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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 [email protected]
Dr. Virginia Ann [email protected]
www.seafordbluejays.org
