453 - Social Media Usage for Employees & Stakeholders in Leadership Roles Policy

 


PACT Charter School

Original Creation Date: January 29, 2014
Last Approved By: PACT Charter School Board of Directors
Last Approved Date: June 2, 2022
Year Reviewed: 2021-2022


 

POLICY STATEMENT

This policy ensures that PACT Charter School’s image is maintained and protected. It is not intended to interfere with the private lives of our employees or stakeholders in leadership roles, or invade their right to freedom of speech.

 

PURPOSE

PACT Charter School recognizes the importance of using social media as a communication and learning tool. The goal of these guidelines is to assist PACT Charter School employees and stakeholders in leadership roles in navigating the appropriate use of social media in their professional lives.

 

DEFINITIONS

Social Media: Includes all methods of interaction online in all forms of user-generated and distributed content, including but not limited to, blogs, social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, TikTok, etc.).

Professional Use: Refers to using social media to advance a segment or function of PACT Charter School as part of your job responsibilities.

Stakeholders in Leadership Role: Refers to non-employees who hold leadership roles, including but not limited to the School Board of Directors, chair/co-chairs of a committee or administrative team, or administrators on social media accounts bearing the PACT name. This document will call individuals in these roles “stakeholders” throughout this policy.

Personal Use: Refers to things you may do to socialize or advance yourself personally, although this may include some professional activities like published articles or blogs.

 

PROFESSIONAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA

PACT Charter School employees and stakeholders who maintain or post on professional social media pages or accounts for the school are required to comply with the following guidelines:

  1. Representing PACT Charter School as a whole is reserved for Administration. No unauthorized person or group should seek to speak for the school or secure an account or name that represents the entirety of PACT Charter School.
  2. The Director of Communication and Community Engagement must approve social media sites or social groups representing segments of the PACT Charter School identity. Those seeking to create an online account should first contact the Director of Communication and Community Engagement for assistance in naming the account and best practices. TheDirector of Communication and Community Engagement will track all social media accounts, including usernames and passwords, and be an administrator on the account. Non-official PACT accounts or groups may not use the PACT name or identity. Social media accounts that do not comply will be asked to close the account or face legal action.
  3. PACT social media accounts should be created using a generic PACT email address assigned to them by the Technology Department and should refrain from using individual email or phone numbers to assist with smooth transitions.
  4. Postings may not conflict with any of PACT Charter School’s existing policies and must be professional, accurate, and unbiased.
  5. Employees and stakeholders may not disclose information on any social media network that is confidential or proprietary to PACT Charter School, its students, or data privacy laws.
  6. Trademark, copyright, and fair use requirements must be respected. Always cite sources and references, and whenever possible, link back to them.
  7. Posts involving the following will not be tolerated and will subject the individual to disciplinary action:
    1. Discriminatory statements or sexual innuendos.
    2. Defamatory statements, offensive photos, negative, biased, and inaccurate comments regarding PACT Charter School, its employees, students, and programs/decisions.
    3. Use of obscene, profane or vulgar language on any social media network or engage in communications or conduct that is harassing, threatening, bullying, libelous, or defamatory, or that discusses or encourages any illegal activity or the inappropriate use of alcohol, use of illicit drugs, sexual behavior, or sexual harassment.
    4. Information or communication that violates state or federal laws.
    5. Images of students posted without parental consent, except for images of students taken in the public arena, such as sporting events or fine arts public performances.
    6. Any non-public images of the school premises and property, including floor plans.

An employee who is responsible for a social media network posting that fails to comply with the rules and guidelines outlined in this policy may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination of position (for employee). A stakeholder in a leadership role who is responsible for a social media network posting that fails to comply with the rules and guidelines outlined in the policy may be subject to discipline by the School Board of Directors Chair and assigned administrative representative, up to and including removal from their position. Employees and stakeholders will be held responsible for the disclosure, whether purposeful or inadvertent, of confidential or private information or information that violates the privacy rights of others. Employees are legally liable for anything they write or present online.

 

SOCIAL MEDIA PERSONAL USE

PACT Charter School strives to maintain a positive image in the community and has adopted this social media usage policy to ensure our employees and stakeholders are aware of their responsibility to maintain a positive image as a representative of our school. PACT Charter School employees that have personal social media pages (including, but not limited to, forms of online publishing and discussion, including blogs, wikis, file-sharing, user-generated video and audio, virtual worlds and social networks) are expected to comply with the following guidelines set forth within this policy:

  1. Use of personal social media should not conflict with any of PACT Charter School’s existing policies, including but not limited to those found in the Employee Handbook.
  2. As an employee and/or stakeholder of PACT Charter School, online postings always have the potential to impact the school, even those made on a personal level. Online postings should always represent a personal point of view and not necessarily that of PACT Charter School. When posting a point of view, it should neither claim nor imply speaking on PACT Charter School’s behalf.
  3. Social fraternization through social media between PACT staff and students is discouraged (e.g., the mutual linking of personal accounts).
  4. Employees and/or stakeholders may not disclose information on any social media network that is confidential or proprietary to PACT Charter School, its students or employees, and/or that is protected by data privacy laws.
  5. Posts involving the following will not be tolerated and will subject the individual to disciplinary action:
    1. Discriminatory statements or sexual innuendos regarding PACT employees, management, or students.
    2. Defamatory statements, offensive photos, or negative comments regarding PACT Charter School, its employees, or students.
    3. Images of PACT employees on any social media network posted without their consent.
    4. Any information or communication that violates state or federal laws.
    5. Images of students on any social media network posted without written parental consent, except for images of students taken in the public arena, such as at sporting events or fine arts public performances.
    6. Any nonpublic images of the school premises and property, including floor plans.

It is expected that all employees and stakeholders conduct themselves in an appropriate manner and continue to serve as positive representatives of PACT Charter School.

 

Contact Us

PACT Charter School | District Offices
7250 East Ramsey Parkway NW
Ramsey, MN 55303 

PACT Charter School | Elementary Campus
7250 East Ramsey Parkway NW
Ramsey, MN 55303 

PACT Charter School | Secondary Campus
7729 - 161st Avenue Northwest
Ramsey, MN 55303 

Main phone line: 763-712-4200
Fax: 763-712-4201

Absence: attendance@pactcharter.org

MAP & DIRECTIONS

School Hours

Elementary Campus
8:15 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. 

Secondary Campus
8:00 a.m. - 3:05 p.m. 

Office Hours

School Days
7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. 

Non-School Fridays
7:30 a.m. - Noon

School Breaks
Closed

Summer Hours
Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. - 1 p.m.

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