Connections and Perceptions:

Policy Recommendations to Guide Social Media Interactions for Public

Educators

Dr. Stephanie Smith Dr. Virginia Ann Conover

Action Items for Today’s Session

• Establish the need for a social media policy to guide educators and protect school districts.

• Provide best practices in regards to the development of such policies based on research.

• Share the steps taken by districts in our state to create a proactive policy.

A little about us…

21 years as an educator

Former high school teacher, guidance counselor, and middle school principal

Currently – Director of Human Resources and Public Information for the Seaford School District, DE

19 years as an educator

Currently – middle school special education teacher

Adjunct Professor in a Educational Leadership Doctoral Program at Wilmington University, DE

Stephani

e

VirginiaAnn

What is Social Media?

“Primarily Internet and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information. The term most often refers to activities that integrate technology,

telecommunications, and social interaction, alongside the construction of words, pictures, video,

and audio”

(Delaware Department of Technology and Information, 2009, p. 5).

Social Networking Use

“61% of educators…members of at least one, or more, social networks”

“78% of those between the ages of 18 and 34 had joined a social network compared to 65% of those

aged 35 to 54, and 47% over 55 years old”

(EdWeb.net, 2010, p. 7).

How does your workplace address the issue?

Do we need a social media policy?

“The introduction of online social networking has created a cultural shift related to the idea of privacy: some people today are willing to expose more about themselves…Are there any rules when it comes to

teachers using social networking sites?”

(Carter, Foulger, & Ewbank, 2011, p. 2)

Nationwide Policy Reactions

(nCircle, 2011, p.1)

“42 percent of ‘corporate compliance officers’ who responded reported that their organizations have disciplined employees for activities on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn…

(Nexsen/Pruitt, 2011, p. 1)

12 of 50 states have state school boards which have begun to address the issue of social media policies to guide

interaction between educators and the students they serve (Preston, 2011)

Social Media Missteps

“Since the dawn of time, teachers have engaged in behavior they don’t want the whole world to know about, but before the Internet, no one found out about it. Now all this behavior can be depicted

online in unexpected ways…now there is a change in who can know, and what it means for them to

know”.

(Sullivan, 2010, p. 3)

Sexual Misconduct

PREDATOR EDUCATORS: Social media can turn and bite ‘bad apples’ in illicit school affairs”

(Shortridge, 2012, p.1)

Illinois - “teacher was found guilty… sexual abuse and assault charges involving a… student with whom he

had exchanged more than 700 text messages”

California- “high school band director…guilty…sexual misconduct… with a … student; her Facebook page had

more than 1,200 private messages from him” (Preston, 2011, p. 4).

Privacy violations…and worse…

Standards are Increased for Educators

Determining Acceptable Behavior

“A teacher … shapes the attitude of young minds towards the society in which they live ...

the state must preserve the integrity of the schools… school authorities have the right and the duty to screen the officials, teachers, and employees as to their fitness to maintain the

integrity of the schools…” (Adler v. Board of Ed., 1952, p. 5)

Legal Precedent

“..the backbone of teacher speech and expression analysis to this day and every teacher protected under the First Amendment’s Free Expression Clause in the United States must survive the …

test…”

(Bathon & Brady, 2010, p. 218)

Pickering Balancing Test (1968)

Balancing Test Applied

“First, is the speech on a matter of public concern? If not, constitutional protections do not attach.

Second, is the employee speaking as a citizen or as an employee?

Third, if the speech is on a matter of public concern and is made by an employee speaking as a citizen, the courts conduct a balancing test to determine whether the government’s interest in maintaining an effective, non-disruptive workplace outweighs the employee’s right to speak freely”

(DiBianca, 2010, p. 1).

Challenges

Spanierman v. Hughes

• Reasonable to expect teachers “to maintain a professional, respectful association with students”

• “Lesson is that technology further blurs the boundaries between in-school and out-of-school business”

(Zirkel, 2009, p.389)

Snyder v. Millersville

• Public vs. personal concerns

• Student teacher

2008 – Social Media Precedent

CHAPTER 3

Policy Recommendations and Implications

Know your community…

… and your negotiated agreement!

Delaware School Districts

19 Public School Districts

• Various Stages of Implementation/Creation

Policy Examination• 6 District Policies• Delaware Department of Technology

and Information

Policy Recommendation One

Clearly define key terms used within the policy, whom the policy is intended,

or not intended, to cover, and the content and language of the policy.

Policy Recommendation Two

Align the social media policy with other applicable district policies and ensure

language used is adaptable to new technological advances.

Policy Recommendation Three

Communicate the purpose of the policy and articulate the positive and

protective aspects of the policy for stakeholders.

Policy Recommendation Four

Share positive social media practices, clearly establish prohibited conduct, communicate monitoring procedures,

duty to report conditions, and consequences for violation of the policy.

Implications

Inconsistent handling of social media issuesUncertainty regarding what is, and is not,

appropriatePotential for legal action – always seek legal

advice!!Increased chance that staff may endanger

their careersPotential harm to our students and to the

reputation of our school districtReactive vs. Proactive

Concluding Thoughts…

For further research…Student Social Media Policy

Continuous Monitoring of Court Decisions

“There’s an old lawyer’s saw that goes something like this: Never put in writing

anything that you wouldn’t want read in open court or by your mother…maybe it’s time for

an updated adage…

…Never put in electronic form anything that you wouldn’t want viewed by a million

people, including your colleagues, students, and supervisors –and your mother.”

(as cited in Helms, 2008, p. 1).

Thank you for your attention!

Contact Information

Dr. Stephanie Smithssmith@seaford.k12.de.us

Dr. Virginia Ann Conovervconover@seaford.k12.de.us

www.seafordbluejays.org