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Social media is pervasive in our society and is a great way to communicate and stay connected with others, but it is important for educators to separate their professional and personal social media presence. As educators, we must be aware of the public nature of our roles and realize we are looked upon as moral leaders of the community. Because of this, we “carry the weight of several types of responsibility” which has been amplified by heightened political tensions and division in our communities. As an educator, it is imperative to be thoughtful and cautious about what you post publicly on social media – and what is considered “public.” Many educators have had unwanted media attention and been disciplined, even had action taken against their licenses, because they did not perceive their social media postings as “public.” Below are 6 ways to separate your public and private social media sites:

1. Only use the social media site that your administrator approved for communication with students and parents. Use a professional third-party app such as “Remind,” or whichever communication tool your school has chosen, for work-related communication. Keep your school and personal accounts separate.
2. Set the privacy settings on your personal account to the most restrictive settings. For Facebook, that means “friends only.” Require permission before someone follows you. Be aware that the default setting on most social media accounts is public.
3. Do not list your employer on your personal profile page. This blurs the distinction between you as a private citizen and your role as an educator and employee of the District.
4. It is important that educators contribute our voices to education concerns, but do not discuss the specifics of your job. When posting job-specific concerns on social media, many courts have ruled that educators are speaking as school district representatives. This view can cause a disruption to your employer which is cause for discipline. These problematic posts often include references to your classroom, school, and/or the District.
5. Do not friend or follow students on your personal pages or allow them to follow you. The same goes for their parents.
6. Do not post personal pictures or tag other teachers on your public social media site. You must remember that students and parents will be checking them out, oftentimes looking for things they deem unprofessional.

These steps will help keep you out of the media spotlight and help prevent you from getting disciplined for things related to your social media accounts. If you have questions about what is or is not appropriate, please contact us!

Subject of Class:  Effective Communication
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Date/Time: March 14th at 5:00pm

Location: This class will be available via Zoom only. Please see sign-up instructions below.  

As part of our ongoing classes for Start, Succeed, and Sustain: Incorporating Wellness Throughout Your Career, on Monday, March 14, 2022 at 5:00pm, we will be talking about how to become more effective in communicating with family members, co-workers, and students.   We will discuss the number one strategy for being a great communicator.  Along with other strategies to help navigate tough or sensitive conversations.  We will also discuss potential barriers or obstacles that negatively impact our communication.   

Please join us if you are interested in becoming a more confident and effective communicator. This class will provide 1 point towards recertification. Please sign-up using the link below. 
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Sign up today!

Spring Surplus 2022
by Jessica Dunn, Executive Director
 
The surplus process guarantees ongoing employment if a school or program experiences a decline in enrollment. That means, if your school or department is overstaffed and needs to downsize for the next school year, the employee(s) selected as surplus based on multiple factors including seniority, will keep their employment but be placed at another school or location within Granite School District. You can read the negotiated language about the surplus process in the Professional Agreement, sections 16.4 and 16.5. This year’s dates for the GSD spring surplus are as follows:

Other Important Dates:
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Elementary principals will notify teachers of their tentative teaching assignment by April 14. Secondary principals will notify teachers by May 1.

Starting at noon on March 15, elementary postings will begin. Secondary positions will begin to be posted on March 17, exact time TBD. Teachers who are interested in applying to other jobs, need to check Frontline on a daily basis. 
July 11 is the last day to transfer to a different GSD school location as well as the last day to resign without getting fined for not giving a 30-day notice.

All candidates hired after July 11 will have to come from outside the district.

If you have questions or concerns about how any of these processes impacts you, please contact your Association Representative (AR) or call our office at 801-266-4411.