Local school corporations are updating their policies, when it comes to employees’ use of social media. I get comments on my YouTube videos here, so pretty much anyone can manipulate social media. Policy revisions were introduced during last week’s Knox and Culver school board meetings.
Culver Superintendent Karen Shuman says they would require teachers to use platforms that have been approved by the school corporation, when talking with students or parents using personal or school-issued devices. “For the most part, that is using our student management system or using our Google platform to communicate with parents,” Shuman explains. “Some may have a special app that they use with students, and we just are approving those.”
Knox Superintendent Dr. William Reichhart told his school board last week that the policy updates would also address the use of board members’ personal devices for school business. “You do not have a personal telephone that we give you to use,” Reichhart noted. “However, if you would be texting me about a school-related business item, your phone would be, possibly, subpoenaed, if they needed that correspondence between. You cannot delete it, if it’s school business, for seven years off of your phones.”
Reichhart said the same thing would apply to email, but board members are issued school email accounts and messages are archived by the school corporation. The Knox School Board’s policies would also update the definitions of social media, apps, and services.
The Knox and Culver school boards are expected to finalize their social media policy updates during next week’s meetings.
