Tucson Unified School District is inviting public comments on a proposed policy requiring teachers and all other employees to include a parent, another educator, or a supervisor on any communication with students via digital and electronic devices, including social media, texting and emailing, “that could be construed as inappropriate.”
“Employees shall only communicate with students regarding academic or extracurricular activities, and only during academic and extracurricular scheduled hours. Communications with students should not be of a personal nature,” the policy also says.
It continues, “For example if an educator is taking students on a field trip, and is required to stay in contact with students, the educator should include a large group message thread with other adults in the conversation.”
The policy covers personally owned phones and other electronic and digital devices as well as district-provided technology.
“Employees shall not use personal social media accounts to ‘friend,’ ‘follow,’ or otherwise subscribe to the social media accounts of current students or their parents,” it adds.
The TUSD Governing Board voted 5-0 on Aug. 22 to tentatively approve the policy and to invite public comment before it comes back to the board for a final vote.
To read the full proposed policy online, visit go.boarddocs.com/az/tucsonusd/Board.nsf/Public, click on the agenda for the board’s Aug. 22 special meeting, and go to item 8.2.
The board’s email address is: governingboard@tusd1.org .
