It’s Summer Break here at the South Orangetown Central School District and we will certainly miss seeing the students and their families as much on our campuses. While it may be tempting to use social media to keep in touch, we have to remember that there are rules associated with social media use between our employees and the community. This policy is in effect year-round (not just during the summer months) but now is as good a time as any to remind folks that there are boundaries that must be respected.
Social Media regulations in the Employee Handbook: SOCSD Policy 8636 is referenced on page 17 of the South Orangetown Employee Handbook. This policy defines the appropriate and responsible use of social media between staff, students, and the community. The policy in its entirety can be found at: SOCSD Social Media Policy. The policy states that, “when using a social media site, an employee may not include current students as friends, followers, or any other similar terminology used by various sites.” The policy further states that “if an employee maintains or participates in a South Orangetown sponsored online community that extends to persons who are parents, alums, or other constituents, they must exercise good judgment about any content that is shared on the site.”
Additionally, employees should adhere to the following guidelines, which are consistent with the District’s policies regarding harassment, student relationships, conduct, professional communication, and confidentiality:
- An employee should not make statements that would violate any of the District’s policies, including its policies concerning discrimination or harassment;
- The employee must uphold the District’s value of respect for the individual and avoid making defamatory statements about the District, its employees, its students, or their families;
- An employee may not disclose any confidential information of the District or confidential information obtained during the course of his/her employment, about any individuals or organizations, including students and/or their families.
Exceptions to this are sites that are deemed as “Official SOCSD Social Media Sites.” For guidance pertaining to these sites, please refer to the SOCSD Policy 8636.
I believe social media is a great way to keep connected and encourage everyone to use it responsibly. In order to not blur the lines between personal and professional use, I have restricted much of my own social media presence to the following sites (trust me…my personal Facebook page isn’t that interesting):
- The Official South Orangetown Facebook Page at: https://www.facebook.com/southorangetowncsd
- SOCSD Communications on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7Kakh8ny0wQdHn7QSLFE2w
- The SOCSD Superintendent Twitter feed at: https://twitter.com/SOCSD_Supt
Sometimes, a community member or student may feel slighted or put-off when an employee doesn’t accept a “friend” request and that is unfortunate since this policy has been put in place for everyone’s protection. In any case, there will be plenty of opportunities this summer to socialize in-person and in the community, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in September. Have a great summer!