Social Media Guidelines for NYCPS Staff

Introduction/Purpose

1. Social media can be a tool for informing and engaging students and families throughout New York City Public Schools (NYCPS) to help ensure they have thorough information on our schools and programs and to support student success. NYCPS believes that responsible social media use can be an effective way to share pertinent information and highlight the positive work happening across our school system. 
2. Our goal is to empower schools and superintendents, as well as central offices, to appropriately use social media to engage and inform school communities, provide information on schools and programs, and strengthen the connection between schools and families. These guidelines are designed to ensure that NYCPS professional sites are operated in a safe and professional manner that models healthy social media use. We recommend all staff review the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene’s advisory regarding social media’s effect on youth mental health.
3. All NYCPS stakeholders who utilize social media technology for NYCPS educational purposes, including staff, students, volunteers, vendors, and independent contractors, must do so in a safe and responsible manner. NYCPS strives to create social media environments that are respectful and professional.
4. These Social Media Guidelines (“Guidelines”) provide guidance for employees, volunteers, and vendors regarding recommended practices for official social media use as well as social media communication between NYCPS employees and NYCPS students.
5. Given the public and pervasive nature of social media communications, these Guidelines also contain recommended practices for use of personal social media by NYCPS staff.
6. These Guidelines do not address student-to-student communication via social media. The Discipline Code, together with the NYCPS’s Bill of Student Rights and Responsibilities, set forth expected standards of behavior with respect to student communication. The Discipline Code establishes the range of disciplinary options and guidance interventions that can be used when students engage in misconduct involving social media. Please refer to the NYCPS’s Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Policy (“IAUSP”) for additional guidance.

Applicability

These Guidelines apply to all NYCPS employees. NYCPS will take steps to ensure that other NYCPS stakeholders, including vendors, volunteers, and independent contractors, are informed of these Guidelines.

Definition of Social Media

Social media is defined as internet-based platforms which allow for interactions between individuals or the broadcast of content to the wider world such as X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, and Flickr. The use of TikTok for official NYCPS accounts is strictly prohibited.

1. “Official social media” is work-related social media activity that is in connection with or in furtherance of a staff member’s job responsibilities, such as a school-based page (e.g., an NYCPS principal establishing a Facebook page for his/her school or an NYCPS teacher establishing a blog for his/her class), or administrative, non-school-based (e.g., an NYCPS office establishing a Facebook page to facilitate the office’s administration of a Chancellor’s Regulation).
2. Personal social media use is non-work-related social media activity (e.g., an NYCPS central administrative employee establishing a Facebook page or a X/Twitter account for their own personal use).

Applicability of NYCPS Policies and Other Laws

1. These Guidelines are intended to supplement, not supersede, existing NYCPS policies, Chancellor’s Regulations and laws. Users of official social media sites must comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws, including, but not limited to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and intellectual property laws.
2. All existing NYCPS policies, regulations and laws that cover employee conduct are applicable in the social media environment. These include, but are not limited to, Chancellor's Regulations, the Conflicts of Interest Laws, the NYCPS Internet and Acceptable and Use Safety Policy, and prohibitions on the disclosure of confidential information, doxxing, and prohibitions on the use of harassing, obscene, discriminatory, defamatory or threatening language.
3. Appropriate media consents must be on file for each student before student specific information or images may be posted.
4. Various Chancellor's Regulations impose reporting requirements on NYCPS employees for issues such as child abuse, child maltreatment, school-related incidents and crimes, corporal punishment, verbal abuse, unlawful discrimination or harassment by NYCPS employees, student-to-student sexual harassment, and student-to-student bias-based harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying. For example, see Chancellor's Regulations A-412 – Security in the Schools, A-420 – Corporal Punishment, A-421 – Verbal Abuse, A-750 – Child Abuse, A-830 – Discrimination/ Harassment, A-831- Peer Sexual Harassment, A-832 – Student-to-Student Bias-Based Harassment, Intimidation and/or Bullying. These reporting obligations apply in the social media context.

Registration Requirement

Many schools and leaders currently have social media accounts that they use to communicate with school communities.  Below is a non-exhaustive list of types of accounts that will be treated as official accounts going forward:

• NYCPS Central Office Accounts
• School Accounts
• Superintendent/District Accounts
• Principal Accounts
• Parent Coordinator Accounts
• Athletics Accounts
• Arts Program Accounts
• After School Club (ex. Robotics, chess, arts, dance, civics, debate, e sports) Accounts
• Classroom Accounts

Official Account Registration

All official social media accounts must be registered with Archive Social—which is a service the New York City Department of Records uses to save archives of all government produced social media communications.

For accounts—both those already in existence as well as those newly created—to be registered with Archive Social, the account manager should use this link to add their account to the NYCPS Archive Social account. If you need assistance in connecting these accounts, Archive Social offers tech support that can be scheduled via email (support@archivesocial.com). The NYCPS Digital Team will also be available to assist with any potential issues that arise in this process.

The following are examples of social media platforms where official accounts can be created:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• Threads
• YouTube
• Bluesky*

If you already have a X/Twitter account that your community finds useful, you may continue using it. Additionally, due to the pervasive nature of misinformation on social media broadly and changes to the X/Twitter app more specifically, we advise caution in relying on social media for critical information. Always verify from a trusted source news that you read on social media.

It is recommended that employees use messaging devices or applications that retain records of communications.

Please see the resources at the end of this guidance for creating social media pages and content.

*Bluesky is currently in the process of being added to Archive Social, the Department of Records’ archiving service. Official City policy states to pause posting on Bluesky until it is a part of our official archiving service. Until then, it is recommended to create a Bluesky account in order to secure the handle / username you would like to use in the future but hold on posting until it can be added to Archive Social.

Note: TikTok is banned for use by all city government accounts. If your school is using a TikTok account, they should stop immediately.

Guidance Regarding Official Social Media Sites

Please note, the most effective and trusted way for schools to communicate important information to families is to do so directly and in recipients' preferred language using the NYCPS GAMA tool or other dependable means.

Prior to Establishing a Social Media Account

1. NYCPS employees must obtain their supervisor’s (i.e. Deputy Chancellor/ Executive Directors; Superintendents; Principals/Designee) written approval before setting up an official social media presence, in accordance with these guidelines.
2. Central offices that wish to create a social media presence for their office should work with their Deputy Chancellor, office Executive Director, or their designee, and consult with the NYCPS’s Office of Communications and Media Relations for additional guidance prior to creating a social media presence.
   1. Official social media sites that are non-school-based should have a reasonable relationship to the mission and function of the NYCPS office creating the site.

Establishing a Social Media Account

1. NYCPS employees who have permission to engage in official social media activities must use an NYCPS e-mail address. NYCPS employees cannot use their personal e-mail address for official social media activities.
2. When establishing official social media accounts, supervisors (i.e. Deputy Chancellor/ Executive Directors; Superintendents; Principals/Designee) and employees should consider the intended audience for the site and consider the level of privacy assigned to the site. It is recommended that official, public-facing social media accounts be public.
3. To the extent possible, based on the social media platform being used, NYCPS supervisors or their designees must be given separate administrator rights providing access to the official social media accounts established by NYCPS employees.
4. NYCPS departmental supervisors should be given login credentials for any official social media accounts within their particular school or office, ideally stored on a piece of paper in a safe place.
5. Supervisors and their designees are responsible for maintaining a list of all official social media accounts within their particular school or office.
6. The NYCPS logo should be used for official NYCPS business. Websites that officially represent a school may use the NYCPS logo (see our Visual Style Guide). Official NYCPS social media sites should include language such as: Proud Member of NYC Public Schools, or Official Account for [School, Office, Class, etc.] to identify the sites as official social media NYCPS sites.
7. Be sure to consult with school leadership regarding any relevant social media sites that may be blocked in your building.
8. School-based accounts are encouraged to sign up for the NYCPS Digital Newsletter in order to receive social graphics and sample copy for various school and social media holidays. Please contact digital@schools.nyc.gov in order to subscribe to this newsletter.

Posting to a Social Media Account

1. NYCPS employees should treat official social media space and communication like a classroom and/or a professional workplace. The same standards expected in NYCPS professional settings are expected on official social media sites. If a particular type of behavior is inappropriate in the classroom or a professional workplace, that behavior is also inappropriate on the official social media site.
2. NYCPS employees should exercise caution, sound judgment, and common sense when using official social media sites.  
3. Official social media accounts should be designed to address reasonable instructional, educational, or extra-curricular program matters. The following are suggestions for content that can be placed on official social media sites: 
   1. Videos 
   2. Photos
   3. Fun facts
   4. Uplifting and positive stories
   5. Examples of academic excellence
   6. Athletics coverage
   7. Arts
   8. Civics
   9. Career connected learning.  
4. No personally identifiable student information, as defined in Chancellor’s Regulation A-820 may be posted on professional social media sites that are open beyond the classroom—meaning the account is public and viewable to people outside the school community. If images of students (i.e., photos or videos) are to be posted online there must be a media consent form on file at the school for each child featured. Even when social media is limited to the classroom community (including parents), staff should be sensitive to privacy issues and must comply with FERPA and Chancellor’s Regulation A-820.
   1. If a student’s name is to be shared with consent, it is best practice to only share the first name and last initial.    
5. NYCPS employees should obtain written consent prior to posting photos or videos of other NYCPS employees on official social media sites. If an employee has not given consent or asks for a post containing their image to be removed, the post should be removed.
6. Please be advised that there are strict conflicts of interest rules regarding endorsements/testimonials that all employees must adhere to. In your day-to-day postings, communicating factual information is permissible. Only in very limited situations that meet specific criteria, and with written approval of the Chancellor, may an endorsement be possible. For questions regarding this, please contact the NYCPS Ethics Officer.
7. All social media accounts should prioritize digital accessibility so that everyone—including those with visual impairments—can consume your content. You can learn more about digital accessibility best practices on the InfoHub.

Social Media Professional Development

To schedule a training session on appropriate and effective social media use, contact digital@schools.nyc.gov

Monitoring of Official Social Media Sites

1. The head of office, or their designee, is responsible for monitoring and providing feedback regarding their employees’ official social media sites. The monitoring responsibilities include reviewing the official social media sites on a regular basis. The person responsible for monitoring should be identified internally and must report inappropriate posts to their relevant leadership as well as digital@schools.nyc.gov.
2. If supervisors, or any other member of the school community, discover potentially inappropriate communications or behavior on official social media sites, existing NYCPS reporting requirements must be immediately followed. Depending on the circumstances, the appropriate authorities may include, but are not limited to: school support center staff, borough safety directors, the New York City Special Commissioner of Investigation, the NYCPS Office of Special Investigations, the NYCPS Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, the NYCPS Office of the General Counsel (including senior field counsel), NYCPS Ethics Officer, the New York Statewide Central Register, and the New York City Police Department.
   1. If NYCPS employees learn of potentially inappropriate conduct on an official social media site, they should immediately contact their supervisor. The employee must contact the appropriate authorities, where required, as well as their supervisor for assistance.
   2. Inappropriate conduct should be removed only after a supervisor approves and after proper protocols have been followed.
3. NYCPS supervisors reserve the right to remove postings from and/or disable pages of official social media sites when the material does not adhere to the law or Chancellor’s Regulations or does not reasonably align with these Guidelines.
4. To help monitor relevant social media accounts, it is advised to turn on “push notifications” for any accounts under your supervision. This will ensure that you are notified of every post from those accounts. In general, it is good practice to set up an account with the sole purpose of monitoring the accounts under your supervision. This will help ensure that no posts are missed.
5. To assist in monitoring, the NYCPS employee should regularly examine the default settings for comments on official social media sites and ensure the settings match the type of account. For public-facing official accounts, comments and replies should typically be open to everyone in order to foster community engagement and restricted only as determined necessary by leadership. For classroom or internal accounts, it is recommended to make comments and replies private or restricted to people the account follows as a default.  If the default setting for comments is turned on, allowing any user to post a comment without review, the comments on the site should be monitored regularly.
6. Employees using official social media should have no expectation of privacy with regard to their use of such media.
7. NYCPS supervisors should maintain a detailed log of all reported non-compliant communications as well as any potential violations that are otherwise brought to the supervisor’s attention.

Press Inquiries

Any press inquiries received via official social media sites should be referred to the NYCPS Office of Communications and Media Relations.  

Internal Official Social Media Use

When creating a classroom, school or office social media site, NYCPS employees should reach out to the NYCPS Digital Team for training. Any social media space for a classroom or school should be treated like any other professional workspace.

A site for a particular group within the school (e.g., class or grade) should be a private network. However, NYCPS employees should be aware that there are limitations to privacy settings. Private communication published on the internet can easily become public. Furthermore, social media sites can change their current default privacy settings and other functions. As a result, each employee has a responsibility to understand the rules of the social media site being utilized.

Employees should be aware of and abide by age restrictions for social media sites.

Parents must be notified of a site developed for classroom, grade, or internal school use. (The term parent means the student’s parent or guardian, or any person in a parental or custodial relationship to the student.) School leadership can use the communication method they prefer to share this information with parents. If parents express concern around student use of social media, please see the resources available at the Digital Citizenship page on the NYCPS website.

If an official social media site undergoes a significant change (for example, a Facebook page being used to share questions about reading assignments will now be used to share ideas with a class at a school in another country), consider whether a revised registration form and revised parental notification is needed.

Personal Social Media Use and Communication with Personal Contact Information

To maintain a professional and appropriate relationship with students, NYCPS employees should not communicate on personal social media sites with students who are currently enrolled in NYCPS schools. Employees should generally not contact students through the student’s personal contact information including cell phone numbers, personal email, Voice Over Internet Protocol (such as Zoom or FaceTime), or through social media direct messaging, unless the communication is with relatives or, with parental permission, a student who the employee knows outside of and not connected to their NYCPS employment.

Guidance Regarding Personal Social Media Sites

NYCPS employees should exercise caution and common sense when using personal social media sites:

1. As a recommended practice, NYCPS employees are encouraged to use appropriate privacy settings to control access to their personal social media sites. However, be aware that there are limitations to privacy settings. Private communication published on the internet can easily become public. Furthermore, social media sites can change their current default privacy settings and other functions. As a result, employees are responsible for understanding the rules of the social media site being utilized.
2. A disclaimer should be added to your personal social media account, indicating your views are your own if you write or post about education-related matters, and/or current events. 
3. NYCPS employees should not follow or “friend" students on personal social media accounts (and, to the extent feasible, “unfriend” or unfollow any current students) and should not accept follow or friend requests from students.  
4. NYCPS employees should refrain from “tagging” photos of other NYCPS employees, NYCPS volunteers, NYCPS contractors, or NYCPS vendors without the prior permission of the individuals being tagged.
5. The posting or disclosure of personally identifiable student information, including photos and/or other information that might allow a member of the school community to identify a student, or any confidential information about a student, is strictly prohibited.
6. NYCPS employees may not use the NYCPS logo or make representations that their personal social media sites speak in an official NYCPS capacity. Use of the NYCPS logo that is automatically populated on personal social media sites, such as LinkedIn, is permitted.
7. Personal off-duty, non-work-related social media postings by an NYCPS employee may be protected activity under applicable laws and collective bargaining agreements.  However, expression of one’s personal views, even outside of the workplace and via social media posts or otherwise, crosses a line when it disrupts the school or work environment, is likely to interfere with NYCPS operations, or interferes with the individual’s ability effectively to perform their job. Please see Civic Engagement and Political Activities for further information.

Resources and Examples

The content we share online reflects our school system, and we want people to have positive experiences when interacting with NYC Public Schools. For that reason, we have provided a series of resources and best practices for members of the NYC Public Schools community.

Design and Image Resources

Easy-to-use design software can help create high quality marketing materials. Below is a non-exhaustive list of free online resources. 

Free images to use online:

• Pexels.com
• Unsplash.com
• Coverr.co
• Stockup.sitebuilderreport.com
• Pixabay.com

Free resources for designing digital flyers (or print) and social media graphics:

• Canva
• Microsoft 365 Flyer Templates (the Office of Language Access prefers Word based files)
• QR Code Generator (for making QR codes that link to specific websites to be used on flyers and other graphics)

Tools for designing websites:

• webflow.com
• wix.com
• Wordpress.com

Free icons to use in graphics:

• Iconstore.co
• Swifticons.com

Free sites for additional fonts to use in graphics:

• Fonts.google.com
• dafont.com

Best Practices for Creating Content:

Social media can allow us to share the positive impact our schools have on our students and communities as a whole. If you have ideas about school events or activities to highlight on NYCPS’ main account, please reach out to our Digital Team (digital@schools.nyc.gov).

Before You Capture Content:

• Double check and make sure any NYCPS students who may appear on camera have signed media releases on file. 
• When capturing audio for videos, make sure to try and find a quiet location so that the audience can clearly understand what is being said.
• Make sure you have good lighting or find a room with good, consistent lighting.

Capturing Video or Photo Content:

• Hold the phone steady when filming or taking photos.
• Make sure you have good lighting or find a room with good, consistent lighting.
• Avoid unflattering angles and make sure a person is fully in the frame (make sure their face or head is not cut off in the camera).
• Avoid being backlit (having a source of light directly behind the interview subject).
• Strive to have interesting visuals (posters, art, bookshelves, etc.) behind the subject.
• When capturing audio for videos, make sure to try and find a quiet location so that the audience can clearly understand what is being said.
• Please be aware of any student or person who might appear in the background. There should be no personally identifiable information that the audience can see.

Posting Video Content:

• Vertical video will make our content perform better as the algorithm favors this type of content. Instagram now defaults to reels for all video posts, so prioritizing vertical video is strongly encouraged.
• The shorter the video, the more likely it will get high engagement. Videos should ideally be no longer than 90 seconds.
• Consider using video captions through Instagram’s auto-captioning feature.
• If you are using music in any of your videos, be sure to use royalty free music to avoid any copyright flags.

Posting Photo Content:

• For static image posts, photos can be in landscape or square. Try to get a mix of wide shots and close ups. Make sure the first photo in the post is something that would grab people’s attention (a student smiling or a spontaneous moment).
• When posting stories on Instagram or Facebook, photos can be taken on your phone vertically. Less text is always better. You can add some fun stickers or add some music.

Website Design Best Practices:

• Most important information should be near the top of the page.
• Short sentences and paragraphs are easier to read and will increase reader engagement.
• Line breaks are important for creating white space.
• White space allows the content to breathe and makes it more likely that people will read your text.

Marketing Materials Best Practices:

• Clear and concise communication of critical information
• Visually compelling content
• Well organized layout, clear messages
• Include next steps/action items, as applicable
  

Additional Inquiries

This document is meant to provide general guidance and does not cover every potential social media situation. Should any questions arise, including questions about employees’ speech and expression rights on social media, supervisors should contact their NYCPS senior field counsel or the NYCPS Office of General Counsel.  Additionally, NYCPS welcomes feedback regarding these Guidelines. Because technology and best practices change rapidly, the NYCPS will regularly review and update its guidance as necessary. If you have any feedback or suggestions, please send an email to digital@schools.nyc.gov.

NYCPS is in no way endorsing or promoting any of the applications, products, or services listed within this guidance.

Notwithstanding the guidelines above, postings by an NYCPS employee may be protected activity under applicable labor laws and collective bargaining agreements

Frequently Asked Questions

• Why is NYCPS issuing guidance regarding social media?
  • Given the vast use of social media in our society, NYCPS recognizes the importance of having guidance that provides for the responsible use of this tool. NYCPS is issuing this guidance to provide recommended practices for employees to use this technology in a manner that encourages professionalism, responsibility, safety, community engagement, and awareness. 
• What are some common types of social media?
  • Social media is defined as Internet-based platforms which allow for interactions between individuals or the broadcast of content to the wider world such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube, Threads, Bluesky, and Flickr. The use of TikTok for official NYCPS accounts is strictly prohibited.

• The Guidelines state that they are intended to supplement not supersede, existing NYCPS policies, Chancellor’s Regulations and laws. What does this mean?
  • This means that all social media use should be in compliance with existing Chancellor’s Regulations, NYCPS policies, and applicable federal, state, and local laws. 

• What counts as an official social media account?
  • Any account that uses government resources to post is considered an official NYCPS social media account. Below is a non-exhaustive list of examples of accounts that will be treated as official accounts going forward:
    • NYCPS Central Office Accounts
    • School Accounts
    • Superintendent/District Accounts
    • Principal Accounts
    • Parent Coordinator Accounts
    • Athletics Accounts
    • Arts Program Accounts
    • After School Club (ex. e sports) Accounts
    • Classroom Accounts  
• How can an official account be registered with Archive Social?
  • For accounts—both those already in existence as well as those newly created—to be registered with Archive Social, the account manager should use this link to add their account to the NYCPS Archive Social account. If you need assistance in connecting these accounts, Archive Social offers tech support that can be scheduled via email (support@archivesocial.com). The NYCPS Digital Team will be available to assist with any potential issues that arise in this process.    
• Who monitors professional social media sites and how frequently are they monitored?
  • The head of office, or their designee, is responsible for monitoring and providing feedback regarding their employees’ official social media sites. The monitoring responsibilities include reviewing the official social media sites on a regular basis. The person responsible for monitoring should be identified internally and must report inappropriate posts to their relevant leadership as well as digital@schools.nyc.gov   
• What should NYCPS employees who want to develop professional social media for their classroom, school, or office do?
  • NYCPS employees must obtain their supervisor’s (i.e. Deputy Chancellor/ Executive Directors; Superintendents; Principals/Designee) written approval before setting up an official social media presence. 
  • NYCPS employees who have permission to engage in official social media activities must use an NYCPS e-mail address.
  • NYCPS staff must register the account with Archive Social
  • For any questions, please contact digital@schools.nyc.gov  
• How can an NYCPS employee receive training on appropriate and effective social media use?
  • Contact digital@schools.nyc.gov 
• How should principals address parents who express concerns about their children’s use of social media?
  • Both parents and teachers need to help students be good digital citizens. They both need to support students in using the internet in ways that are safe, responsible, and appropriate. They also help students follow the rules and act in ways that lead to effective digital learning.
  • Principals can refer to the resources found on the NYCPS Digital Citizenship webpage. 
• Certain social media sites are blocked at my school. How can schools access blocked websites?
  • If all principals in a building agree, a site can be unblocked for all schools in the building. Principals can request sites be blocked or unblocked by filling out this online form on the DOE Intranet. 
• What should NYCPS supervisors and their designees, who are responsible for monitoring professional social media, do when they discover or receive a report of inappropriate activity?
  • If supervisors, or any other member of the school community, discover potentially inappropriate communications or behavior on official social media sites, existing NYCPS reporting requirements must be immediately followed. Depending on the circumstances, the appropriate authorities may include, but are not limited to: school support center staff, borough safety directors, the New York City Special Commissioner of Investigation, the NYCPS Office of Special Investigations, the NYCPS Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity Management, the NYCPS Office of the General Counsel (including senior field counsel), NYCPS Ethics Officer, the New York Statewide Central Register, and the New York City Police Department.  
• Can NYCPS employees communicate on personal social media sites with students currently enrolled in NYCPS schools?
  • To maintain a professional and appropriate relationship with students, NYCPS employees should not communicate on personal social media sites with students who are currently enrolled in NYCPS schools.
  • Employees should generally not contact students through the student’s personal contact information including cell phone numbers, personal email, Voice Over Internet Protocol (such as Zoom or Facetime), or through social media direct messaging, unless the communication is with relatives or, with parental permission, a student who the employee knows outside of and not connected to their NYCPS employment.