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Committee reviews draft addendum on staff personal accounts and student communication
Summary
Committee members reviewed a proposed addendum to the staff acceptable-use policy addressing personal social-media accounts and staff communication with students; administrators will solicit building-level feedback and return a refined draft to the board around March.
The Waunakee Community School District Policy Committee discussed a proposed addendum to the staff acceptable-use policy that would clarify whether and how staff may communicate with students using personal social-media accounts.
"This is significant and I don't want to underplay that," a staff presenter said, explaining the proposal is aimed at clarifying boundaries between personal and professional accounts. The presenter said the draft draws language from WASB model policies and from sample handbooks. The committee heard concerns about how the policy might affect staff who occasionally share personal accomplishments and about how to draw clear, implementable lines.
Board members raised scenarios about advisors or coaches who post on club pages, teachers who share personal achievements to model for students, and longstanding personal social connections with students. One board member said, "I found the language ... good because I know there are people who cross the boundary and make them uncomfortable," while another asked whether the draft would "prevent" a teacher from sharing a personal accomplishment with students.
Staff said the draft intends to preserve approved school platforms (for clubs and activities) while limiting or clarifying personal-to-personal staff-student connections. "If this were to go into place, there would be no personal-to-personal accounts anymore," a staff presenter said, adding that implementing any such rule would require broad staff education and explicit guidance about severing personal connections in employment contexts.
The committee asked administrators to seek feedback from building administrators, staff and the WTA and to return with a revised draft in March for possible board action. The transcript records this as a discussion item; no committee vote to adopt the addendum was taken.
