Student iPad/Laptop PolicyAccessing the Network/Devices

Staff AUP

Student Policy

• Student iPad/Laptop Policy

• Student IUP

• Student Computer Checkout

Technology Plan

USD 379 is committed to providing staff members with access to computers, iPads, networks, Internet, electronic mail (e-mail), and other on-line services that facilitate resource sharing, research, collaborative learning, and communications. The school district encourages staff to learn to use and apply these tools in appropriate ways to complete tasks associated with their job positions and assignments.

Staff members shall be responsible for displaying appropriate behavior and maintaining a productive learning environment when using district computers, networks, iPads, the Internet, and other on-line services as outlined in this guideline, regardless of whether or not staff members are on school grounds. Staff shall communicate with telecommunication tools in a professional manner consistent with district policies governing the behavior of staff, state laws, and federal laws governing copyright.

Examples of inappropriate use include but are not limited to the following:

• Accessing, uploading, downloading, or distributing pornographic, obscene, or sexually explicit material;

• Transmitting obscene, abusive, sexually explicit, or threatening language;

• Violating any local, state, or federal statute;

• Accessing another staff member's materials, information, or files without permission from the staff member;

• Violating copyright or otherwise using the intellectual property of another individual or organization without permission;

• Vandalizing, defined as any unauthorized access and/or malicious attempt to damage computer hardware/software or networks or destroying the data of another user, including creating, uploading, or intentionally introducing viruses;

• Using the network for commercial, advertisement, or political purposes;

• Using e-mail lists from the district's Internet site, network, or servers to create mailing lists for non-school purposes;

• Installing software or hardware for use on the district computers and network unless approved by the Director of Technology.

The district issued iPad, computer, cords and carrying case are all the property of Clay County Schools. This equipment is on loan to the educator and must be used in accordance with the following policy: As a faculty member, you acknowledge responsibility for your district owned computer. Should damage occur to the computer due to your negligence (damage that is not covered by warranty such as liquid spills or broken displays), you will be responsible for paying the cost to fix or replace the computer or iPad.

Communication over networks should not be considered to be private. Messages may be diverted accidentally to another destination. Building administrators or their designees may review directories or messages to ascertain compliance with network guideline for acceptable use. Building administrators or their designees may delete files that are not kept to a manageable storage level or are deemed inappropriate.

District staff member who make decisions regarding student access to the Internet shall, in making such decisions, at all times consider the district's educational mission and the district's Acceptable Use of Technology by Students policy.

Users are responsible for maintaining a safe and secure environment. Users will keep passwords secure and will change passwords when directed by the Director of Technology.

Any user identified as a security risk or having history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access.

Copyright law shall be respected for all Internet and on-line services.

The district makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the technology access provided. The district shall not be responsible for any damages suffered, including the loss of data resulting from delays, nondeliveries, misdeliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or user errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet shall be at the user's risk. The district denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its system and is not liable for any commercial transactions conducted through its system.

Any statement of personal belief found on computers, networks, the Internet, e-mail, other online services, or any other telecommunication system is the author’s individual point of view, and not that of the school district, school, or district staff. No representations to the contrary shall be published without written approval from the Superintendent, Director of Technology or Building Administrators. The Superintendent, Director of Technology or Building Administrator may review all content in any Internet or online accounts paid for, in whole, or in part, by the district or any school, without notice of any kind.

The Clay County Board of Education recognizes the importance of social media for its employees and acknowledges that its employees have the right under the First Amendment to speak on matters of public concern. However, the Board will regulate the use of social media by employees, including employees' personal use of social media, regardless of whether or not the technology used belongs to the district, when such use:

1) Interferes with the educational process;
2) Disrupts the work of the District;
3) Breaches confidentiality obligations;
4) Creates a hostile work environment;
5) Violates the law, Board policies and/or other school rules and regulations;
6) Is inconsistent with professional codes of conduct.

The Clay County Board of Education therefore adopts the following guidelines for the use of social media by Board employees.

Administration includes the Superintendent or designee.

Social Media denotes a network-based system that enables people to interact with one another online via user-generated content, messaging, and other interactive tools. For the purpose of this policy, the terms social software and social media may be used interchangeably.

Examples are blogs and micro-blogs such as Twitter, wikis, video sharing such as YouTube, social networking such as Facebook and LinkedIn, virtual worlds such as Second Life, and image sharing networks such as Flickr and Picasa. It is recognized that these are current examples and that social software and media will continue to change.

If an employee wishes to use Facebook or other similar social media sites for instruction, to communicate meetings, activities, games, responsibilities, announcements, etc., for a school-based club or a school-based activity or an official school-based organization, or an official sports team, regardless of whether or not the technology used belongs to the district, the employee must also comply with the following rules.

• The employee must seek and obtain the permission of his/her supervisor prior to setting up the site.

• The employee must set up the club, etc., as a group list which will be “closed and moderated.”

• Anyone who has access to the communications conveyed through the site may only gain access by the permission of the employee (e.g. teacher, administrator, supervisor or coach). Persons desiring to access the page may join only after the employee invites them and allows them to join.

• Parents shall be permitted to access any site that their child has been invited to join.

• Access to the site may only be permitted for educational purposes related to instruction, the club, activity, organization or team.

• The employee responsible for the site will monitor it regularly.

• The employee’s supervisor shall be permitted access to any site established by the employee for a school-related purpose.

• Employees are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries in the establishment and maintenance of all such district-sponsored social media activity

1. Employees are required to maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students, parents, and colleagues. For example, it is not appropriate for a teacher or administrator to "friend" or accept as a "friend" a student or his/her parent or guardian or otherwise establish special relationships with selected students through personal social media, and it is not appropriate for an employee to give students or parents access to personal postings unrelated to school. However, it is not necessary to break existing social media relationships with parents/guardians.

2. Employees are required to comply with all Board policies and procedures with respect to the use of computer equipment, networks or electronic devices when accessing social media sites while on school property. Any access to personal social media activities while on school property or using school district equipment must comply with those policies and may not interfere with an employee's duties at work.

3. The Administration has the right to monitor all employee use of district computers and other district electronic devices, including employee blogging and social networking activity. An employee should have no expectation of personal privacy in any personal communication or post made through social media while using district computers, district cellular telephones or other district information technology, as noted in the Acceptable Use Policy. All posts on personal social media must comply with Board policies concerning confidentiality, including the confidentiality of student information. If an employee is unsure about the confidential nature of information the employee is considering posting, the employee shall consult with his/her supervisor prior to making the post.

Violation of this policy may lead to discipline up to and including the termination of employment consistent with state and federal law.

Adopted:
• February 5, 2001
• October 3, 2005
• December 4, 2006
• August 3, 2009
• December 5, 2011