ethical use and misuse of social media sites in education€¦ · ethical use and misuse of social...

Ethical Use and Misuse of Social Media Sites in Education

WASDA Ethics & Board Relations Committee

WASB State School Board Convention Thursday, January 19, 2012

Kieth Kriewaldt, Chairperson Sara Croney, Assistant Chairperson Michael R. Weber, Training Sub-Committee Chairperson Carey Gremminger, Local School Board and CESA #1 Board of Control

Code of Ethics for School Board Members

National School Boards Association 1680 Duke Street, Alexandria, VA 22314 Phone: (703) 838-6722 Fax: (703) 683-7590 E-mail: [email protected]

The NSBA Board endorses the following code for local school board members. As a member of my local Board of Education I will strive to improve public education, and to that end I will:

• attend all regularly scheduled board meetings insofar as possible, and become informed

concerning the issues to be considered at those meetings; • recognize that I should endeavor to make policy decisions only after full discussion at

publicly held board meetings; • render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment, and

refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups; • encourage the free expression of opinion by all board members, and seek systematic

communications between the board and students, staff, and all elements of the community;

• work with other board members to establish effective board policies and to delegate authority for the administration of the schools to the superintendent;

• communicate to other board members and the superintendent expression of public reaction to board policies and school programs;

• inform myself about current educational issues by individual study and through participation in programs providing needed information, such as those sponsored by my state and national school boards association;

• support the employment of those persons best qualified to serve as school staff, and insist on a regular and impartial evaluation of all staff;

• avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest; • take no private action that will compromise the board or administration, and respect the

confidentiality of information that is privileged under applicable law; and • remember always that my first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of

the students attending the public schools NOTE: The Wisconsin School Board Association has no formal approved code of ethics, and refers local Boards to the National School Board Convention Code of Ethics.

WISCONSIN ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOLDISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS

Code of EthicsThe Professional School Administrator...

. . .cons t antly upholds the honor and dignity of the educational profession in allactions and relations with pupils, colleagues, school board members and the public.

...obeys local, state and national laws: maintains high ethical and moral standards,and gives loyalty to his/her country and to the cause of democracy and liberty.

...accepts the responsibility throughout his/her career to master and to contribute tothe growing body of specialized knowledge, concepts, and skills which characterizeschool administration as a profession.

...strives to provide the finest possible educational experiences and opportunities toall persons in the district.

...applying for a position or entering into contractual agreements seeks to preserveand enhance the prestige and status of the profession.

. . .carries out in good faith all policies duly adopted by the local board and theregulations of state authorities and renders professional service to the best of his/herability.

...honors the public trust of the position above any economic or social rewards.

...does not permit considerations of private gain nor personal economic interest toaffect the discharge of his/her professional responsibilities.

...recognizes that the public schools are the public’s business and seeks to keep thepublic fully and honestly informed about their schools.

High standards of ethical behavior for the Professional School Administrator areessential and are compatible with the school administrator’s faith in the power ofpublic education and his/her commitment to leadership in the preservation andstrengthening of the public schools.

AWSA – Association of School Administrators

Code of Ethics

Professional school administrators are held to high standards of ethical behavior and conduct.

Upholding these standards is essential for the administrator to be viewed by the community,

professional associates, and students as a leader in preserving and strengthening the public schools.

The following statements of ethical practice and professional behavior emphasize the positive

attributes of professional performance which characterize effective administrative leadership.

Each Association of Wisconsin School Administrators member:

• upholds the honor, dignity, and integrity of the educational profession in all actions and relations with

pupils, parents, colleagues, school board members, and the community;

• obeys local, state, and national laws; maintains high ethical and moral standards, and gives loyalty to

country and to the cause of democracy, liberty, and citizenship;

• accepts personal responsibility for professional development and for contributing to the expanding

body of specialized knowledge, concepts, and skills of school administration;

• strives to provide the finest possible educational experiences and opportunities for all persons within

the public schools;

• seeks to preserve and enhance the prestige and status of the profession when applying for a position or

entering into employment contracts;

• carries out in good faith all policies duly adopted by the local board, the laws and regulations of the

State, and renders the highest professional service possible;

• honors the public trust of the position above any personal gain;

• affirms the public schools as the public's business and seeks to keep the public fully and honestly

informed about their schools.

Members of the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators strive to maintain interpersonal

relationships which support and nurture these ethical principles.

BOARD OF EDUCATION PROFESSIONAL STAFF

PORT WASHINGTON-SAUKVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 3210 / page 1 of 1

policy

STAFF ETHICS

An effective educational program requires the services of professionals of integrity, high ideals, and

human understanding. To maintain and promote these essentials, the Board of Education expects all

staff members to maintain high standards in their working relationships, and in the performance of

their duties, to:

A. recognize basic dignities of all individuals with whom they interact;

B. exercise due care to protect the emotional, mental and physical health of

others;

C. seek and apply the knowledge and skills appropriate to assigned

responsibilities;

D. maintain confidential information;

E. ensure that personal actions do not promote private economic interests;

F. avoid accepting gifts offered by another for the purpose of influencing

judgment;

G. refrain from using position or public property, or permitting another person to

use an employee's position or public property for partisan political or religious

purposes. This will in no way limit constitutionally or legally protected rights

as a citizen.

Adopted: 6/18/01

DISTRICT USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Policy 821.5

Sample Policy 1 Page 1 of 3

© 2011 Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Inc. 6/13/11

(The following is a sample policy that grants the district administrator the authority to establish and maintain one or more social media accounts for limited purposes related to district public communication initiatives. This sample prohibits the district social media accounts from enabling public comment boards or public discussion forums. It also requires the district to obtain specific written consent prior to using student photos or individual student names in connection with any district use of a social media account.) The administration, with the express advance approval of the District Administrator and the prior input of the Director of Technology, may establish one or more official District accounts through third-party social media applications for the purpose of enhancing the community’s ability to access information about the District and its programs, activities and events. Any such account(s) shall be maintained in a manner consistent with the following requirements, as well as any other standards or rules that the District Administrator or his/her designee may establish: 1. The primary purpose of any District social media account established pursuant to this policy

shall be the communication of information from and about the District to school families and the larger community, including communications issued for public relations purposes. Accordingly, any District social media account that may be established shall not serve as a public forum or limited or designated forum for the expression or posting of opinions, concerns, beliefs or other information. a. A District-sponsored social media account may be used to promote District and school-

related programs, activities and events, as well as to provide information about District and school schedules, meetings, and important deadlines.

b. At the discretion of the District Administrator, the District may choose to use its social media account(s) to include District announcements of the activities and accomplishments of any groups that have been organized primarily to support a school-related purpose, such as parent-teacher organizations and booster clubs, provided that the same standards are applied to all such groups when similarly situated.

c. The non-school events, activities, or accomplishments of third-party groups or organizations that are not organized primarily to support a school-related purpose shall not be advertised or promoted through any District social media account(s).

d. Any other use of a District-sponsored social media account that is otherwise consistent with this policy may be conditionally approved and implemented by the District Administrator, but shall be brought before the School Board for final approval.

2. The District’s social media account(s) for public communications shall include the display of the District’s name; and, where technologically feasible, the main account page or specific communications sent through the account shall include the URL of the official District website and the telephone number of the main administrative office of the District.

3. Notwithstanding any District policy in regard to any other release of student directory data, no individual student names or the photographs of any individually-identifiable students may be posted to or otherwise publicly disseminated through a District-sponsored social media account unless the District first obtains the advance written consent of the student’s parent or guardian (or of the adult student, if at least 18 years old).




4. The District’s social media account(s) for public communications shall not make use of any

private or closed networks or groups. Any member of the public interested in accessing the information the District provides through its public-information social media account(s) shall be permitted to have such access.

5. To the extent any social media application allows the account holder to offer a public

posting, public reply, or other public messaging option to users other than the account holder (i.e., a feature in which comments or other information can be posted by non-District users and displayed through the account for access by other public users), such a feature shall not be enabled in connection with the District account.

6. A District-sponsored social media account established through this policy shall not be relied

upon to establish compliance with the requirements for giving public notice of Board meetings or the meetings of other governmental bodies that fall under the purview of the Board or District. Any notice of such meetings that may be provided through a District-sponsored social media account shall be considered exclusively supplemental in nature.

7. Prior to approving the establishment and use of any District-sponsored electronic social

media account under this policy, the District Administrator shall ensure that there is a plan in place for managing the records created or maintained through the account.

In the event that the District Administrator approves the establishment of a District social media account(s) for public communications pursuant to this policy, the District Administrator shall inform the Board of that decision. Except for District-sponsored social media accounts that have been approved pursuant to this policy, no District employee, member of the Board, or other person acting as an agent of the District shall establish any account, site, page, blog or other similar presence on a third-party website or on any other third-party electronic social media application that purports to represent, or that a member of the public would be likely to reasonably believe represents (e.g., due to the manner in which information is presented), an official or authorized account, site, page, blog or other similar presence of the full Board, the District, any District school, or any District-sponsored program or activity (e.g., athletic teams). This policy is not intended to address the use of the District’s internal technology networks and email system, the District’s password-based electronic student information system, the instructional use of the Internet, or the use of specific websites or applications for direct instructional or other internal purposes (e.g., staff development). Those issues are governed by separate policies, rules and/or administrative directives.




Legal References: Wisconsin Statutes Sections 19.31 to 19.37 [Wisconsin Public Records Law] Cross References: [Insert appropriate cross references to the policy as applicable to your district.] Adoption Date:

http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/link.asp?stats/19.31�

http://nxt.legis.state.wi.us/link.asp?stats/19.37�

STAFF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Policy 522.71 Sample Policy 1 Page 1 of 2


(The following is a sample policy that specifically addresses staff use of Web 2.0 tools and applications, which includes social media. Rather than having a separate policy and rule addressing staff use of Web 2.0 tools and applications, a district could integrate this policy information and the information in PRG sample 522.71-Rule with the district’s more general staff use of technology policy and acceptable use of technology rules.} The School Board encourages the District’s staff to make use of Web 2.0 tools and applications (such as social networks, blogs, wikis, internet-based multi-media applications, collaboration tools, and advanced learning management applications) for the purposes of (1) engaging in professional development and professional collaboration activities; and (2) enhancing student learning and instruction, provided that the use of such tools and applications is consistent with this policy and with such other requirements and expectations as may be established by the Board, the District Administrator, or the District Administrator’s designee. Paramount principles that shall guide all staff members’ activities and conduct in connection with the use of Web 2.0 tools and all other electronic media include the following: − Any time a staff member is participating in a technology-facilitated communication,

collaboration, exercise, or other activity in connection with their responsibilities as a school district employee, the employee is expected to conduct him/herself in a courteous and professional manner that is consistent with the District’s general rules and expectations for appropriate workplace conduct and acceptable use of technology.

− Maintaining professional boundaries in all forms of technology-facilitated communication

with students—including but not limited to the consistent use of a formal, courteous, and professional tone and limiting such communication to exchanges that are within the scope of the employee’s job responsibilities—is vital to maintaining appropriate professional relationships with students and to maintaining the community’s trust in the schools.

− All District-provided or District-authorized technology tools and applications are provided to

further the mission, vision, goals and policies of the District; and, as such, they remain under the ultimate control of the Board and District administration at all times.

− When such tools and applications are used in connection with student learning, they shall be

considered an extension of the District’s educational curriculum. Employees shall use such tools and applications in connection with and to accomplish their assigned duties and responsibilities, and not as a forum for self-directed personal expression. Employees shall not have an expectation of privacy in connection with their use of any District-related form of electronic media. When “off duty” or when otherwise using technology resources in their private capacities away from the District, employees are held to the same standards in their public use of electronic media (including but not limited to social media) as they are held to in connection with their other off-duty, public conduct. Where there is a sufficient nexus between off-duty conduct and an employee’s work-related role and responsibilities, there can be employment-related consequences for off-duty conduct that violates the law, that violates District policy or other work directives, that is harmful to persons in the school community, or that otherwise interferes with the employee’s ability to effectively perform his/her job duties. Accordingly, as an example, each employee is responsible for all content appearing on all personal websites and social media accounts maintained or controlled by the employee, and for establishing and monitoring privacy settings on any personal websites

STAFF USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA Policy 522.71 Sample Policy 1 Page 2 of 2


and other electronic accounts that are appropriate for the nature of content provided therein.

− In the event that any employee proposes a use of any electronic media application or tool

for instructional purposes that is prohibited by current policy or by current administrative rules, the employee may request a meeting with the District Administrator and Technology Coordinator to consider alternative options or the possibility of pursuing a modification or exemption from the applicable policy or rule to enable an innovative and viable project.

Cross References: [Insert appropriate cross references to the policy as applicable to your district.] Adoption Date:

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