The Importance of Social-Media Guidelines

For most of us, social networks like Facebook and Twitter have become staples in our lives. However, the blending between our personal and professional lives is an art many of us are still struggling with. One profession in particular has caught my attention recently: education.

I came across this article about the Ridgefield Board of Education and its new personnel policy designed to limit staff communication with students through social-networking media like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. It got me to thinking: Is this really the approach we want to take? Members of the board interviewed for the article seem to have conflicted ideas of the correct approach to the new policies. For example, one board member stated: