ANDOVER

Staff Social Media Policy Social Media are works of user-created video, audio, text or multimedia that are published and shared in an electronic environment, such as a blog, wiki, instant messaging, texting, email, or video hosting site. While Social Media presents opportunities to engage Andover Public Schools’ employees, students, and community in conversation to improve people’s lives by personalizing their educational experience, it is important to do so in a safe, productive, school related and appropriate manner.

Following district guidelines will ensure that your actions reflect our core values of integrity, teamwork, innovation, excellence, and leadership while exhibiting a level of professionalism that our community expects and deserves.

When online, you are speaking in your personal capacity unless you have prior authorization from your principal or superintendent to speak for the District, or you hold a position such as a Communications Officer who is pre-approved to speak for the District. At the same time, staff members are always authority figures to students in the district and are held to a high standard. Relationships with students -- whether in person or via social media -- should always be of a professional nature.

Andover Public Schools reserve the right to restrict and monitor an employee’s use of social media during any work hours. Staff members should try not to text during school hours, particularly in front of students. However, administration acknowledges there may be reasons and times that are appropriate for this. It is important to model behavior for students, as we are held to a higher standard as education professionals. This is also true for posting information on any social media site during school hours.

Any clubs, organizations or classes in the Andover Public Schools district must gain approval from their school administration and notify the Director of Communication prior to making any Twitter, Facebook or other Social Media accounts. If an account already exists, that club, organization or class, must still notify their school administrator and the Director of Communication. All accounts of this nature will be reviewed regularly. No students should have access as an administrator or have the log-in or password.

What You Should Do:

• Be smart. Be respectful. Be human.
• Be authentic. When you post or comment in social media always state your name.
• Be transparent. State that it is your opinion. Unless authorized to speak on behalf of Andover Public Schools, you must state that the views expressed are your own.
• Be careful. Protect what personal information you share online.
• Be responsible and act ethically. When you are at work, your primary responsibility is the work of the District.
• Be professional -- in all your relationships with students.
• Be aware that no use of any school photos, student photos, district or school logos or tag lines, is allowed without prior authorization from the District Office.
• It has been suggested that you shouldn’t send anything via Social Media or email or texting that you wouldn’t want to appear on the front page of the paper. Nothing in the world of Social Media remains private.
• In the end, be mindful of your online presence. Step back and think about what you're about to post online.