Sean C. Morgan
The District 55 School Board is working out a new policy covering the use of personal communications devices and social media by staff members.
That action is a response to a routine policy update suggested by the Oregon School Boards Association, said Supt. Don Schrader. “I noticed there was some discussion about it in Albany and Lebanon. It really restricts the use of text messaging.”
And that caught the board’s attention, Schrader said. The proposed policy would have prohibited teachers from texting students.
The board is considering changing the word to “discouraged” instead of prohibited, he said.
“I like Lebanon’s policy,” Schrader said. “It says if you’re texting students, the parents get a copy.”
The district had some issues with teachers texting students after hours, Schrader said.
The proposal holds teachers responsible for use of social media that “disrupts” the classroom. The district would consider a disruption something that causes one or more parents to threaten to remove a child from a particular class or school or actual withdrawal.
Already prohibited in the policy is taking, disseminating, transferring or sharing obscene, pornographic or illegal images and photographs.
Schrader said teachers need to be careful with social media.
“You’re really getting into a bad situation if you’re friending students on your Facebook page,” Schrader said. Professionally and privately, it can be a problem. Posting photos from vacations or other activities could be a problem, depending on what’s in them.
The board is going to continue looking at the policy, Schrader said. He will plug in language recommendations from Lebanon’s policy, and it will return to the agenda next Monday.
“They all like the policy,” Schrader said. “There are just a couple of things we’re struggling with.”