1231b Guidelines for the Use of Social Media Updated: 9/23/2013. Wichita Public Schools Guidelines for the Use of Social Media

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1 Wichita Public Schls Guidelines fr the Use f Scial Media TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 1 General rules t fllw....2 Guidelines when psting n behalf f the District..4 Safety and privacy tips fr scial media netwrking.6 Overview: Scial media are pwerful cmmunicatin tls that have becme integrated int everyday life. They als can have a pwerful impact n rganizatinal and prfessinal reputatins. Using scial media netwrks present a new set f ptins fr achieving cmmunicatin and classrm bjectives, and the Wichita Public Schls recgnizes the value f innvatin using new technlgy tls t enhance the learning experience. Scial media netwrks als have great ptential t cnnect staff, students, parents and cmmunity t the imprtant wrk taking place within ur schls. At the same time, the District recgnizes its bligatin t teach and ensure respnsible and safe use f these technlgies. These guidelines address emplyees use f publicly available scial media netwrks including (but nt limited t) persnal Web sites, Blgs (Blgger, WrdPress, etc.), Wikis, Scial Netwrks (inc. Facebk, Linkedin, Twitter), Pht and Vide Sharing sites (YuTube, Instagram, Flikr, etc.), nline frums and virtual wrlds. The District takes n psitin n emplyees decisins t participate in the use f scial media netwrks fr persnal use n persnal time. Hwever, use f these media fr persnal use during District time r n District equipment is prhibited. T help yu identify and avid ptential issues and unintended cnsequences, we have cmpiled these guidelines that emplyees are expected t fllw (as specified in BOE P Acceptable Use f Cmputers, Netwrks, Internet, Electrnic Mail and Other Online Services - Emplyees). Educatinal emplyees have a respnsibility t maintain apprpriate emplyee-student relatinships, whether n r ff duty, and regardless f the frm the relatinships take (in schl, away frm schl, nline, etc.). Page 1 f 7

2 General Rules t Fllw: Be a psitive rle mdel and be aware f the image yu present The line between prfessinal and persnal relatinships is blurred within a scial media cntext. Educatinal emplyees have a respnsibility t maintain apprpriate emplyee-student relatinships, whether n r ff duty. Inapprpriate relatinships with students in a virtual envirnment culd expse the emplyee t disciplinary actin r terminatin. Bth case law and public expectatins hld educatinal emplyees t a higher standard f cnduct than the general public. District emplyees are strngly advised t avid friending students r the parents f students n persnal scial media netwrks. Fr infrmatin n apprpriate use f scial media netwrks in an educatinal envirnment, see Psting n Behalf f the District belw. District persnnel might cnsider a statement such as the ne that fllws t include n their persnal scial media site(s): If yu are a student r parent requesting t be my friend n Facebk, please d nt be surprised r ffended if I ignre yur request. As an emplyee, practice discurages me frm friending students r parents n my persnal Facebk page. I wuld encurage yu t like ur schl/classrm/district Facebk page. Take persnal respnsibility and use cmmn sense Yu shuld make sure that yur nline activities d nt interfere with yur ability t d yur jb. The District believes that all emplyees shuld understand what it means t be part f a public educatin institutin, and that yur prfessinal reputatin is reaffirmed daily. The ability t publish things that becme cached n scial netwrk servers and never g away, and which can be frwarded endlessly thus becming public and permanent shuld prmpt yu t think befre yu hit send. Ask yurself, wuld I want my family t read this n the frnt page f the newspaper r circulated acrss the Internet? Perceptin can be reality In nline netwrks, the lines between public and private, persnal and prfessinal, are blurred. Simply by identifying yurself as a district emplyee yu are creating perceptins abut yur expertise and abut the District amngst the cmmunity, parents, students, the general public, clleagues and elected fficials. Be ever mindful that in the minds f ur patrns, yu are a District emplyee whether n the clck r nt. Yur prfessinal reputatin is influenced daily, and it shuld be highly valued and prtected. Prtect cnfidential infrmatin Be thughtful abut what yu publish, bth in yur persnal as well as yur private scial netwrks. Regardless f whether yu pst as a private individual r district emplyee, yu must make sure yu d nt disclse cnfidential infrmatin abut students, parents r emplyees as specified in the Federal Educatinal Right t Privacy Act (FERPA), Health Insurance Prvider Prtectin Act (HIPPA), r ther relevant legal guidelines. Emplyees wh d share cnfidential infrmatin d s at the risk f disciplinary actin r terminatin. Page 2 f 7

3 Respect the law When psting, be aware f the cpyright and intellectual prperty rights f thers and f the district, as well as the legal cnsequences fr vilating thse rights. In additin, be mindful f the laws gverning defamatin, discriminatin and harassment. Be transparent Yur hnesty r dishnesty will be quickly nticed in the scial media envirnment. If yu are psting abut yur wrk, use yur real name and identify yur emplyment relatinship with the District. Be clear abut yur rle if yu have a vested interest in smething yu are discussing. If yu participate in scial media netwrks that are nt wrk-related, be sure t state in very clear terms that the views expressed are the emplyee s alne and d nt represent the views r beliefs f the Wichita Public Schls. Hwever, als be mindful that perceptin can becme reality, and many district patrns may nt see the distinctin. Be respectful and keep yur cl Always express ideas and pinins in a respectful manner. Make sure yur cmmunicatins are in gd taste, and remember that ur cmmunities reflect a diverse set f custms, values and pints f view. Be respectful f thers pinins and dn t pick a fight nline with smene wh has an adversarial view. If yu make an errr, be up frnt abut yur mistake and crrect it quickly. If smene else makes an errr in fact, take advantage f the pprtunity t crrect misinfrmatin and turn a negative int a psitive. Finally, d nt denigrate r insult thers including ther schls r cmpetitrs r cmment n legal matters. Be mindful f yur wn safety Make full use f privacy settings available n scial media netwrks. Knw hw t use mderating tls if available. Be cautius abut using check-in prgrams t indicate the lcatin f yur psting. Dn t list yur hme address r telephne number. Astute criminals can quickly piece tgether infrmatin yu prvide which pens yu up fr theft f prperty r identify, r ptential harm t yurself r a child. Are yu adding value? There are millins f wrds in the English language. The best way t get yurs read is t write things that peple will value. Cmmunicatin assciated with ur District shuld help fellw educatrs, parents, students, emplyees and the cmmunity engage in ur wrk t increase student achievement and be fiscally respnsible stewards f taxpayer dllars. It shuld be thughtprvking and build a sense f cmmunity. If it helps peple imprve knwledge r skills, d their jbs, slve prblems r understand educatin better, then it s adding value. If yu see abuse, yu must reprt it K.S.A , which specifies expectatins fr the mandatry reprting rle f abuse fr educatrs, applies in the scial media wrld as well. If there is a suspicin f abuse r neglect that is witnessed r bserved nline, and which falls within the scpe f K.S.A and BOE Plicy 5117, an emplyee must fllw established prtcl fr reprting the cncern. In additin, if incidents f cyberbullying r nline threats cause suspicin r cncern related t students, schls r wrk activity, emplyees shuld reprt cncerns t their principal, the district s safety services ffice at , r thrugh the annymus SpeakUp tip line (see speakup.usd259.rg fr mre infrmatin). Page 3 f 7

4 Dn t frget yur day jb The District respects the rights f emplyees t use scial media netwrks n their wn time using persnally wned equipment, and this plicy des nt intend t infringe upn such use. Hwever, the use f these scial media netwrks fr persnal use during District time r n District equipment is prhibited. Scial Media Guidelines When Participating n Behalf f the District Ask yurself why The first and mst imprtant step t take befre yu establish a scial netwrking site representing yur schl r district ffice is t ask yurself several key questins: Why d yu want t be engaged in a scial media netwrk? What infrmatin d yu need t share, and is this the mst effective platfrm n which t share the infrmatin? D yu have the staff capacity t maintain the scial media netwrk in a timely fashin? Wh will d the wrk? If yu feel cnfident that yur answers create a case fr the use f scial media fr district business, then yu are ready t mve frward. Develp District Facebk sites as PAGES, nt prfiles (which are fr persnal use) Facebk is a pwerful tl fr engaging stakehlders in cnversatin abut educatin. Hwever, it must be dne in such a way as t make the fficial page fr yur schl, department r classrm apprpriately cnstructed in rder t avid negative cnsequences r inapprpriate utcmes. Yur page shuld be created t allw cmments t be psted after a schl/department/classrm stry r annuncement psting. The page shuld nt be set up t allw riginal pstings t be created. If yu create it, yu must mnitr it It is essential that if yu determine a scial media presence is an imprtant part f yur cmmunicatins and cmmunity engagement strategy, yu als make the cmmitment t mnitring cmments as they are psted. Any cmments that vilate laws, cntain advertising fr nn-district events and activities r breach the standards f gd taste must be remved frm the fficial schl/department/classrm site. In additin, regular mnitring enables the page administratr t respnd in a timely manner t questins that are submitted. Scial media tls shuld supplement, nt replace, traditinal classrm and parent cmmunicatin tls As pervasive as access t electrnic devices is amngst students, educatrs shuld be mindful that nt all students have this frm f access. The use f scial media tls fr educatinal purpses shuld supplement tls available t all students, nt be the exclusive means fr prviding instructin r facilitating cnversatin. The same cnsideratin must be given t the fact that all ur parents may nt have access t these tls either, and that scial media sites shuld nt be the exclusive means f parent cmmunicatin. Page 4 f 7

5 One Wichita Public Schls vice Althugh each schl r department perates its wn scial media utlet, all District scial media accunts are a vice fr ur district. A central database cmpiled by Marketing and Cmmunicatins ensures cntinuity in scial media. Schls and departments wh use scial media accunts as part f their cmmunicatin strategy must prvide the names f scial media administratrs as well as their phne numbers and addresses t Marketing and Cmmunicatins. Schls and departments must als prvide accunt lgin infrmatin including username, and passwrd in a timely manner. This infrmatin will be kept strictly cnfidential and used nly fr access during emergency situatins. In additin, fficial schl and department scial media utlets shuld be managed by a district emplyee/administratr, nt external/vlunteer representatives (i.e. PTA, PTO, bster clubs, etc.). If yu d nt yet have a scial media site fr yur schl r district ffice, cntact Marketing and Cmmunicatins befre establishing that site. If yu already have a scial media presence, see the expectatins in the preceding paragraph. Use cmmn sense and fllw FERPA when identifying students nline and in scial media Emplyees must be mindful f FERPA guidelines when identifying students in scial media netwrks, and shuld use cmmn sense when ding s. If a parent has requested that their student be pted ut frm identificatin, that pt ut extends nline. In additin, cautin shuld be taken when identifying students by their full name nline, r prviding ther identifiable infrmatin that wuld jepardize their persnal safety. Fr examples f apprpriate methds fr sharing yur successes and apprpriately identifying students, see the Marketing and Cmmunicatins prtal site. Be accurate, and remember that manners matter Make sure yu have all f the facts befre yu pst. Duble-check everything fr accuracy; write in cmplete sentences; and avid jargn, institutinal language and writing in all caps, as the cntent yu pst reflects n the District and yur schl r department. If yu are unsure abut the apprpriateness f material t share n scial media, ask first! Link t additinal cntent n yur Web site r the District s Web site. If yu d make an errr, crrect it quickly. Psts typically include timestamps, and users will be able t see hw quickly yu respnd. Make it easy fr peple t find yu Increase expsure fr yur scial media accunt by using yur schl r department name in the title and aviding acrnyms. In the sectin describing yur schl r department, include a statement that acknwledges yur affiliatin with the Wichita Public Schls. Capitalize n branding pprtunities by using either yur schl masct r the district lg as yur graphic symbl, nt an unrelated cartn r character symbl r a cpyrighted image. This recmmendatin applies t fficial district signatures as well. Prmte yur scial media site addresses, alng with yur schl, department and/r district Web site address, wherever yu have the pprtunity t crss-prmte yur cmmunicatin effrts. Page 5 f 7

6 Be clear abut acceptable and unacceptable activities n District scial media netwrks Be very clear with all thse wh visit yur site what the rules f engagement are. Visitrs need t knw what is cnsidered unacceptable in terms f cmments, and the reasns fr which a cmment wuld be remved frm a scial media netwrk. Yu dn t want t stifle discussin, but it shuld happen in an apprpriate envirnment. In additin, district emplyees wh manage scial media netwrks n behalf f their schl/department must nt participate in plitical activities, campaigns r ffer plitical cmments n their district scial media site. Cnsider adapting the District s Facebk disclaimer: The fficial Wichita Public Schls Facebk page is created and maintained by the Marketing and Cmmunicatins Divisin fr the purpse f engaging with the cmmunity that the Wichita Public Schls serve. Individual schls and prgrams may have additinal pages that are maintained by ther individuals. On all pages, it is expected that participants treat each ther with respect. Cmments will be deleted that cntain vulgar r abusive language; prngraphy; persnal attacks f any kind; ffensive terms that target specific ethnic r racial grups r incite vilence; electin campaigning fr a plitical ffice r ballt prpsitin. Cmments that vilate Facebk s Terms f Use, are spam, clearly ff tpic, divulge persnal student r staff infrmatin, r that prmte services r prducts als will be deleted. Links t ther Internet sites are nt endrsed by the Wichita Public Schls and use f any cpyrighted materials fund n thse linked sites must be granted frm the spnsr f that site. The Wichita Public Schls is nt respnsible fr user-generated cntent and the pinins expressed in that cntent d nt necessarily reflect thse f WPS. Safety and Privacy Tips fr Scial Media Netwrking: Did I set my privacy setting t help cntrl wh can lk at my prfile, persnal infrmatin and phts? Yu can limit access smewhat but nt cmpletely, and yu have n cntrl ver what smene else may share. Hw much inf d I want strangers t knw abut me. If I give them my cell, hw might they use it? With whm will they share it? Nt everyne will respect yur persnal r physical space Is the image I m prtecting by my materials and phts the ne I want my current and future friends t knw me by? What des my prfile say t ptential clleagues/advisrs? Future schl/prfessinal interviews? Parents f students? Family? Which drs are yu pening and which are yu clsing? What if I change my mind abut what I pst. Fr instance, what if I want t remve smething I psted as a jke r t make a pint? Have I read the scial netwrking site s privacy and catching statements? Remving material frm netwrk caches can be difficult. Psted material can remain accessible n the internet until yu ve cmpleted the prescribed prcess fr remving infrmatin frm the caching technlgy f ne r multiple search engines. Have I asked permissin t pst smene else s image r infrmatin? Am I infringing n their privacy? Culd I be harming smene? Culd I be subject t libel suits? Am I vilating netwrk use plicy r HIPAA privacy rules? Des my equipment have spyware and virus prtectins installed? Page 6 f 7

7 Surces: Surces referenced in the develpment f these scial media guidelines include: University f Michigan, Ball State University, American Institute f Architects, Via Christi Health, Center fr Technlgy in Gvernment, Clrad State University, Sam Hustn State University, United States Air Frce, Guilfrd Cunty Schls, Kdak, Kansas State University, Ohi State University Medical Center, Greteman Grup, Minnetnka Public Schls Page 7 f 7