After months of deliberation, the Worcester County Board of Education on Tuesday approved a revised social media policy to guide employee professionalism in online networking spaces.
At the board of education’s meeting, members passed amended social media regulations for teachers and staff of Worcester County Public Schools. System officials believe the new rules will clarify the board’s stance on inflammatory messaging and other inappropriate online conduct.
A committee charged with overhauling obsolete WCPS social networking rules created the reshaped policy. The team included board attorney Heather Stansbury, board members Jackie Cutlip, Elena McComas, and Jon Andes, and executive team members.
These guidelines have been repeatedly revised and edited over the past few months as board members worked to ensure the policy was as clear and objective as possible. The framework has now been pushed through, right in time for the start of the new school year.
The changes establish new standards for how school system employees use both professional and personal social media accounts.
The policy states that employees may not author social media content that would impair their effectiveness as an educator or role model or undermine the educational environment. Board members agreed to remove the word “likely” from portions of the policy to reduce subjectivity in determining whether an employee’s online activity violates the rules.
The policy also removes language prohibiting content that could “likely damage the public confidence” in the school board or Worcester County Public Schools.
First, they come for your freedom to speak…
Use their own rules against them…18 U.S.C. s/s 241, 242, 1983.