Page 32 - Certified Personnel Handbook

• All electronic communication between staff and students should be transparent. As a public school district, we are expected to maintain openness, visibility and accountability with regard to all communications.
• All electronic communication between staff and students should be considered a matter of record, part of the district archives, and/or may be accessible by others.
• All electronic communication from staff to student should be written as a professional representing Atchison Public Schools. This includes word choices, tone, grammar and subject matter that model the standards and integrity of an Atchison Public Schools professional. Always choose words that are courteous, conscientious and generally businesslike in manner.
If communication meets all three of the criteria above, then it is very likely that the methods of communicating with students are appropriate. Use of private messaging (i.e. Twitter, Facebook, or email) will be considered a violation of the TAP Test.
Social Media
It is important that employees maintain proper decorum in the online, digital world as well as in person. All staff are expected to serve as positive ambassadors for the district and as appropriate role models for students. It is important to maintain professionalism in all interactions with students, their families, and the community. Employees must conduct themselves in ways that do not distract from or disrupt the educational process. Staff shall refrain from posting items with sexual content, exhibiting or advocating the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco products. Staff shall also refrain from posting derogatory items regarding the district, school, employees, or students.
Staff should exercise good judgment in listing current students as “friends” on personal social media networks.
The following are general guidelines for using social media whether personally or professionally:
You are always a School Employee
• The lines between public and private, personal and professional can be very blurry in the digital world. Please keep in mind that you will be publicly identified as working for and sometimes representing the district in what you say and do online.
• Whether it is clearly communicated or not, you will be identified as an employee of the district in what you do and say online. If you don’t want it on the news or in the newspaper, don’t share it online.
• Do not misrepresent yourself by using someone else’s identity or misrepresenting your identity.
• Do not share confidential information about school business, students, or your colleagues.
Be Professional
• Respect the district’s values of respect, responsibility, honesty, integrity, and community service. Express your ideas and opinions in a respectful manner and consider carefully what you post. Assume that anything you post is public and will be viewed by everyone in your personal and professional domains.
• Your posts and comments should help build and support the school community.
• Employees, parents, and students reflect a diverse set of customs, values, and points of
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