Stacy Snyder, Aspiring Teacher

FIRED

Stacy Snyder, “Drunken Pirate”

Tiffany Shepherd, Teacher

Tiffany Shepherd, Bikini Mate

FIRED!

Steven Murmer

An Artist at Work

AKA: Stan Murmur

Risks of Online Social Networking and

Blogging

Pressure to increase the size of one’s online social network

Failure to understand visibility of online postings and extent of privacy settings

Culture of hasty responses and pressure to post photos from group gatherings

General Misuse“Unbecoming” conduct

Social drinking pictures

Legal adult pornography

Descriptions of unprofessional activities

Passive vs. Active Internet Postings

Passive – when the teacher was not the person who posted the online content, yet becomes a subject of discipline as a result of the material

Active – when the teacher him or herself authors or posts certain material online

Examples of such material include pictures, poems, status messages, and videos

Associated privacy concerns

The Blurred Line Between Teacher and Friend

Many educators feel that online communications between teachers and students are more likely to lead to inappropriate and sexual relationships.

Pamela Rogers, 28-yrs

Former Elementary

School Gym Teacher

Teachers as Role Models

Privacy IssuesBlurred line between what is personal and

public

Many social network members do not enable privacy blocks

Members who attempt to keep their profiles clean and monitor their online presence by googling themselves periodically may still be unable to ensure that unwanted material does not appear online

“How can I be safer on Facebook?”

Don’t give your password to anyone

Customize your privacy settings

“Remember, unless you’re prepared to attach something in your profile to a resume or scholarship application, don’t post it.”

Nexus Between Conduct & Job Performance

Whether the questionable conduct or website content will affect the employee’s ability to perform his or her job duties

The Tinker standard is used to determine the conduct’s disruptive effect on the educational environment

First Amendment RightsFree Association

Free Speech Protection afforded a public employee’s speech

varies based on:Whether the speech warrants First Amendment

protection,Whether the speech was expressed on or off

campus, andWhether it concerned his or her official

government duties.

Guidelines for Employee Use of Personal Electronic Communication Devices Off

Campus

Mindful that any Internet information is ultimately accessible to the world

Familiarize yourself with online privacy protections

Be aware that information posted online, despite privacy protections, is easily and often reported to administrators or exposed to District students

Additional Considerations

Employees are encouraged to monitor their ‘online identity’

It is inadvisable to have online interactions with students on social networking sites outside of those forums dedicated to academic use

When in doubt, begin by contacting the student’s parent(s) or legal guardian through their District registered phone number

District requests that employees ask themselves before posting any information online whether they would be comfortable having this information printed in the newspaper alongside their photo

Thank You!