Don’t ‘friend’ the students

New rules could be coming for teachers and support staff when it comes to their social media use.

The Board of Education voted to approve the first reading of a new social media policy at its Wednesday meeting.

The district does not currently have a policy surrounding social media use.

Under the newly proposed policy, teachers and support staff would be prohibited from friending or following students, unless it is from an authorized account from the district.

“It’s really a first attempt to tackle this issue,” Superintendent Joe Rogers said.

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Employees would be held responsible for anything they post online and be subjected to the same rules and procedures as other forms of employee misconduct.

“Employees are expected to model an appropriate online presence and to exercise good judgment to ensure that postings and communications do not reflect negatively on the employee’s professional reputation or that of the school district,” the policy reads.

The policy also stresses keeping students and parent’s privacy in mind, and recommends asking for permission if posting any photos of students and co-workers.

The proposed regulations are expected to be up for public consultation in a few months.