BOE adopts district social media policy

With social media entering the classrooms of the Moorestown School District, staff members will also have to adhere to guidelines on how to apply it to their classrooms.

The Moorestown School District Board of Education voted unanimously at the Sept. 17 meeting to adopt a policy that would guide teachers’ use of social media with students.

Prior to the vote, board member David Weinstein explained that the policy was originally scheduled to go before the board in August, but was held for revisions to the policy’s wording. Modifications included outlining the party responsible for policing the policy, which Weinstein said would fall on business administrator and acting superintendent Lynn Shugars.

Board member Christina Zajac also raised concern about the policy limitations in regard to after-school hours and school-based laptops used off school property.

“The idea behind this is to give our staff guidance on social media,“ Weinstein said.

He explained that the policy strongly discouraged teachers from communicating with their students via their own personal social media, but instead advised using online tools the district has put in place.

“Utilize your school-based systems is what we recommend,” Weinstein said.

Weinstein also added that the policy had already been reviewed with all staff members prior to the start of the school year.

Following the meeting, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Carole Butler said the policy was not spurred by current events in surrounding communities, but more so by the students and even some teachers.

Butler said that chatrooms and Twitter are proving to be useful tools to further students’ education, such as hosting online discussions on literature. With most colleges already integrating social media into their curricula, Butler said the Moorestown School District is working to stay up-to-date with current learning trends. But to bring social media into the classrooms, there have to be set guidelines.

“The kids are already using social media, so we want to incorporate it in a safe way,” Butler said.

Most importantly, Butler said the policy ensures that faculty members do not use their personal accounts on social media platforms to communicate directly with students, so personal lives and professional lives are kept separate.

“As an adult, you don’t want to mix home with work,” Butler said.

Following the approval of the policy, board president Don Mishler also addressed the public on the subject of finding a successor for former superintendent Brian Betze.

Mishler commended Shugars in her role as acting superintendent.

“She has done a wonderful job thus far,” Mishler said. “She’s learning a lot.”

Mishler added that the board was moving forward in its search for an interim superintendent and expressed the board hopes to have an appointment in place no later than Jan 1.