Pittsfield School Committee endorses collaborative directive limiting staff social-media and personal-cell-phone contact with students

Superintendent Curtis told the School Committee on Feb. 12 that the district and its three bargaining units had reached a collaborative agreement on staff use of social media and personal cell phones and asked the committee to endorse the directive and refer it to the policy subcommittee for formal inclusion in the policy manual.

The directive, which the superintendent said had been sent to all Pittsfield Public Schools staff and would be mailed in paper form to coaches, prohibits staff from having “any current student who isn't part of their immediate family connected to their personal social media accounts” and bars staff from calling, texting or messaging any current Pittsfield Public Schools student from a personal cell phone. The directive also notes exceptions for pre-existing, out-of-school personal relationships (for example, family members, community coaching or mentorship) but requires staff to…