3.1 All DDSB staff using social media shall practice the principles of Digital Citizenship and abide by the additional guidance set out in this procedure.
3.2 Confidentiality
3.2.1 Staff shall refrain from publishing school and DDSB confidential information – e.g., school financial information, plans that are in development and other similar information that the DDSB has not made available to the public. If any staff member is uncertain about whether information is confidential, they should inquire with their supervisor.
3.3 Privacy
3.3.1 Staff shall not publish personal information about staff, students, parents and guardians and other members of the school community (including images in photos and videos) without explicit informed consent. Photos and videos of students may only be published if a parent or guardian has completed a media consent form.
3.4 Security
3.4.1 Staff shall not use a DDSB password with a personal social media or other internet account. Employees are encouraged to use their judgement if they wish to protect their own privacy by using restricted or locked profiles. This can also help unwanted/uninvited messages from strangers on social media. Do not share personal account passwords with others. (Cybersecurity best practice resources are available to all staff via the Spark portal.
3.5 Accessibility
3.5.1 Staff must consider inclusion when creating and/or posting content to any DDSB associated
accounts and should employ accessibility best practices in using social media, including by:
- adding alternative (alt) text to images, and closed captioning for videos. Many platforms offer an easy-to-use feature (e.g., when you upload a photo to Facebook, click ‘edit’ in the top left corner, and click ‘alternative text’ to use the language they supply or add your own).
- staff that post on DDSB social media channels must ensure that they are not posting screenshots or downloading low-quality images (e.g., from inside the body of emails or from online sources) so that images uploaded are high resolution and easy to read.
- where possible, social media messaging should be written in plain language and employing spacing, lists, demonstrative emoji and/or other strategies to ensure that content is accessible and easy to understand for all audiences. When using hashtags capitalize the first letter of each word (e.g., #SocialMedia).
- avoiding over-use of emoji (which are read aloud by assistive devices).
3.6 Responsible Use of Personal Accounts
3.6.1 While the DDSB respects staff autonomy and personal privacy, staff always have a duty to engage in responsible use of social media. Staff are accountable to the DDSB for what they publish on social media and internet when it is sufficiently connected to the DDSB and/or their DDSB role and it may be considered an extension of the learning and working environment.
3.6.2 Staff should ensure their personal profile and personal social media content is consistent with how they wish to appear to colleagues, parents/guardians, and students.
3.6.3 Staff shall refrain from publishing content that reflects negatively upon the DDSB, poses a risk of harm to community members, violates the rights of DDSB community members or interferes with the performance of their job duties. Staff should be cautious. Even likes, favorites, shares, retweets and other forms of endorsement can create significant issues.
3.6.4 Without such permission, staff shall avoid publishing content to personal social media accounts that may be perceived as a DDSB publication. Staff should consider adding a disclaimer on their personal profiles – i.e., a statement makes clear that their account is personal and not published on behalf of the DDSB.
3.6.5 Concerns regarding personal posts from DDSB staff should be sent to the staff member’s supervisor or to general.inquiry@ddsb.ca if the individual is unsure of the staff member’s supervisor so that the concern can be forwarded.
3.7 Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment
3.7.1 The DDSB welcomes, values, affirms, and respects the identities of all community members andis committed to meeting its Duty Bearer responsibilities under the Human Rights Policy. It is expected that employees engage through all social media with kindness, dignity, and respect for individuals and respect for other organizations. Any use of social media perceived or intended to attack, libel, threaten, discriminate against, harass, demean, or abuse any member of the DDSB community is unacceptable. This includes posts, comments or images that are racist, faithist (including and not limited to antisemitic or Islamophobic), sexist, ableist, homophobic, biphobic, transphobic or discriminatory based on any other Human Rights Code protected ground(s).
3.7.2 Although the DDSB has a responsibility for providing a safe work environment, it has a limited ability to control what happens online and even more so with personal social media accounts. Here are some suggestions for staff to consider when dealing with online abuse:
- report issue to supervisor if abuse is by another employee, student or community member;
- access mental health supports, including through EFAP;
- disengage and block accounts without delay;
- report abuse to the social media platform;
- consider making accounts private; and
- inform the police of any threats
3.8 Communications with Students, Parents, and Guardians
3.8.1 Staff shall not use personal social media or personal e-mail accounts to communicate privately with current DDSB students.
3.8.2 If staff are contacted by DDSB community members via their personal accounts because of their DDSB role, staff shall respond in a manner that is professional and courteous and maintains professional boundaries.
3.8.3 Staff shall not “friend” or “follow” and shall decline friend requests from current DDSB students other than current DDSB students who are family members or family friends.
3.9 DDSB Corporate Social Media Accounts
3.9.1 DDSB has established the following corporate social media accounts run by authorized users in the Communications and Public Relations Department:
- Twitter: @DDSBSchools
- Facebook: @DurhamDistrictSchoolBoard
- Instagram: @DDSBSchools
3.9.2 Information published on corporate social media accounts shall be consistent with DDSB’s Indigenous Education Policy, Human Rights, Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Racism Policy and Safe and Respectful Workplace and Workplace Harassment Prevention Policy and related procedures, and positive schoolclimate related procedures.
3.10 DDSB Classroom Accounts
3.10.1 Classroom accounts provide an opportunity to share the day-to-day life and learning in classrooms. These accounts may be followed by parents/guardians, educators and community members. The DDSB considers classroom social media accounts and sites as an extension of the classroom. What is inappropriate in the classroom should be deemed inappropriate online.
3.10.2 The designated teacher shall be responsible for account configuration and security, educating students about appropriate use and maintaining appropriate use.
3.10.3 The designated teacher shall configure the classroom account to prevent the general public from posting messages, images, video and other content.
3.11 DDSB School Accounts
3.11.1 School accounts provide a window for parents/guardians and the community to see the life and learning that happens in school each day. A school account is also helpful for communicating messages that relate to the entire school.
3.11.2 School accounts shall be expressly authorized by a principal and administered by designated school staff members. Authorizations shall be time limited, and accounts shall be promptly deleted if not longer in use.
3.11.3 Biography should identify as a DDSB school.
3.11.4 Biography should also include link to official DDSB school website.
3.12 DDSB Department Accounts
3.12.1 The designated school staff member shall be responsible for account configuration and security and maintaining appropriate use.
3.12.2 Department accounts are created on behalf of a specific department within a school or the Board. Department accounts may be followed by students, parents and others in the community.
3.12.3 Department accounts shall be expressly authorized by a principal or supervisor and administered by designated staff members. Authorizations shall be time limited, and accounts shall be promptly deleted if not longer in use.
3.12.4 The designated staff member shall be responsible for account configuration and security and maintaining appropriate use.
3.13 Additional Rules for All DDSB Accounts
3.13.1 DDSB accounts shall be established using a DDSB e-mail address, a strong password and multi-factor authentication (if made available by the platform). Credentials shall be stored in a secure password keeper that is accessible to the designated staff member and the authorizing principal or supervisor.
3.13.2 Accounts shall be identified as a DDSB corporate, classroom, school or department account (as
applicable) and include a link to the DDSB website or a DDSB school website (as applicable).
3.13.3 Communications on DDSB accounts between staff and students and parents and guardians are encouraged to take place during work hours in line with the Disconnecting from Work Procedure.
3.13.4 Staff communications on DDSB accounts shall be professional and courteous and shall maintain professional boundaries.
3.13.5 Authorized account users may block or ban a user from viewing a DDSB account for violating the DDSB Social Media Acceptable Use Statement provided they have screen captured the conduct of concern and consulted with the Communications and Public Relations Department. The Communications and Public Relations Department shall maintain a database of banned users with a record of evidence (including screen-captured images).
3.13.6 Decisions to remove posts or close comments to a post may be made by the designated staff member or authorizing principal or supervisor. All posts that center identity shall have comments turned off.
3.13.7 Staff wishing to use Facebook or YouTube-like applications as a method of communicating with
the broader community for Board purposes must ensure that they have received permission from their school administrator or supervisor and provided their supervisor with any passwords and access to these sites.
3.14 Protecting the DDSB Brand
3.14.1 Brand standards have been developed for DDSB social media accounts (Appendix A) to create uniformity and ease of understanding for community members. New account names should be developed in consultation with the Communications and Public Relations Department to ensure clarity. DDSB staff endeavour to ensure that questions and comments are responded to through the posting account, as an official source of information.
3.15 Social Media/Online Content Issues Management
3.15.1 While social media presents a number of positive opportunities, there are times when social media issues can emerge both inside and outside of the classroom and workplace.
3.15.2 In the event of a social media issue or concern involving a DDSB account, staff should consider the following:
- taking screenshots;
- reporting abuse to the social media platform;
- reporting to a principal or supervisor;
- seeking help from a Superintendent and the Communications and Public Relations Department.
3.16 Consequences
3.16.1 In circumstances where the conduct of a staff member is a violation of above procedure, the appropriate supervisor, in consultation with People and Culture, may impose discipline as to the circumstances. For some employee groups, the District may also have obligations to report substantiated findings of discrimination or harassment to applicable employee professional associations and colleges.
3.16.2 The principles of progressive discipline and proportionality will be applied in dealing with any discipline. Discipline could include, but not limited to:
- Verbal warning;
- Written reprimand;
- Suspension without pay;
- Termination of employment.
3.16.3 The decision as to discipline may include a recommendation for professional learning,
counselling or coaching support.
