Guidelines on the Use of Social Media

Professional vs. Personal Social Media

Professional social media is a work-related social media activity that is either school-based (e.g., a Woodland Public Schools principal establishing a Facebook page for his/her school or a teacher establishing a Facebook page or blog for his/her class), non-school-based (e.g., District office staff establishing a Facebook page to facilitate the office’s administration), or related to professional development (e.g., online professional learning community).

Personal social media use is a non-work-related social media activity (e.g., a Woodland Public Schools employee establishing a Facebook, Twitter, or other social media account for his/her own personal use).

District Use of Social Media

Only the professional use of social media is allowed during work hours, and at any time on District owned technology (computers, tablets etc.)

Social media sites are blocked on all District computers, with the exception of staff computers where the employee has received permission from their supervisor (principal) to make use of social media for professional/educational communication.

All District use of social media must be with an account created using your District supplied email address (@woodlandschools.org or @kwrl.org), not with a personal email account.

If you have an existing account used for school purposes with a personal email address, either change the address associated with it or close the account and create a new one. If you are not clear how to do this contact the tech department for assistance.

Guidelines on the Use of Social Media - Professional and Personal

In order to maintain professional staff/student boundaries (policy no. 5253) the following guidelines apply to all staff using social media, whether a professional account during work hours or a personal account at home.

• Avoid communicating personally with currently enrolled students on personal social media sites. This type of communication includes, but is not limited to:
  • Friending
  • Following
  • Commenting on students' pages
  • Posting on students' pages
• Use common sense, professional judgment and caution.
• Avoid “tagging” photos or videos of Woodland Public Schools employees, volunteers, contractors or vendors without their permission.
• Avoid posting personally identifiable student information or tagging photos or videos of students on personal social media sites.
• Use good judgment and consider refusing or ignoring requests from any Woodland Public Schools students to join social media networks.
• Avoid giving students your personal contact information.
• If you use social media for personal purposes, consider removing current Woodland Public Schools students from your accounts on those sites.
• Be aware that Woodland Public Schools has a right to monitor your professional social media sites and has access to all of your public online behavior. If you have any concerns about a post, you should consult with your administrator before you post, not after.
• These guidelines are in addition to the information on Professional Boundaries in the annual “What Every Employee Must Be Told” training.
• These guidelines apply 24/7 every day of the year.
• Woodland Public Schools' Social Media Guidelines apply only to WPS employees. Students are covered by the Student Discipline Code.