimpedeyourdutiesoryour
responsibilitiestotheSchoolorourstudents.

9.Onlineidentityandpostingtoblogs
Asavibrantacademiccommunity,theSchoolencouragesactiveengagementina

rangeofactivities,intellectualpursuits,causes,andthelikeincludingsocial,
political,religious,andcivicorientedactivities.Atthesametime,anindividualsrightto
participateinthesegroupsmustbebalancedwiththeschoolsrighttomanagepublic
communicationsinitsname,onitsbehalf,orwhichreflectsonitsexcellence.

10.Protectingconfidentialinformation
PerFERPA,allconfidentialinformationmustbeprotectedanddisclosedonlypursuant
toSchoolpolicyorasotherwiserequiredbylaw.Nosocialmediapostsmay
communicateanyconfidentialinformation.

11.Useoflogos,trademarks,andintellectualproperty
Employeesarenotpermittedtousetheschoolslogo,trademarks,official
photographs,oranyotherintellectualpropertyofproprietarymaterialsinanypostings
tosocialmediawithoutthewrittenconsentoftheSuperintendent.