Dist. 95 developing rules for Facebook, social media

A policy governing the use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media is being drafted for Lake Zurich Unit District 95 teachers and other employees.

The latest version of the proposal discourages staffers from posting inappropriate images or information about themselves or other people on media that are easily accessible by students or co-workers.

It also discourages employees from using social media or other technology to share images of students or co-workers, or information about them without prior approval.

Employees also wouldn't be able to use social media for personal purposes during the work day.

Discipline ranging from a ban on possession of personal technology at school to dismissal would be possible for violations, under the proposal.

The goal is to protect students and employees, not to infringe on the free-speech rights of workers, District 95 spokeswoman Jean Malek said.

"We certainly don't want to adopt anything that would be a First Amendment violation," she said.

The proposal has been in the works since this summer, when a state group that advises school boards on policy matters recommended such rules to districts across Illinois, Malek said.

She said she isn't aware of any abuses of social media by District 95 employees.

The proposal doesn't go as far as the social media rules drafted last year in Libertyville-Vernon Hills High School District 128 or Mundelein High School District 120.

In both of those districts, employees must use official school email addresses to communicate with students, and staffers cannot play online games with students or friend students on Facebook or other social media websites.

Rules about text messaging, communicating with parents and students about grades and the use of Facebook fan pages are included in the District 128 or District 120 policies, too.

The District 95 proposal has been drafted by a policy review committee consisting of administrators, employees and a board member. More specific rules could be adopted after the general policy is enacted, and after consultation with the district's attorney, Malek said.

The school board could vote on the plan as soon as its Oct. 27 meeting, Malek said.

Officials with many school districts have been discussing social media rules recently because of the rise of Facebook, Twitter and similar websites and services, Malek said.

Because the technology is so new, the law isn't clear about what rules schools can or cannot enact, she said.

"This is a new area for all of us," Malek said.