Technology

Policy Code: 3225/7320-R1 Internet Acceptable Use - Employees
Bladen County Schools electronic network services, herein referred to as the "BCS Network," has been established to allow access to the Internet and other electronic resources to assist in furthering educational goals, to support valid business uses and to provide for efficient work-related communication among employees. This access makes a vast amount of diverse information available to employees. Employees are defined as all teachers, administration and staff. This policy also applies to any non-students who are expressly authorized by Bladen County Schools to use electronic information resources, including, but not limited to, Board of Education members, contractors, consultants and temporary workers. The goal of the school system in providing the BCS Network is to provide resources and communication that support the educational objectives of the State of North Carolina and Bladen County Schools. It is a privilege, not a right, which is extended to students, employees and other authorized users within the school system's wide area network.

Access includes:
• information, news and resources from businesses, libraries, educational institutions, government agencies, research institutions and a variety of other sources;
• telecommunications with individuals and groups around the world; and
• project participation with other schools

Because the Internet provides access to computer systems located all over the world, users must understand that Bladen County Schools cannot control the content of the information available. With access to this resource comes additional responsibility for the employee or authorized user. Some of the information is controversial and sometimes offensive; however, the valuable information and interaction accessible on this worldwide network far outweigh the possibility that users may find inappropriate material. Bladen County Schools does not condone the use of such materials and takes reasonable precautions to filter access to these materials. Anyone using the BCS Network is required to sign an Acceptable Use Policy, which will be kept as a permanent record. School system employees and authorized users must be aware that access to the BCS Network will be withdrawn from those individuals who do not respect the rights of others or who do not follow the rules and regulations
established by the Bladen County Schools Employee Acceptable Use Policy.

BCS Network Rules and Regulations
1. Acceptable Use: The BCS Network is to be used in a responsible, efficient, ethical and legal manner and must be in support of the educational objectives and the Code of Ethics for North Carolina Educators. Transmission of any material in violation of any federal or state regulations is prohibited.
Unacceptable use includes, but is not limited to the following:
• violating copyright/trademark laws;
• using peer-to-peer file sharing software programs (e.g., Napster, Limewire);
• unauthorized access to social networking sites (e.g., MySpace, Hi5, Facebook);
• forwarding personal communications without the author's prior consent;
• using threatening or obscene material;
• distributing material protected by trade secret;
• utilizing the Internet for commercial purposes;
• providing political campaign information;
• using offensive or harassing statements or language including profanity, vulgarity and/or disparagement of others based on race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability and religious or political beliefs;
• changing settings on computers and peripherals;
• disrupting the use of the BCS Network;
• connecting unauthorized devices to the BCS Network;
• streaming non-educational music and videos;
• using web proxies to bypass Internet content filtering for access to blocked web sites;
• accessing programs or computer equipment not designated for employee use, including hacking and other unlawful activities;
• playing non-educational games; and
• displaying, distributing or printing offensive pictures, language or graphics.
Deliberate violation of the BCS Network acceptable use will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment and the employee may be held personally liable for his/her action.
2. Internet Rules: Users must abide by network etiquette rules. These rules include, but are not limited to the following:
• Be polite - rudeness is never acceptable.
• Do not reveal any personal information, such as address or phone number, about yourself or anyone else.
• Assume that all communication and information accessible via the BCS Network is private property.
3. Privileges: The use of the BCS Network is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use will result in cancellation of user privileges and any other penalty determined appropriate by the Superintendent or designee, including without limitation, suspension or termination. No reference to any specific penalty in this policy shall limit the authority of the Superintendent's designee to impose any other or additional penalties or timelines determined to be appropriate as a consequence for violation of this policy consistent with Bladen County Schools' policies and state law.
4. Disclaimer: Bladen County Schools will not be responsible for any damages suffered, including loss of data resulting from delays, service interruptions or inaccurate information. The user accepts personal responsibility for any information obtained via the BCS Network, including the sharing of personal information such as home address or financial information.
5. Security: Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. Attempts to login to the system as any other user or to share a password should be reported immediately to an administrator and not demonstrated to other users. Such attempts to fraudulently login and failure to report such attempts will result in cancellation of user privileges. If a security problem is identified, notify an administrator at the school. Do not demonstrate the problem to
other users. Note that electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private; system operators have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the authorities.
6. Vandalism: Vandalism will result in cancellation of user privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy equipment and/or data or anyone connected to the BCS Network. This includes, but is not limited to: uploading, creating or transmitting computer viruses/spyware.

Employee Acceptable Use Policy

Policy Code: 7335 Employee Use of Social Media

The board recognizes the importance of incorporating current technology tools, including new methods of electronic communication, into the classroom to enhance student learning.  It further recognizes the importance of employees, students and parents engaging, learning, collaborating and sharing in digital environments as part of 21st Century learning.  The board strives to ensure that electronic communication tools incorporated into the school curriculum are used responsibly and safely.  As practicable, the board will provide access to secure social media tools and board approved technologies for use during instructional time and for school-sponsored activities in accordance with policies 3220, Technology in the Educational Program, and 3225/4312/7320, Technology Responsible Use. 

The board acknowledges that school employees may engage in the use of social media during their personal time.  School employees who use social media for personal purposes must be mindful that they are responsible for their public conduct even when not acting in their capacities as school system employees.  All school employees, including student teachers and independent contractors, shall comply with the requirements of this policy when using electronic social media for personal purposes.  In addition, all school employees must comply with policy 4040/7310, Staff-Student Relations, when communicating with individual students through other electronic means, such as through voice, email, or text-messaging.

A. Definitions

1. Social Media
For the purposes of this policy, “social media” refers to the various online technology tools that enable people to communicate easily over the Internet to share information and resources.  It includes, but is not limited to:  personal websites, blogs, wikis, social networking sites, online forums, virtual worlds, video-sharing websites, and any other Internet-based applications which allow the exchange of user-generated content.  For purposes of this policy, it also includes any form of instant or direct messaging available through such applications.  Examples of social media include Web 2.0 tools, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, YouTube, Instagram, Google+, and social media components of learning management systems such as Moodle or Edmodo.

2. School-Controlled Social Media
“School-controlled social media” are social media networks, tools, or activities that are under the direct control and management of the school system and that create an archived audit trail. 

3. Personal Social Media
“Personal social media” means any social media networks, tools, or activities that are not school-controlled.

B. Social Media Communications Involving Students

Employees are to maintain professional relationships with students at all times in accordance with policies 4040/7310, Staff-Student Relations, and 7300, Staff Responsibilities.  The use of electronic media for communicating with students and parents is an extension of the employee’s workplace responsibilities.  Accordingly, the board expects employees to use professional judgment when using social media or other electronic communications and to comply with the following.

1. All electronic communications with students who are currently enrolled in the school system must be school-related and within the scope of the employees’ professional responsibilities, unless otherwise authorized by this policy or policy 4040/7310, Staff-Student Relations.

2. School employees may use only school-controlled social media to communicate directly with current students about school-related matters.  (For information regarding communication with students through other forms of electronic communication, e.g., email or texts, see policy 4040/7310, Staff-Student Relations.)

3. Employees are prohibited from knowingly communicating with current students through personal social media without parental permission.  An internet posting on a personal social media website intended for a particular student will be considered a form of direct communication with that student in violation of this policy unless the parent has consented to the communication.  However, an employee may communicate with a student using personal social media to the extent the employee and student have a family relationship or other type of appropriate relationship which originated outside of the school setting.  For example, an employee may have a relationship with a niece or nephew, a student who is the child of an adult friend, a student who is a friend of the employee’s child, or a member or participant in the same civic, social, recreational, sport or religious organization.

4. An employee seeking to utilize and/or establish a non-school-controlled social media website for instructional or other school-related purposes must have prior written approval from the principal and the superintendent or designee and must verify that the social media application’s terms of service meet the requirements of policies 3220, Technology in the Educational Program, 3225/4312/7320, Technology Responsible Use, and 3227/7322, Web Page Development.  If the website collects personal information from students under the age of 13, the use will not be approved unless the applicable requirements of the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) are met.  The employee shall ensure that the website does not include or link to the employee’s personal social media footprint.  The site must be used for school-related purposes only.

C. Employee Personal Use of Social Media

The board respects the right of employees to use social media as a medium of self-expression on their personal time.  As role models for the school system’s students, however, employees are responsible for their public conduct even when they are not performing their job duties as employees of the school system.  Employees will be held to the same professional standards in their public use of social media and other electronic communications as they are for any other public conduct.  Further, school employees remain subject to applicable state and federal laws, board policies, administrative regulations and the Code of Ethics for North Carolina Educators, even if communicating with others concerning personal and private matters.  If an employee’s use of social media interferes with the employee’s ability to effectively perform his or her job duties, the employee is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Employees are responsible for the content on their social media sites, including content added by the employee, the employee’s “friends” or members of the public who can access the employee’s site, and for Web links on the employee’s site.  Employees shall take reasonable precautions, such as using available security settings, to manage students’ access to the employees’ personal information on social media websites and to prevent students from accessing materials that are not age-appropriate.

School employees are prohibited from accessing social networking websites for personal use during instructional time. 

D. Posting to Social Media Sites

Employees who use social media for personal purposes must be aware that the content they post may be viewed by anyone, including students, parents and community members.  Employees shall observe the following principles when communicating through social media. 

1. Employees shall not post confidential information about students, employees or school system business.

2. Employees shall not accept current students as “friends” or “followers” or otherwise connect with students on personal social media sites without parental permission, unless the employee and student have a family relationship or other type of appropriate relationship which originated outside of the school setting.

3. Employees shall not knowingly allow students access to their personal social media sites that discuss or portray sex, nudity, alcohol or drug use or other behaviors associated with the employees’ private lives that would be inappropriate to discuss with a student at school.

4. Employees may not knowingly grant students access to any portions of their personal social media sites that are not accessible to the general public without parental permission, unless the employee and student have a family relationship or other type of appropriate relationship which originated outside of the school setting.

5. Employees shall be professional in all Internet postings related to or referencing the school system, students or their parents and other employees.

6. Employees shall not use profane, pornographic, obscene, indecent, lewd, vulgar or sexually offensive language, pictures or graphics or other communication that could reasonably be anticipated to cause a substantial disruption to the school environment.

7. Employees shall not use the school system’s logo or other copyrighted material of the system on a personal social media site without express, written consent from the board.

8. Employees shall not post identifiable images of a student or student’s family on a personal social media site without permission from the student and the student’s parent or legal guardian.  Employees may post such images on a school-controlled social media site only with prior permission of the employee’s supervisor and in accordance with the requirements of federal and state privacy laws and policy 4700, Student Records.

9. Employees shall not use Internet postings to libel or defame the board, individual board members, students or other school employees. 

10. Employees shall not use Internet postings to harass, bully or intimidate students or other employees in violation of policy 1710/4021/7230, Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Bullying, or state and federal laws.

11. Employees shall not post content that negatively impacts their ability to perform their jobs.

12. Employees shall not use Internet postings to engage in any other conduct that violates board policy or administrative procedures or state and federal laws.

E. Consequences

School system personnel shall monitor online activities of employees who access the Internet using school technological resources.  Additionally, the superintendent or designee may periodically conduct public Internet searches to determine if an employee has engaged in conduct that violates this policy.  Any employee who has been found by the superintendent to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

The superintendent shall establish and communicate to employees guidelines that are consistent with this policy.

Employee Use of Social Media

Protocol for Reporting Technology Issues

1. Each school/department has a technology point-of-contact that has been designated by their
principal/director as the responsible party for submitting work orders electronically to the
Technology Department. The media specialist for your school serves as the technology
point-of-contact for your school.

2. When a technology issue arises in your classroom/department, the appropriate procedure is to
contact your school/department point-of-contact first through an e-mail, personal contact, etc. (as
designated by your principal/director - however, you are encouraged to document this contact).
The technology point-of-contact will review the issue, conduct basic troubleshooting with you,
work with you to complete a troubleshooting checklist, and then submit your issue as a work
order (if necessary) to the Technology Department electronically. Use of the electronic work
order system provides proof that your request has been sent to the Technology Department.

3. Technicians will address tickets based upon their assigned sites. Due to the nature of this
service schedule, technicians will be unable to address issues not submitted through the ticket
system when visiting sites for repairs.

4. It is the goal of the technology department to have all open work orders addressed weekly,
only carrying over work tickets that require the ordering of a replacement part.

5. If you are having an issue that has not been addressed, your first step is to follow-up with
your technology point-of-contact to ensure that the work order has been sent to the Technology
Department. If there is no resolution or the point-of-contact continues to fail to enter your issue,
please see your principal/director.

Bladen County Schools recognizes the educational value in the use of various electronic and social media communication tools to engage students, parents, and the community. As we continue to embrace new communication tools, it is imperative that we, as a school system, operate using a common guide to ensure ethical, honest, and professional dialogue when using online communication tools.

1. Communication through social media should adhere to the TAP guidelines (transparent, accessible, and professional). As a school district, we are expected to maintain openness, visibility, and accountability in all forms of communication. In addition, all communications should be professionally written as it represents the school district, and should demonstrate appropriate word choice, tone, grammar, and subject matter.

2. Employees must not knowingly allow students access to their social networking website.

3. Employees must not post identifiable information about students on a social media site without the express written permission of parents consenting to their child being photographed. Once permission has been granted to utilize pictures, students’ names should not be associated with the photos. You must only highlight the event or activity in which the students were involved.

4. Principals and central office administrators are responsible for monitoring information and posting up­-to­-date information on school or departmental social media websites. Schools and departments should not allow posts or comments by anyone other than the owner of the account. Settings should be modified to ensure this protection.

5. Employees must never allow students to be their “friend” on social media websites.

6. Employees should never post any statement or comment that you would not state verbally in the front of a classroom. In addition, there should absolutely be no discussion of students or other employees at any time on social media websites.

7. Establish strong passwords and set appropriate privacy settings to control what can be viewed or posted to a social media website.

8. Always report any inappropriate student or employee behavior immediately to your administrator.

9. All uses of social media must adhere to the same ethical standards and in compliance with board policies that all employees must otherwise follow.

10. Teachers and staff must have their principal/director’s approval prior to creating any pages on behalf of the school, departments, classes, or clubs. Likewise, all social media websites relative to the above must be registered under an official Bladen County Schools e­mail address.

Social Media Practices and Procedures

Policy Code: 3225/7320-R2 Internet Acceptable Use - Students 

Bladen County Schools electronic network services, herein referred to as the "BCS Network," has been established to allow access to the Internet and other electronic resources for educational purposes. This includes classroom activities, research activities, peer review of assigned work and the exchange of project-related ideas, opinions and questions via email, message boards and other means. This access makes a vast amount of diverse information available to students. The goal of the school system in providing the BCS Network is to provide resources and communication that support the educational objectives of the State of North Carolina and Bladen County Schools. It is a privilege, not a right, which is extended to students, teachers and staff within the school system's wide area network. 

Access includes: 

• information, news and resources from businesses, libraries, educational institutions, government agencies, research institutions and a variety of other sources; 

• telecommunications with individuals and groups around the world; and 

• project participation with other schools. 

Because the Internet provides access to computer systems located all over the world, users must understand that Bladen County Schools cannot control the content of the information available. With access to this resource comes additional responsibility for the student. Some of the information is controversial and sometimes offensive; however, the valuable information and interaction accessible on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may find inappropriate material. Bladen County Schools does not condone the use of such materials and takes reasonable precautions to filter access to these materials. Anyone using the BCS Network is required to sign an Acceptable Use Policy, which will be kept as a permanent record. School employees, students and parents must be aware that access to the BCS Network will be withdrawn from users who do not respect the rights of others or who do not follow the rules and regulations established by the Bladen County Schools Acceptable Use Policy. 

BCS Network Rules and Regulations 

1. Acceptable Use: The BCS Network is to be used in a responsible, efficient, ethical and legal manner and must be in support of the educational objectives and the student behavior guidelines. Transmission of any material in violation of any federal or state regulations is prohibited. 

Unacceptable use includes, but is not limited to the following: 

• violating copyright/trademark laws; 

• using peer-to-peer file sharing software programs (e.g., Napster, Limewire); 

• unauthorized access to social networking sites (e.g., MySpace, Hi5, Facebook); 

• forwarding personal communications without the author's prior consent; 

• using threatening or obscene material; 

• distributing material protected by trade secret; 

• utilizing the Internet for commercial purposes; 

• providing political campaign information; 

• using offensive or harassing statements or language including profanity, vulgarity and/or disparagement of others based on race, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability and religious or political beliefs; 

• changing settings on computers and peripherals; 

• disrupting the use of the BCS Network; 

• connecting unauthorized devices to the BCS Network; 

• streaming non-educational music and videos; 

• using web proxies to bypass Internet content filtering for access to blocked web sites; 

• accessing programs or computer equipment not designated for student use, including hacking and other unlawful activities; 

• playing non-educational games; and 

• displaying, distributing or printing offensive pictures, language or graphics 

Deliberate violation of the BCS Network acceptable use will result in the following consequences: Offense 1: Warning and notification of parents 

Offense 2: Temporary loss of BCS Network access (not to exceed 30 calendar days) 

Offense 3: Loss of BCS Network access for the remainder of the year 

2. Internet Rules: Users must abide by network etiquette rules. These rules include, but are not limited to the following:

• Be polite - rudeness is never acceptable. 

• Do not reveal any personal information, such as address or phone number, about yourself or anyone else. • Assume that all communication and information accessible via the BCS Network is private property. 

3. Privileges: The use of the BCS Network is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use will result in cancellation of user privileges and any other penalty determined appropriate by the Superintendent or designee, including without limitation, suspension or expulsion. No reference to any specific penalty in this policy shall limit the authority of the Superintendent's designee to impose any other or additional penalties or timelines determined to be appropriate as a consequence for violation of this policy consistent with the Discipline Policy of the Bladen County Board of Education. 

4. Disclaimer: Bladen County Schools will not be responsible for any damages suffered, including loss of data resulting from delays, service interruptions or inaccurate information. The user accepts personal responsibility for any information obtained via the BCS Network, including the sharing of personal information such as home address or financial information. 

5. Security: Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. Attempts to login to the system as any other user or to share a password should be reported immediately to a teacher and not demonstrated to other users. Such attempts to fraudulently login and failure to report such attempts will result in cancellation of user privileges. If a security problem is identified, notify an administrator at the school. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Note that electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private; system operators have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the authorities. 

6. Vandalism: Vandalism will result in cancellation of user privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy equipment and/or data or anyone connected to the BCS Network. This includes, but is not limited to: uploading, creating or transmitting computer viruses/spyware. 

School faculty and/or staff will monitor and uphold the Bladen County Schools Acceptable Use Policy as students use the BCS Network at the school. 

Student Acceptable Use Policy