A new policy has been issued concerning student-staff electronic communications. It was sent to the staff on March 24 and has new rules concerning Facebook, texting and emailing.
The policy states that staff members cannot text students unless the subject of the text pertains to school and class. And if a staff member wants to text students at all, they must make the parents aware that they will be texting the student.
Students are no longer allowed to “friend” their teachers on Facebook either. And, if a teacher creates a fan page on Facebook, their students’parents would have to be informed. The policy also states that the page’s settings must not allow fans to be able to post comments, photos, videos or links on the wall, and that only the teacher should have control on the content. Teachers may not create a group, though they can create a fan page.
Another new rule is that a teacher’s privacy setting on Facebook must be set to “Only Friends.” The settings “Friends of Friends” and “Networks and Friends” are not allowed.
An integral part of this policy is the TAP test, which gives teachers guidelines for determining whether or not to contact a student:
“T - Communication is Transparent: ALL electronic communication between staff and students should be transparent. As a public school district, we are expected to maintain openness, visibility, and accountability with regards to all communications.
A - The communication is Accessible: ALL electronic communication between staff and students should be considered a matter of record, part of the District archives, and/or maybe be accessible by others.
P - The communication is Professional: ALL electronic communication from staff to student should be written as a professional representing District 128. This includes word choices, tone, grammar, and subject matter that model the standards and integrity of a D128 professional. Always choose words that are courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike in manner.”
Why the change took place is not apparent. If something did happen to spur the new policy, no one is talking about it. Teachers don't seem to have any problems with the new policy, and those who still need to text or call their students have handed out sheets requiring a parent signature.