Employee Use of Social Media Sites, Including Personal Sites
Because of the unique nature of social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, and because of the RISE Charter School’s desire to protect its interest with regard to its electronic records, the following rules have been established to address social media site usage by all employees:
Protect Confidential and Proprietary Information
Employees shall not post confidential or proprietary information about the RISE Charter School, its employees, students, agents, or others. The employee shall adhere to all applicable privacy and confidentiality policies adopted by the RISE Charter School or as provided by State or federal law.
Do Not Use the RISE Charter School’s Name, Logos, or Images
Employees shall not use the RISE Charter School logos, images, iconography, etc. on personal social media sites.
Employees shall not use the RISE Charter School name to promote a product, cause, political party, or political candidate.
Employees shall not use personal images of students, names, or data relating to students, absent written authority of the parent of a minor or authority of an adult or emancipated student.
Respect RISE Charter School Time and Property
No Use of Social Media During Work Hours or on RISE Charter School Equipment
RISE Charter School computers and time on the job are reserved for RISE Charter School-related business. Employees shall not use RISE Charter School time or property on personal email or social media sites.
On Personal Sites
If you identify yourself as a RISE Charter School employee online, it should be clear that the views expressed, posted, or published are personal views, not necessarily those of the RISE Charter School, its Board, employees, or agents.
Opinions expressed by staff on a social networking website have the potential to be disseminated far beyond the speaker’s desire or intention, and could undermine the public perception of fitness of the individual to educate students, and thus undermine teaching effectiveness. In this way, the effect of the expression and publication of such opinions could potentially lead to disciplinary action being taken against the staff member, up to and including termination or non-renewal of the contract of employment.
Keep Personal and Professional Accounts Separate
Staff members who decide to engage in professional social media activities will maintain separate professional and personal email addresses.
Staff members will not use their RISE Charter School email address for personal social media activities. Use of RISE Charter School email for this purpose is prohibited and will be considered a violation of RISE Charter School policy that may result in disciplinary action.
Contact with Students
Although it is desired that staff members have a sincere interest in students as individuals, partiality and the appearance of impropriety must be avoided. Pursuant to the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, individuals shall maintain a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside of the classroom. Excessive informal or social involvement with students is therefore prohibited. This includes:
1. Listing current students as “friends” on networking sites wherein personal information is shared or available for review which results in the certificated professional employee not maintaining the Code of Ethics, which requires professional relationships with students both inside and outside the classroom;
2. Contacting students through electronic means other than the RISE Charter School’s email and telephone system;
3. Coaches electronically contacting a team member or members without including all team members in the communication;
4. Giving private cell phone or home phone numbers to students without prior approval of the RISE Charter School; and
5. Inappropriate contact of any kind including via electronic media.
Nothing in this policy prohibits RISE Charter School staff and students from the use of education websites or use of social networking websites created for curricular, co-curricular, or extracurricular purposes where the professional relationship is maintained with the student.
Failure to maintain a professional relationship with students, both inside and outside of a classroom setting, including interaction via social networking websites of any nature, e-mailing, texting, or any other electronic methods will result in the required reporting of such conduct to the Professional Standards Commission by the RISE Charter School’s Administration and may result in employment action up to and including possible termination.
Rules Concerning RISE Charter School-Sponsored Social Media Activity
If an employee wishes to use Facebook, Twitter, or other similar social media sites to communicate meetings, activities, games, responsibilities, announcements etc., for a RISE Charter School-based club or a RISE Charter School-based activity or an official RISE Charter School-based organization, the employee must also comply with the following rules:
1. The employee must set up the club, activity, etc. as a group list which will be “closed and moderated”;
2. The employee must set up mechanisms for delivering information to students who are not members of the group via non-electronic means;
3. Members will not be established as “friends” but as members of the group list;
4. Anyone who has access to the communications conveyed through the site may only gain access by the permission of the employee. Persons desiring to access the page may join only after the employee invites them and allows them to join;
5. Parents shall be permitted to access any site that their child has been invited to join. Parents shall report any communications by students or school personnel they believe to be inappropriate to RISE Charter School administration;
6. Access to the site may only be permitted for educational purposes related to the club, activity, organization, or team;
7. The employee responsible for the site will monitor it regularly;
8. The Executive Director shall be permitted access to any site established by the employee for a RISE Charter School-related purpose;
9. Employees are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in the establishment and maintenance of all such RISE Charter School-sponsored social media activity. This includes maintaining a separation between the RISE Charter School activity pages and employees’ personal social media profiles and pages;
10. Postings made to the site must comply with the RISE Charter School’s Policy 5335 Employee Use of Electronic Communications Devices; and
11. The Executive Director reserves the right to shut down or discontinue the group if he or she believes it is in the best overall interest of the students.
Cross References:
§ 5335 Employee Use of Electronic Communications Devices
§ 3270P Acceptable Use of Electronic Networks
Legal References:
I.C. § 33-5204A Applicability of Professional Codes and Standards – Limitations upon Authority
I.D.A.P.A. 08.02.02.076 Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators
Policy History:
Adopted on: July 12, 2021
Revised on:
Reviewed on: