Revised: October 6, 2026

1.0 Rationale

District School Board Ontario North East (DSB1) recognizes that digital communication and social media are effective tools for learning, community engagement, and celebrating school achievements. All DSB1 employees occupy a position of trust and are expected to uphold the highest standards of digital citizenship, professional boundaries, and ethical conduct.

This policy establishes standards for social media use in alignment with:

• The Education Act and Ontario Regulation 437/97 (Professional Misconduct)
• The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA)
• The Ontario Human Rights Code and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) provisions on workplace harassment
• Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) Advisory: Maintaining Professionalism – Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media
• College of Early Childhood Educators (CECE) Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice

2.0 Definitions

Employees: All staff including, but not limited to, professional teaching staff, support staff, educational assistants, administrative staff, maintenance staff, and student teachers and co-operative education students placed at DSB1.

Personal Account: An account maintained by an employee for personal, private, and non-work-related expression.

Professional Account: A Social Media account that is dedicated solely to educational, school-related, or board administrative communication. This includes communicating with community, parents and students.

Social Media: Any online platform, network, or interactive application that facilitates the sharing of information, ideas, and multimedia content.

3.0 Policy

It is the policy of DSB1 that all employees maintain distinct professional boundaries, safeguard confidential and personal student information, and preserve public confidence in the education system when engaging online, whether utilizing professional or personal accounts.