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 “maintain clear boundaries” and to use approved district communication channels for school-related matters.

Superintendent Curtis said the agreement was developed collaboratively with the district and union leaders and that progressive disciplinary action will follow if staff are found in violation; he said paper copies will be mailed to coaches and the directive will be embedded in the staff handbook until a formal policy is adopted. Curtis further told the committee the directive would take effect the Monday after school vacation to allow staff time to review and, if necessary, adjust their personal accounts.

Committee members and administration emphasized that the agreement was negotiated with union leadership. Curtis thanked the union presidents and noted that two of the three bargaining units had ratified or were in the ratification process. Union leaders were in the meeting and Superintendent Curtis read the directive into the public record.

The committee voted to endorse the collaborative agreement and to refer the matter to the policy subcommittee for formal insertion into the policy manual; the motion carried orally with all members present signaling “aye.” The committee did not propose amendments at the meeting; committee member Sarah Hathaway asked about the process and was told the directive is effective immediately for the bargaining units and will become a formal policy after the subcommittee process and a second reading by the full committee.

Why it matters: The directive formalizes boundaries for staff-student digital contact across the district, standardizes expectations at a time when administrators said incidents had prompted the negotiation, and signals a district-wide enforcement approach supported by union leadership.

Primary attribution and key excerpts

- Superintendent Curtis (Superintendent) read the directive aloud and framed it as a collaborative document negotiated with union leadership and delivered to staff. Curtis said: “no staff member, regardless of their position within the organization, is permitted to have any current student who isn't part of their immediate family connected to their personal social media accounts.”

- The agreement text as read also states: “no staff member... may call, text or message any current student of the Pittsfield Public Schools from their or any personal cell phone,” and adds a note acknowledging pre-existing personal relationships outside school.

Ending: The committee referred the matter to the policy subcommittee for drafting into the district policy manual and endorsed the directive for immediate implementation within the bargaining units; the administration said it will return with the formal policy language for committee action after the subcommittee completes its work.