Why is a district social media policy necessary? This policy is needed to clearly separate the use of personal and professional social media accounts and texting by teachers and district staff members.
When would it be appropriate for a teacher to text my child? The district social media policy outlines the events when an immediate message is needed. For example, a coach must cancel an athletic practice due to lightning; a teacher must locate a student on a field trip who has not returned to the relocation spot on time, etc. But parents will always retain ultimate authority over the ability of their child to receive text messages.
If I do not want my child’s teacher to contact my child at any time using text messaging or social media, how would I make that known? Simply tell your child’s teacher or the site-based principal. All approved communication by text or instant messaging must be voluntary and must follow all School Board policies. In addition, all communication from a teacher is governed by the Code of Ethics through the Florida Department of Education. There are clear boundaries for professionally written and verbal communication.
Does this policy allow a teacher to “friend” my child on Facebook? Absolutely NOT. Under this policy, staff should NOT “Friend” students using a personal social media account. Staff should NOT post information about students on their personal social media accounts. Professional social media accounts must be school sponsored with the permission of the principal. Examples of professional social media accounts are a school’s Facebook and Twitter account. Items can only be posted there if a student has parent permission on file.
What information about my child is considered protected? All personally identifiable student information is considered protected. Personal information from education records includes, but is not limited to: name, photos, schedules, grades, exam scores, GPA (grade point average), Social Security number, evaluations, as well as forms, memos, or correspondence to and about a student. All of this information is protected by FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act). It is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records.
Will teachers use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc to post assignments? No. Teachers will continue to use Edsby as the primary way of communicating with students and their parents.
