4012.1 - Employee Acceptable Use

Acceptable Use: Use is restricted to Employees only. Individuals using the Network without authority, or in excess of their authority, may be subject to discipline.

Privileges: Communications through the Network, including email, web-browsing, messaging services, and other online interactions, may be monitored. Should SBCSS discover improper use of the Network and or SBCSS licenses software and online services, SBCSS reserves the right to discontinue SBCSS Network, application and online services access, and/or take further appropriate employment and disciplinary actions up to, and including, dismissal. This includes all devices Employee uses to access the Network and all SBCSS licensed software and online services.
Termination of Employment: Upon termination of employment, be terminated immediately, and all Network accounts, files, and work product material stored using SBCSS licensed online services shall remain the property of SBCSS.

Personal Responsibility: Employees shall report any misuse of the Network or SBCSS licensed software and online services to their immediate supervisor, department head, or the Assistant Superintendent of Technology and Information Services or designee. Private applications not registered or authorized with the Technology Services Branch will be removed from the system upon discovery. Employees are responsible for the security and confidentiality of passwords (SBCSS Organizational Password Policy 4012.5). Passwords are not to be shared. Employees who choose to use a photo to attach to their personal email account, must use a photo that is professional in appearance.

Services: SBCSS makes no warranties, whether expressed or implied, for the Network and or SBCSS licensed software and online services. SBCSS will not be responsible for any damage suffered while on the Network or using SBCSS licensed software and online services. These damages include loss of data as a result of delays, non-deliveries, misdirected deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the system or the employee’s errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Network or SBCSS licensed software and online services is at the employee’s own risk. SBCSS specifically disclaims any responsibility for the accuracy of information obtained through the Network and or SBCSS licensed software and online services.

Guidelines for Network Use

1. Employees shall adhere to applicable SBCSS and District policies in order to access to either the SBCSS or District Networks and or SBCSS and District licensed software and online services.
2. If Employee accesses either the SBCSS Network and or licensed software and online services or District Network and or licensed software and online services illegally or without prior approval from the technology staff of either SBCSS or District, access may be removed permanently.
3. All devices connected to the SBCSS or District Network and software running on those devices:
   1. Must be the property of either SBCSS or the District.
   2. Must be connected, installed, maintained, and upgraded exclusively by authorized SBCSS or District technology staff or their designee.
   3. Must be operated exclusively by an SBCSS employee or authorized contractor only (and not by family members or friends of the employee); will be secured with a password-protected lockscreen with the automatic activation feature set when host is left unattended according to SBCSS or District policy and
   4. Will be continuously executing approved SBCSS, District virus, malware, spyware, and adware detection software.
4. Personally owned devices can be used for email and approved online software and services access only with the express permission of a supervisor. SBCSS assumes no responsibility for the use of personal devices while on or using the SBCSS Network. Employees understand and acknowledges that if personal devices are used for district business, content may be subject to inspection and public records requests. Employee further understands that Employee has no reasonable expectation on SBCSS devices or on personal devices used for work or when connected to the Network and or SBCSS licensed software and online services.
5. Employees shall not store SBCSS or District data of any kind on their personal devices.
6. Employees shall not open e-mail attachments received from unknown senders, since they may contain viruses or malware, If Employee receives attachments from unknown senders, Employee shall notify the TS helpdesk.
7. All software used by Employees or recommended for student use by Employees (including free apps) must have contracts that comply with the requirements of California Education Code 49073.1 to ensure the ongoing security and privacy of student and staff personally identifiable information. To ensure all software has these requirements, the Employee shall send software requests to Technology Services to review and approve before downloading or using software on District devices or in the classroom.
8. All activities involving the use of SBCSS and or District’s Network, devices attached to that Network, licensed online services, or software installed on those devices may be monitored by the school district at any time without prior notice. This is in addition to any security monitoring solution implemented by SBCSS. Employees understand and acknowledge that they do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy when using District or SBCSS devices, Network or licensed software and online services.
9. All data and information stored on any device owned by the District or SBCSS is the property of the District or SBCSS.
10. Employees are responsible for saving and maintaining data on a designated SBCSS network drive or an approved and authorized online storage service to ensure that the nightly backup and security procedures performed by the Technology Services Branch encompass said data. Drives I and J are designated SBCSS network drives for this purpose. The I drive is the Employee’s individual/personal drive. The J drive is the designated shared drive. Employees are encouraged to store individually produced SBCSS work products on SBCSS provided cloud storage services (Microsoft 365 or authorized Google Workspace instances). There may be additional drives and cloud services for a department. Organizational data is not to be stored on any employee’s personal hard drive(s) or devices, personal cloud storage services, nor on the local drives of the organizationally supplied devices.

Unacceptable Use

The following activities are, in general, prohibited. Employees may be exempted from these restrictions during the course of their legitimate job responsibilities (e.g., systems administration staff may have a need to disable the network access of a host if that host is disrupting production services).

The lists below are by no means exhaustive but attempt to provide a framework for activities which fall into the category of unacceptable use. The following activities are prohibited:

1. Under no circumstances is an Employee authorized to engage in any activity that is illegal under local, state, federal, or international law while utilizing SBCSS-owned resources.
2. Unauthorized copying of copyrighted material, including, but not limited to, digitization and distribution of photographs from magazines, books, or other copyrighted sources, copyrighted music, and the installation of any copyrighted software for which SBCSS or the end user does not have an active license, is strictly prohibited.
3. Exporting software, technical information, encryption software, or technology, in violation of international or regional export control laws. The appropriate management should be consulted prior to the export of any material that is in question.
4. Introduction of malicious programs (malware), packages, or payloads into the network or server environment (e.g., viruses, worms, Trojan horses, e-mail bombs, etc.).
5. Revealing any of your work-related passwords or allowing use of your work-related log-ons by others, including family and coworkers.
6. Using the Network and or SBCSS licensed software and online services to actively engage in procuring or transmitting material or content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination, a hostile workplace or harassment including harassment based on race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability or sexual orientation or harassment through language, frequency, or size of email messages.
7. Effecting security breaches or disruptions of and/or SBCSS licensed software and online services (whether intentional or not).
8. Providing information about, or lists of, SBCSS Employees to parties outside SBCSS without prior authorization from the SBCSS Human Resources and Technology Services branches.
9. Inappropriately using or disclosing confidential information, including but not limited to student personally identifiable information or an Employee’s personal information via the Electronic Network and or SBCSS licensed software and online services, or SBCSS official social media accounts.
10. Exploiting access to any database or computer system for personal gain or personal satisfaction or using Network and or SBCSS licensed software and online services for personal gain in any manner.
11. Sending unsolicited e-mail messages, including the sending of “junk mail” or other advertising material to individuals who did not specifically request such material (e-mail spam).
12. Unauthorized use, or forging, of e-mail header information.
13. Use of unsolicited e-mail originating from within SBCSS’s networks of other Internet/Intranet/Extranet service providers on behalf of, or to advertise, any service hosted by SBCSS or connected via SBCSS’s network.
14. Employees shall not, during or after the terms of his/her employment, disclose or cause to be disclosed to any third party any information designated as confidential without the prior written permission of SBCSS.
     

SBCSS has developed the following guidelines and protocols for Employee use of Artificial Intelligence (“AI”):

• Before allowing student use or before allowing Employees to input student data or personally identifiable information into an AI platform, employees shall ensure that the AI system has been vetted and approved by SBCSS.
• When applicable, parental consent will be attained before open-generative AI systems are used in a manner that requires disclosure of student data or student personally identifiable information. Open generative AI systems are those that use knowledge they collect from users to enhance their knowledge base and create content.
• Evaluation of an AI tool may include whether it:
  • Is an open generative or closed environment for purposes of data collection;
  • Has a privacy setting where data resharing can be limited or blocked;
  • Meets current student data privacy standards;
  • Can be offered in an equitable manner;
  • Any inherent bias can be minimized or eliminated; and
  • Has safeguards in place to confirm that accurate and factually correct information can be provided.
• Employees will be cognizant of the information that they are sharing with any open generative AI system and shall not share any confidential or personally identifiable information of another student, employee, or other person. Personally identifiable information includes, but is not limited to, a person’s name, address, email address, telephone number, Social Security number, or other personally identifiable information. Confidential information includes, but is not limited to, information in a student’s education record, such as their grades and information pertaining to an Individualized Education Plan.
   

SBCSS recognizes the importance of social media as an effective communication method to inform the public about issues impacting public education and services provided by SBCSS. SBCSS is committed to supporting responsible use of the Internet and social media as a tool for sharing information and resources and building knowledge.

All official SBCSS-related communication through social media platforms shall comply with applicable SBCSS policies.

Official SBCSS social media platforms shall be used only for their stated purposes and in a manner consistent with this policy and any other applicable SBCSS policies, and the mission and goals of SBCSS. In using social media, the Superintendent does not intend to create an open public forum or otherwise guarantee an individual’s right to free speech. Social media includes web-based or mobile forms of electronic communication through which users create online spaces for sharing information, ideas, and content, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and other networking sites.

Authorization and Administration of Official SBCSS Social Media Platforms

The Superintendent or designee shall authorize the development of any official SBCSS social media platform and shall establish procedures and content guidelines for the administration and use of authorized SBCSS social media to ensure appropriate and responsible use in compliance with SBCSS policies and procedures, and all federal and state laws and regulations.

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that the purpose of the official social media platforms is clearly communicated to users. Each site shall contain a statement that specifies the site’s purposes, along with a statement that users are expected to use the site only for those purposes.

Appropriate Use of Social Media

All official SBCSS-related communication through social media platforms should always be conducted in accordance with SBCSS policies and procedures. Official SBCSS social media platforms may not contain content that is obscene, libelous, or discriminatory. Employees or students who post prohibited content shall be subject to discipline in accordance with SBCSS policies and procedures.

Users of official SBCSS social media platforms should be aware of the public nature and accessibility of social media and that information posted may be considered a public record subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act and federal disclosure laws.

Users and administrators of official SBCSS social media platforms must provide usernames and passwords to SBCSS officials, so that such social media platforms may be monitored and modified by SBCSS as appropriate.

Users acknowledge that they do not have an expectation of privacy in any content posted on social media sites in their capacity as an SBCSS employee, and employees agree to use best practices and common sense when posting on social media sites.
SBCSS recommends that SBCSS employees:

• Refrain from online interactions with students outside of a District-approved official social media platform used only for classroom and/or professional purposes.
• Refrain from making social networking profiles and personal blogs linked to students’ online profiles.
• Use appropriate discretion when using social networks for personal communications and should limit this activity to off-duty hours and the use of their own electronic communication devices.
• Should use only SBCSS-provided forms of communication to interact with students and parents.

SBCSS social media site articles and comments containing any of the following forms of content will be considered off-topic and shall not be permitted:

1. Comments in support of or opposition to political campaigns or ballot measures;
2. Profane language or content;
3. Content that promotes, fosters, or perpetuates discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, creed, color, age, religion, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, national origin, physical or mental disability, or sexual orientation;
4. Sexual content or links to sexual content;
5. Solicitations of commerce;
6. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity;
7. Information that may compromise the safety, confidentiality, or security of District employees or students, the public, or public systems; or
8. Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party.

These guidelines must be displayed to users or made available by hyperlink. Any content removed based on these guidelines must be retained, including the time, date, and identity of the poster when available.
SBCSS reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of this social media policy or any applicable law.

The Procedure for Social Media

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that official social media platforms provide current and accurate information regarding SBCSS programs, activities, and operations consistent with the organization’s mission and in compliance with SBCSS policies and procedures.

Authorization and Administration of Official SBCSS Social Media Platforms

The Superintendent or designee shall authorize the development of all official SBCSS social media platforms. The SBCSS Communications Office will maintain a list of social media sites authorized by the Superintendent or designee for use by organizational departments and designated employee “Content Publishers” approved to post content.
Employee Content Publishers are expected to know and follow SBCSS social media policies and procedures and are responsible for monitoring and maintaining official organizational presence on social media platforms.

The role of the employee Content Publisher is to add value and provide timely, worthwhile information regarding SBCSS. In addition to this policy and any other applicable SBCSS policies, Content Publishers will adhere to the following guidelines when posting on social media platforms:

1. When discussing the organization or SBCSS-related matters, employee Content Publishers will identify themselves by name and position with the office.
2. Content does not violate copyright or intellectual property laws, and the employee Content Publisher has secured the expressed consent of all involved parties for the right to distribute or publish recordings, photos, images, video, text, slideshow presentations, artwork, or any other material(s) posted.
3. Only those authorized by the Superintendent may use SBCSS brand marks or logos in social media site postings. The organizational logo, department logos, or program logos should not be used in personal blogs or postings.

The Superintendent or designee shall ensure that official social media platforms are regularly monitored. Authorized staff responsible for monitoring content may remove posts based on viewpoint-neutral considerations, such as lack of relation to the site’s purpose or violation of policies, procedures, or social media content guidelines.

Each official SBCSS social media platform shall prominently display:

1. The purpose of the site, along with a statement that users are expected to use the site only for those intended purposes.
2. A statement that the site is regularly monitored and that any inappropriate posts may be removed.
3. Protocols for users, including expectations that users will communicate in a respectful, courteous, and professional manner.
4. A statement that users are personally responsible for the content of their posts and that SBCSS is not responsible for the content of external online platforms.
5. A statement that the posting of copyrighted material requires permission from the copyright owner.
6. A disclaimer that due to the nature of social media, the views and comments expressed on the site are those of users and do not necessarily reflect the views of SBCSS.
7. A disclaimer that any user’s reference to a specific commercial product or service does not imply endorsement or recommendation of that product or service by SBCSS.
8. The individual(s) to contact regarding violation of SBCSS guidelines on the use of official social media platforms.

Employee Professional Conduct on Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms allow employees to engage in conversations in widely accessible social media environments, which can be transmitted, recorded, archived, or otherwise retained even after a user deletes the submission.

The following guidelines apply to all SBCSS social media Content Publishers and all employees who are identified with SBCSS or use their SBCSS e-mail address on social media platforms. These guidelines apply to private and password-protected social media platforms as well as to open social media platforms. To the extent an SBCSS employee is engaging in personal social media use, employees are expected to comply with the following guidelines for professional conduct.

1. If in a leadership role or a personal could reasonably infer that the speaker is speaking on behalf of SBCSS, then Employee shall use a disclaimer such as: “The postings on this site are my own and don’t reflect or represent the opinions of the SBCSS or the department for which I work.” Employees must never use their organizational e-mail account or password in conjunction with a personal social networking site.
2. Employees shall not post content that encourages illegal actions or inappropriate behavior, including but not limited to the use of drugs or drug paraphernalia, membership in organized criminal organizations, or display of pornographic or obscene images.

Third-Party Electronic Media Hosting

Employees shall only use approved SBCSS licensed and managed Office 365 or Google Workspace accounts for storing and sharing work-related information. The use of Google Workspace by Google is limited to SBCSS schools and departments or branches that have been pre-approved by the Technology Services branch. Employees are not permitted to store, publish, or share SBCSS intellectual property and resources on their personal or non-SBCSS-approved online storage accounts. Employees storing and sharing SBCSS information in SBCSS Office 365 OneDrive or SBCSS Google Workspace accounts must ensure that documents and resources are shared only with appropriate SBCSS staff and authorized third parties. Further, employees agree that student work should be posted in such a way as not to compromise student confidential information, including but not limited to information protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

By signing below, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the above policies and procedures and agree to comply with such policies and procedures. I understand that failure to comply with these policies and procedures may subject me to discipline, up to and including termination.
 

Any intellectual property (IP) created by an Employee in the course and scope of their employment shall be the sole property of SBCSS. In accordance with long standing custom and academic tradition, SBCSS does not claim ownership in books, monographs, articles and other similar works created by Employee who is a teacher except where the work is (i) created with substantial use of Employer resources, financial support or non-teacher Employer personnel beyond the level of resources commonly provided to teachers; (ii) created or commissioned for use by the Employer; or (iii) created under the terms of a sponsored project where the project requires that the copyright be in the name of an entity other than the teacher.

If Employee is a teacher, then teacher Employee will retain ownership of the copyright rights in works of authorship that they create while pursuing the usual work of a teacher relating to teaching and research including articles, books, teaching materials and other similar works; provided however that teacher agrees to assign their work (i) created with substantial use of Employer resources, financial support or non-teacher Employer personnel beyond the level of common resources ordinarily provided to teachers; (ii) created or commissioned for use by the Employer including but not limited to works created when, if ever, teacher is acting in an administrative capacity for Employer; (iii) created under the terms of a sponsored project where the terms of the sponsored project require that the Employer or another entity own the copyright rights; (iv) that are computer software and/or corresponding documentation; and (v) courses taught and courseware developed for teaching through SBCSS. However, permission is given for copying and displaying such courses and courseware for non-commercial student use.

All confidential or proprietary information obtained through employment shall be treated as confidential and may not be disclosed without prior written authorization. Employee should assume that any information not publicly available is confidential. In the event of an inadvertent disclosure, Employee shall inform their supervisor.

Upon separation from SBCSS, Employee is required to maintain the confidentiality of all non-public information and is required to return all SBCSS property including documents, data, and any other materials.

Please read this document carefully. Your signature is requested in order to provide you with this access.

cf. 5145.2 - Freedom of Speech/Expression cf. 5131 - Conduct
cf. 4040 - Employee Use of Technology
cf. 4119.21/4219.21/4319.21 - Professional Standards cf. 4218 - Dismissal/Suspension/Disciplinary Action
cf. 1340 - Access to District Records
cf. 9012 - Board Member Electronic Communications
cf. 4119.23/4219.23/4319.23 - Unauthorized Release of Confidential/Privileged Information
cf. 5022 - Student and Family Privacy Rights

EDUCATION CODE

48907 Exercise of free expression; rules and regulations

GOVERNMENT CODE

6250-6270 Public Records Act
6254.21 Publishing addresses and phone numbers of officials

UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 17

101-1101 Federal copyright law

UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 20

1232 Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

UNITED STATES CODE, TITLE 29

794 Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; accessibility to federal websites

CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS, TITLE 34

99.1-99.67 Family Educational Rights and Privacy

4012.1 - Employee Acceptable Use Policy