FILE: EFAA
EMPLOYEE USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The Catahoula Parish School Board recognizes the importance of employees, students and parents engaging, learning, collaborating and sharing in digital environments as part of 21st Century learning. As practicable, the Catahoula Parish School Board shall provide access to approved technologies for use during instructional time and for school-sponsored activities in accordance with policies EFA, Computer and Internet Use for Employees and IFBGA, Computer Use and Internet Use for Students.
The Catahoula Parish School Board acknowledges that employees may engage in the use of social media off campus during their personal time. Employees who use social media for personal purposes must be mindful that they are responsible for their public conduct even when not acting in their capacities as school system employees. All employees, including student teachers and independent contractors, shall comply with the requirements of this policy when using electronic social media for personal purposes.
For the purposes of this policy, social media includes, but is not limited to, personal websites, internet postings, web logs (blogs), wikis, social network sites, online forums, virtual worlds, video-sharing websites and any other social media generally available to the public or consumers that does not fall within the Catahoula Parish School Board’s technologies network (e.g., Web 2.0 tools, MySpace, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube).
SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS INVOLVING STUDENTS
Employees shall maintain professional relationships with students at all times in accordance with policies GAMHA, Electronic Communications Between Employees and Students, and GBRA, Employee Conduct. All electronic communications with students who are currently enrolled in the school system must be school-related and within the scope of the employees’ professional responsibilities, unless otherwise authorized by this policy. School personnel communicating directly with students or commenting on student matters through use of the Internet shall abide by all laws and policies governing such activities. An employee seeking to utilize and/or establish a social media website for instructional or other school-related purposes shall obtain prior written approval from the Superintendent or his/her designee and principal and meet any applicable requirements of policies EFA, Computer and Internet Use for Employees, and IFBGA, Computer Use and Internet Use for Students.
In short, the Catahoula Parish School Board shall expect employees to use professional judgment when using social media or other electronic communications.
EMPLOYEE PERSONAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA
The Catahoula Parish School Board respects the right of employees to use social media as a medium of self-expression off campus and on their personal time. As role models for the school system’s students, however, employees shall be responsible for their conduct even when they are not performing their job duties as employees of the School Board. Employees shall be held to the same professional standards in their use of social media and other electronic communications as they are for any other public conduct. Furthermore, employees remain subject to applicable state and federal laws, Catahoula Parish School Board policies, and administrative regulations and procedures, even if communicating with others concerning personal and private matters. If an employee’s use of social media interferes with the employee’s effectiveness or ability to effectively perform his or her job duties, the employee shall be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
POSTING TO SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
Employees who use social media for personal purposes shall be aware that the content they post may be viewed (and shared) by anyone, including students, parents and community members. Employees shall observe the following principles when communicating through social media or making other internet postings:
Employees shall not post confidential information about students, employees or School Board business and may not post information sufficient to identify a student in reference thereto.
Employees shall be professional in all Internet postings related to or referencing the School Board, students and other employees.
Employees shall not use the school system’s logo or other copyrighted material of the School Board without express, written consent from the Catahoula Parish School Board.
Employees shall not use Internet postings to libel or defame the Catahoula Parish School Board, individual School Board members, students or any employees.
Employees shall not use Internet postings to harass, bully or intimidate other employees or students in violation of policy JCDAF, Bullying and Hazing, or state and federal laws.
Employees shall not post inappropriate content that negatively impacts their ability to perform their jobs or which impairs their effectiveness.
Employees shall not use Internet postings, including social media, to engage in any other conduct that violates Catahoula Parish School Board policy, state or federal law, or the general expectations society sets for those to whom the instruction and care of its children are assigned. Without the need for a specific warning, policy, or prohibition, educators and other employees working in a school system know, for example, that the posting of nudity, pornography, sexually-suggestive information or drug/drug related references is unacceptable. In addition, employees are warned against posting items which may call into question their ability to fulfil their assigned duties in a fair and impartial manner.
Employees’ comments related to a school, its students and employees shall always meet the highest standards of professional discretion. When posting, even on the strictest settings, employees shall act on the assumption that all postings are in the public domain and that such postings may be shared with others by those to whom the employee has granted access. Accordingly, employees are reminded that they should not assume that they enjoy a reasonable expectation of privacy relative to internet postings.
Employees shall not make statements that in any way violate any of the school’s or School Board’s policies, administrative regulations or procedures, including those concerning discrimination or harassment, and state or federal law.
Employees shall not disclose any confidential information of the school, or confidential information obtained during the course of his/her employment, about any individuals or organizations, including students and/or their families.
CONSEQUENCES
Any employee who has been found by the Superintendent to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
New policy: August 9, 2016
Ref: U.S. Constitution, Amend. I
17 USC 101 et seq. (Copyrights)
18 USC 2510-2522 (Electronic Communications Privacy Act)
20 USC 1232 g (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)
20 USC 7131 (Internet Safety)
47 USC 254 (Children’s Internet Protection Act)
Board minutes, 8-9-16
Catahoula Parish School Board