SECTION II: BENEFITS 

Insurance

MTCS will contribute a monthly amount toward group health and dental benefits for each  eligible employee and his/her dependents. This amount will be decided annually by the Board of  Directors. MTCS will also provide life, short term disability, and long term disability insurance  for all eligible employees. The amount and type of coverage will be approved by the Board of  Directors each year. Any employee who is scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week is eligible to receive  benefits. For information about coverage and eligibility, please contact Human Resources staff. MTCS will continue to pay its share of the insurance premiums if you are on FMLA leave for up  to 12 weeks. MTCS will also continue to provide insurance coverage to you if you are on an  authorized leave of absence for the duration of the leave of absence, as long as you pay the full  premiums. If you are no longer employed by MTCS, the school will offer COBRA continuation  coverage, to the extent required by law. Vacation 

Vacation time is only available for employees who work twelve (12) months a year. The amount  of vacation will be communicated in an employee’s individual contract, and the use of vacation  time must be approved in advance by Human Resources staff. MTCS reserves the right to refuse  vacation date and time requests based on staffing needs. Sick and Safe Time Leave

Sick and Safe Time Leave for employees is governed by this policy, as well as the Sick and Safe Time Ordinances enacted by the City of Minneapolis and City of St. Paul, depending on your work location. In general, Sick and Safe Time Leave may be used by employees for a personal medical issue; for the care of a family member; for absences related to domestic abuse, sexual assault, or stalking; or for absences caused by the closure of MTCS or a family member’s school or place of care in certain emergency circumstances, such as inclement weather or public emergency. Specific permissive uses of Sick and Safe Time leave are defined in Section 40.220 of the Minneapolis Ordinance and in Section 233.04 of the St. Paul Ordinance. Sick and Safe Time Leave may only be used for the purposes outlined in the Ordinances and the Employee Handbook, and may not be used as additional personal days. For purposes of this policy, “family members” are defined as an employee’s child, step-child, adopted child, foster child, adult child, spouse, sibling, parent, step-parent, mother-in-law, father in-law, grandchild, grandparent, guardian, ward, members of the employee’s household, or registered domestic partner, any of the above family members of a spouse or registered domestic partner, or any other individual related by blood or whose close association with the employee is the equivalent of a family relationship. This definition shall automatically include any and all future revisions to the definition of “family members” in the Minneapolis or St. Paul Ordinances. Every year on July 1st, full time (8 hours per day) exempt and non-exempt employees will receive eighty (80) hours of Sick and Safe Time Leave to be used during the school year. Immediately upon the commencement of employment, all part time, exempt and non-exempt employees will receive one (1) hour of Sick and Safe Time Leave for every eighteen (18) hours they work between July 1 and June 30, up to a maximum of eighty (80) hours. In the event employment should end for any reason, no amount of forwarded sick and safe time will be paid to the employee, as it carries no cash value. Exempt and non-exempt employees who start mid-year will begin accruing Safe and Sick Time Leave at a rate of one (1) hour of Sick and Safe Time Leave for every eighteen (18) hours worked, commencing on the employees start date. When using Sick and Safe Time Leave, nonexempt employees must use at least 15 (minutes) in any single instance. Exempt employees must use at least four (4) hours of Sick and Safe Time Leave in any single instance. All employees are permitted to carry over Sick and Safe Time Leave into subsequent years. However, an employee’s total amount of accrued Sick and Safe Time Leave may not exceed 80 hours (10 days) at any time. 8 If the need for Sick and Safe Time Leave is foreseeable, an employee MUST notify his or her supervisor and enter the absence in the online system at least seven (7) days in advance of the absence, or as soon as the need for such leave is foreseeable. If the need for Sick and Safe Time Leave is not foreseeable, an employee MUST notify his or her supervisor and enter the absence in the online system by 6:00 a.m. or as soon as practicable on the day of the absence. The website for entering absences is www.zeneducate.com/us/. Violations of this policy may result in disciplinary action. In the event that an employee’s use of Sick and Safe Time Leave exceeds three (3) consecutive calendar days, an employee must provide documentation, if requested by Human Resources staff or the Superintendent, to demonstrate the need for the use of Sick and Safe Time Leave. At any time, an employee has access to review the amount of Sick and Safe Time Leave used and his or her remaining balance by logging into the SmarteR website. Unused and/or accrued Sick and Safe Time Leave has no cash value upon termination, retirement or the end of an employee’s contract, and will not be paid out. If an employee suspects MTCS has violated any provision of the Minneapolis Sick and Safe Time Ordinance, MTCS encourages that employee to bring the suspected violation to the attention of the Superintendent. MTCS will investigate and attempt to remedy any suspected violation. Alternatively, an employee may report suspected violations to the Minneapolis Department of Civil Rights or the St. Paul Department of Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity within 365 days of the suspected violation. The Departments have the discretion to investigate alleged violations and may order appropriate relief. Please see the Ordinances if you have further questions about your rights or remedies under the Ordinances. Personal Days

Employees may designate up to four (4) days each school year as Personal Days. Unless there is  good cause for a delay, employees must request the personal day(s) at least two weeks in  advance of the personal day. Employees should complete a Time Off request via the absence website that is approved by their Building Administrator. The Building Administrator will review the requests  at the time they are received and may deny the request if adequate coverage for the building is  unavailable. Four (4) consecutive days of Personal Days may be used without prior  written approval of the Superintendent. All Personal Days will be deducted from an employee’s  available sick and safe time. Bereavement Leave

Up to three (3) days of bereavement leave may be used per occurrence by the employee upon the  death of an immediate family member. For purposes of this section, immediate family member  means the employee’s spouse, child, parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, or the death of a  spouse’s parent, grandparent, grandchildren or sibling. Bereavement leave may also be taken in  the event of the death of other persons living in the employee’s household, regardless of the employee’s relationship with that person. Employees may use one (1) day of bereavement leave for the death of an uncle, aunt, cousin or  for the death of a spouse’s uncle, aunt or cousin. An additional two (2) days of bereavement leave may be granted by the Superintendent  depending upon the individual circumstances (such as distance to the funeral, the closeness of  your relationship with the deceased, etc.). Such requests should be made in writing. Early Leave Request

It is expected that all MTCS employees will honor their commitment to the students of MTCS,  and therefore, must work all of their scheduled hours. All employees who request to leave  before the end of their regularly scheduled day must submit a written request to their Building  Administrator. The Building Administrator will review the request and will respond to the employee in a timely manner. MTCS reserves the right to deny all requests concerning early  leave, for any reason or no reason. Any employee who has been given permission to leave early may have time deducted from their  sick and safe time. If the employee has no sick and safe time days available, then the employee  may receive a payroll deduction. Family and Medical Leave

In accordance with the requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act (“FMLA”), MTCS  provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave to eligible staff members for the  following reasons: your incapacity due to pregnancy, prenatal medical care, or child birth; to care  for your child after birth, or placement for adoption or foster care; to care for your spouse, son or  daughter, or parent, who has a serious health condition; or for a serious health condition that  makes you unable to perform your job. You may take any or all of your FMLA leave with pay  by using available sick and safe time days. You may also take your FMLA leave as unpaid  leave. The maximum length of FMLA leave, whether paid, unpaid, or a combination of paid/unpaid,  shall not exceed 12 weeks. If you take FMLA leave due to your own serious health condition, prior to returning to work,  you will be required to provide certification from a physician stating that you are able to resume  your work activities. During the time that you are on FMLA leave, MTCS will continue to pay its share of the  premiums for your health and dental insurance. MTCS may seek to recover any insurance  premiums paid on your behalf if you do not return to work. Military Leave

If you are called up for military duty, MTCS will grant you military leave in accordance with  State and federal law. Pursuant to Minnesota Statutes section 192.26, as amended, any employee  who qualifies for leave under that provision shall be granted up to fifteen (15) days of paid  military leave in each calendar year. MTCS requests that employees attempt to minimize  disruption to the school environment in the scheduling of such leave, when possible. Jury Duty

If you perform jury duty, are subpoenaed, or a prosecutor requests to call you as a witness in  court, you will receive compensation from MTCS equal to the difference between your regular  pay and the amount received as a juror or witness, minus mileage reimbursement. Any notice an employee receives for jury duty or a subpoena to testify as a witness must be  turned in to their direct supervisor as soon as possible so that arrangements for substitutes may  be put in place. Voting Leave 

MTCS encourages all employees to vote. It is the policy of MTCS to comply with all state  election law requirements with respect to providing employees, when necessary, with time off to  vote. If an employee has four consecutive hours either between the opening of the polls in his or her  community and the beginning of the workday or between the end of the workday and the closing  of the polls, it will be deemed that the employee has sufficient time outside his or her normal  working hours within which to vote in a qualifying election, as defined in state law. If an employee has less than four consecutive hours as described above, he or she may take off as  much working time as will, when added to his or her available voting time outside normal  working hours, enable him or her to vote in a qualifying election, as defined in state law. No  penalty or deduction from salary or wages will be enforced. School Conferences & Activity Leave 

As per Minnesota Statute 181.9412, as amended, employees are allowed up to sixteen hours of  unpaid leave during any twelve-month period to attend school conferences or classroom  activities related to the employee’s child, provided the conferences or classroom activities cannot  be scheduled during non-work hours. This leave also applies to attendance at conferences and  activities for an employee’s child who receives child care services as defined in Minnesota  Statutes section 119B.011, subdivision 7, as amended, or attends a pre-kindergarten regular or  special education program. Workers’ Compensation

If you are absent from work due to an injury or illness from which you are eligible to receive  workers’ compensation benefits, you may use your accrued sick and safe time days to balance  the difference between your MTCS pay and the workers’ compensation benefits. Emergency Leave

The Superintendent may grant paid time off to employees in the event of natural or man-made  event if such circumstances would threaten the health and/or safety of employees, e.g., a “snow day.” The closing of MTCS due to such emergency circumstances will be  determined by the Superintendent and will be announced on local television news channels and  other outlets. MTCS will generally close school on such days the Minneapolis Public Schools  are closed. Non-exempt employees will not be paid on school closure days if they are not  required to report to work and will instead be paid for their work on any scheduled make-up  days. Travel and Related Expenses

If you use your own vehicle for pre-approved MTCS business, you will be reimbursed at the  then-current Internal Revenue Service reimbursement rate for mileage. Parking, tolls, and  related costs will also be reimbursed. If you incur any lodging or transportation costs in the course of conducting pre-approved MTCS  business, you may be reimbursed as documented by receipts for such expenses. Any lodging expense must be approved in writing by the Superintendent prior to incurring the expense.  Lodging requests that are less than 50 miles from the MTCS District Office will not be considered for reimbursement. MTCS may reimburse you for the cost of meals when you are conducting MTCS business  outside of the school building. Conferences

MTCS will allow employees to attend approved conferences for staff development. Conferences  must be approved by your immediate supervisor, the Director of Curriculum, and the  Superintendent in advance of the conference date. Requests to attend a conference must be  submitted at least sixty (60) days prior to the conference’s scheduled date. MTCS will pay  reasonable conference fees for the approved conferences. Attendance at approved conferences will not count against your sick and safe days. Employees who request to attend conferences  during their vacation time will not earn comp days. Sick Time Pool Policy

Minnesota Transitions Charter School (MTCS) has created an Emergency Sick Leave Pool (ESLP) for employees who are experiencing a medical emergency, or whose immediate family member is experiencing a medical emergency.  This is not a benefit provided by MTCS, but rather a benefit that is provided by coworkers through the voluntary donation of sick leave.  Employees have no right to receive ESLP leave, and the decision of MTCS on whether to grant a leave request is final.  To be eligible to receive ESLP leave, an employee must have donated sick leave into the pool at some point during their employment with MTCS. For purposes of the ESLP, a medical emergency is defined as a medical condition that will require the employee to be absent for more than ten consecutive days, and will result in a substantial loss of income to the employee because they have exhausted all other forms of paid leave and would not receive pay for ten consecutive work days.  A qualified, licensed medical doctor must have diagnosed the employee or immediate family member with the medical condition, and the medical condition must be recognized as a valid medical condition by the mainstream medical community.  Maternity and paternity leave are not considered to be a medical emergency for the purposes of the ESLP.  An immediate family member for purposes of the ESLP is a spouse or child as defined in the Employee Handbook. The ESLP will be established by voluntary donations from employees of MTCS.  Employees may donate up to two (2) days of sick leave per school year.  The donation window will open on July 1 and will close on September 30 of each year.  The Human Resources department will be responsible for the collection and oversight of employee donations and will adjust time off as applicable.  All donations are confidential and nonrefundable.  Once an employee donates a day of sick leave to the ESLP, the employee cannot rescind or retract the donated sick leave for any reason.  If at any point the pool is not self-sustaining, MTCS may provide employees an opportunity to donate additional days of accumulated sick leave.  Any unused sick leave days remaining in the ESLP at the end of a school year shall remain in the ESLP and carry over as unused sick leave days into the next school year. MTCS has no obligation to grant leave from theESLP if all donated days have been exhausted. Employees who are experiencing a medical emergency, or whose immediate family member is experiencing a medical emergency, are eligible to receive up to thirty (30) days of paid sick leave from the ESLP during their career with MTCS.  To obtain such leave from the ESLP, an eligible employee must submit the following to the Director of Human Resources and their building Director:

1. ESLP Request Form; and
2. A medical certification from the employee’s treating physician, or the treating physician of the eligible family member.

MTCS may require additional information, as it deems necessary, to determine whether the employee or eligible family member has a legitimate medical emergency.  Employees may not begin to draw paid sick leave from the ESLP unless and until the Director of Human Resources and their building Director approves the request. All requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis to ensure the distribution of the ESLP is administered as equitably as possible. MTCS’s decision to grant or deny leave from the ESLP is final and not subject to any appeal or to the grievance process. Employees will immediately become ineligible to receive paid sick leave from the ESLP if they become eligible to receive benefits from another source, such as short-term disability insurance, long-term disability insurance or workers’ compensation.  MCTS is not responsible for the tax consequences an employee may incur as a result of donating to and/or receiving paid sick leave from the ESLP, and makes no representations regarding an employee’s potential tax consequences.

SECTION III: ETHICS AND PERSONAL CONDUCT 

Conflicts of Interest

MTCS expects all employees to avoid activities that create conflicts of interest with their  responsibilities to MTCS. Each employee has an obligation to refrain from activities that  conflict or interfere with MTCS operations or with others with whom MTCS does business. As  an employee, you are required to report any potential conflict of interest to the Superintendent. Conflicts of Interest include, but are not limited to:

• Outside employment: Outside employment or business interests that interfere  with scheduled school hours and/or events.
• Gifts and Entertainment: Employees shall not accept gifts of more than nominal  value from individuals or businesses which do or seek to do business with MTCS. This  includes travel, living, or entertainment expenses.
• Legal Requirements: Employees must not do anything in the conduct of business  that would violate any local, state, or federal law.
• Political Activities: All support of political candidates or issues must be on the  employee’s own time, with no use of MTCS facilities and vehicles, and the employee  must not represent himself/herself as acting on behalf of MTCS.

Removal of Property

No employee will remove MTCS property from MTCS premises without first obtaining written  permission from the supervisor responsible for the property in question. Removing or attempting  to remove MTCS property without permission may be grounds for disciplinary action. MTCS property includes, but is not limited to:

1. Materials, equipment, tools, and computer parts.
2. Property owned by MTCS or other employees.
3. Confidential literature including technical, sales, and quality control documents.
4. Computers, software, software manuals, tapes, and other storage materials.
5. Information identified as proprietary or a trade secret.

Personal Conduct 

1. Employees must take no action or work in any manner that may cause injury to  themselves or their fellow employees or students.
2. Employees must not do anything to interfere with other employees’ abilities to  perform their own work.
3. Fighting (verbal or physical) between employees is prohibited.
4. Abusive language and threatening gestures towards other employees, students, or  parents will not be tolerated.
5. Gambling or any kind of bookmaking on MTCS property is prohibited.
6. Drinking alcoholic beverages, the use of illegal drugs, and/or the unauthorized use  of prescription drugs on MTCS property is prohibited.
7. Posting or showing obscene drawings or photographs or using inappropriate  sexual language is prohibited.
8. Any other illegal or inappropriate actions, or any violations of these personal conduct rules, may lead to disciplinary action.
9. Each MTCS employee is expected to exercise good judgment and professionalism in all interpersonal relationships with students, at all times, including on or off-duty and on or off of MTCS locations. Such relationships must exclusively be and remain that of a teacher-student basis or an employee-student basis. Regardless of the circumstances, habitation between MTCS employees and students is forbidden and will lead to discipline unless the employee and student are relatives or the employee is the student’s legal guardian, including a foster parent. This section applies to students living with employees and employees living with students.

SECTION IV: SCHOOL OPERATIONS  Supervision  Students must have adult supervision at all times while at MTCS, and may not be left  unattended. In an emergency situation, the supervising employee shall continue to supervise the  students under his or her direction until relieved by a school administrator. Mandatory Reporting  MTCS policy and accompanying procedures are designed to ensure compliance with the state  law that requires mandatory reporting of neglect or physical or sexual abuse of minors and  vulnerable adults. MTCS policy requires any employee who knows or has reason to believe that  a child or vulnerable adult is being neglected or physically or sexually abused, or has been  neglected or physical or sexually abused within the preceding three years, to immediately report  such information to the appropriate local welfare agency. Visitors  All visitors (children or adults) must report to the front office upon entering a school building,  sign-in, and wear their name tag at all times. The office staff will locate the person whom the  visitor has requested to see. The office staff will either escort the visitor to the proper  office/classroom or the visitor will wait for the person to come meet them in the front office. If any employee notices an unidentified person in a school area, the employee should ask that  person to return to the front office or the employee should notify their Building Administrator of  the situation. No unidentified individuals will be allowed in any instructional area. Cellular and Personal Phone Calls  Except in an emergency, an employee’s personal and/or non-MTCS business phone calls shall  not be made during their scheduled working hours. Messages may be taken and will be placed in  staff mailboxes or will be transferred to voicemail. Staff must keep their personal use of cell phones to a minimum during their contracted duty day.  All teachers must refrain from using their cell phones during student contact time. Technology and Use of Technology  All Employees are required to review and abide by School Board Policy 524; Internet  Acceptable Use and Safety Policy. Only software purchased by MTCS may be installed on MTCS computers and/or servers. Staff  and students are prohibited from bringing software from home to install on the computer system.  Staff and students are also prohibited from downloading software from the internet without pre approval from the Building Administrator and the technology department. No personal  electronics may be attached to the MTCS computers. Staff are required to monitor the websites that are accessed by students. Staff should report all  inappropriate use to the Building Administrator for possible disciplinary action. Staff are also prohibited from accessing inappropriate material from the internet. Viewing  inappropriate material may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including the termination of  employment. Staff must keep their personal use of the internet to a minimum during their contracted duty day. All staff will be issued an “emailmtcs.org” email. The email system is for business use and  should not be used to send personal emails or to conduct personal business. MTCS emails are  the property of Minnesota Transitions Charter School, and may be accessible to the general  public. Auto-forwarding of MTCS emails to an outside source, such as Gmail or Yahoo Mail, is  prohibited. MTCS employees should refrain from becoming “friends” or “followers” or forming any online  relationship with a student that involves linking or providing the student access to the  employee’s personal social media accounts (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, etc.). MTCS employees should refrain from becoming “friends” or “followers” or forming any online  relationship with a former student that involves linking or providing the student access to the  employee’s personal social media accounts, unless that former student is 18 years of age and has  graduated from high school. MTCS educators who would like to use social media accounts to instruct or communicate with  students for academic purposes may set up a school account. School accounts must be designed  for educational or communication purposes only and may not contain any personal posts, photos, or information. Before creating the account, the MTCS educator must receive approval for the  account from administration. The account must use the school’s name and the department’s  name (ex. MTCS Social Studies Department). A member of administration must be given editing  privileges for these types of accounts. MTCS staff members may use social media accounts as a promotional tool for certain programs.  Before creating or using any account for promotional purposes, the staff member must receive  approval from administration. The promotional account must use the school’s name and the program’s name (ex. MTCS City as a School). A member of administration must be given  editing privileges for these types of accounts. Confidential Information  Data maintained on students or other employees may be classified as private or confidential  pursuant to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), and/or the Family  Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). It is the responsibility of all employees to follow  those laws and avoid disclosing any private or confidential information to individuals who are  not authorized to receive such information. Employees should refrain from sending confidential  information on students to a personal email account of a parent or guardian unless permission is  first granted by a student’s parent or guardian. Children at Work  In general, employees may not bring their children to work, except in special or emergency  circumstances. Exceptions to this policy may be made by the Building Director on a case-by case basis for any such special or emergency circumstances, and all requests must be  preapproved by the employee’s supervisor. Fire, Tornado, and Severe Weather  All staff and students must follow the building procedures for emergencies. Teachers are  responsible for the students in their classroom or under their control at the time of an emergency. If a student is unaccounted for, the teacher responsible for the student must immediately notify  the Building Administrator. Medical Emergencies  In the event that a MTCS student or staff member has a medical emergency, paramedics shall be  called immediately. The Building Administrator must also be notified as soon as possible. Housekeeping  All employees are expected to keep their classrooms and work areas clean and safe. In order to maintain the safety of students and staff, windows in the doors of all classrooms shall remain uncovered to allow for an unobstructed view of the classroom from the hallway. Lunch and Bus Duty  Employees may be scheduled for lunch and/or bus duty by their Building Administrator. These  employees will receive a lunch/bus duty schedule from their Building Administrator. Attendance and Punctuality  All employees, both Exempt and Non-exempt, are expected to work their scheduled work hours  as defined by their Building Administrator. A normal work day for a full-time employee is eight  hours. The lunch period is designated by the Building Administrator and is typically 30 minutes. Any employee who arrives late or leaves early must have written permission from their Building Administrator. This time may be deducted from the employee’s sick and safe time days. Any employee who is habitually late or who habitually leaves early may be subject to  disciplinary action. Arriving Late  All employees are expected to arrive at their scheduled work time. When an employee  anticipates that they will arrive late, the employee should call their direct supervisor as soon as possible. Failure to report a late arrival may result in disciplinary action. Absence  Absence is the failure to report to work as scheduled. All employees must enter their absence in the online absence system prior to being absent from work. Failure to request/log an absence is  considered to be an unreported absence. An employee who has two consecutive days of  unreported absences shall be considered to have voluntarily resigned from employment with  MTCS. Upon returning to work from an unreported absence, the employee must report to his or her  direct supervisor and disclose the reasons for the absence. If the employee’s direct supervisor determines that the stated reason is unacceptable or not legitimate, the employee may be subject  to disciplinary action, and may have time deducted from their sick and safe leave days. Employees with above average absenteeism, as determined solely by MTCS, may be required to  document the reasons for their absences, including providing a doctor’s note. Change of Address  Any employee who changes their home address should notify Human Resources staff as soon as  possible. This will help keep the employee’s personnel file current. Performance Evaluation  All employees will receive a written evaluation from their Building Administrator each contract  year, unless covered by the Q-Comp plan, in which case, the employee will receive evaluations  as required by that plan. The evaluation will be shared with the employee. The performance  evaluation will become a part of the employee’s personnel file. Any employee whose performance is not satisfactory and/or who is found to have violated  MTCS policies may be subject to disciplinary action or may have their contract non-renewed.  Disciplinary action may, but is not required to, include written warnings, suspensions, or  termination. Drug-Free Workplace All MTCS administration and employees are responsible for maintaining a safe and healthy  working environment. For that reason, MTCS has adopted the following policies:

1. The possession, use, or sale of alcohol, illegal drugs, or unauthorized prescription  drugs on MTCS property or while conducting MTCS business is prohibited and may  result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
2. Any employee under the influence of drugs or alcohol while on MTCS property  or while conducting MTCS business may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
3. MTCS may require drug testing if an employee is suspected of using drugs or  alcohol. Any employee who refuses to take a drug test will be subject to disciplinary  action, up to and including termination.
4. Each employee is responsible for reporting to Human Resources staff any use of  prescription drugs that may affect the employee’s judgment, performance, or behavior.

MTCS strongly urges employees to use community health and counseling facilities for help with  alcohol or drug problems. It is each employee’s responsibility to seek assistance before the  problem affects their judgment, performance, or behavior at work. Social Media Use PURPOSE Minnesota Transitions Charter School (“MTCS”) recognizes that social media can be a powerful tool for enhancing learning and communication. The purpose of this policy is to address professional and personal use of social media by MTCS employees.

• DEFINITIONS
• Social Media: A variety of online sources that allow people to communicate, share information, share photos, share videos, share audio, and exchange text and other multimedia files with others through an online or cellular network platform.  Examples include, but are not limited to, websites, social networks, online forums, podcasts, virtual and augmented reality environments, and any other social media generally available to the public or consumers, including, but not limited to, the following platforms: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Snapchat, LinkedIn, Vimeo, YouTube and blogs.
• Employees: Any person employed by MTCS, as well as any agent, independent contractor, volunteer, or other person engaging in work for MTCS.
• District Approved Online Engagement Tools: Tools MTCS has approved for educational and official communication purposes. MTCS has a greater ability to protect minors from inappropriate content and can limit public access with such tools. Examples include but are not limited to the following platforms: the MTCS website and Google Classroom.
• Website:  A set of interconnected web pages that are prepared and maintained as a collection of information by a person, group, or organization.
• On Duty: Includes any time for which the employee is being compensated by the District, excluding vacations, sick days, personal leave, and paid holidays.

III.  GENERAL STATEMENT OF POLICY

• MTCS recognizes the importance of social media networks and platforms as communication and e-learning tools. MTCS may provide select, approved social media accounts and other online engagement tools and encourages use of these tools for collaboration by employees, as appropriate for employees’ roles within MTCS.

Social media, outside of accounts sponsored and approved by MTCS, may not be used for classroom instruction or school-sponsored activities without prior authorization from the Superintendent, or their designee. Additionally, such use must comply with all MTCS policies and with regulations set forth by the social media provider.

• MTCS has official accounts on select social media platforms (Facebook, X, Instagram, YouTube, other) and additional technologies (Google Classroom and MTCS website) it uses in fulfilling its responsibilities for effectively communicating with its various audiences, including the general public. Approved employees may post for MTCS on accounts that have been designated as their responsibility. They are the only employees who may post for MTCS or school/student programs on such accounts without additional approval from the Superintendent or their designee.
• MTCS social media accounts that have been officially approved by the Superintendent or their designee are considered the property of MTCS. Staff members responsible for these accounts cannot take the account(s) with them when they leave MTCS or attempt to change the account name or password on these MTCS social media accounts.
• When a new official MTCS social media account is desired by an employee or group, the request will need to go through a formalized approval process and be approved by the Superintendent or their designee. If the request is for a new website, the same formalized approval process will be followed with approval by the Superintendent or their designee. The login, password, and recovery information for any approved social media account or website will be shared with the Superintendent or their designee and any updates to that information in the future will be shared, as well.
• Employees must limit personal use of electronic devices and/or social media while on duty. If an employee’s supervisor and/or the Superintendent determines personal use of electronics and/or social media is interfering with an employee’s work, restrictions may be placed on employee’s use of personal devices. Such restrictions would take place at the discretion of the Superintendent or their designee.
•     Employees are responsible for any content communicated by them on personal social media sites. All employees must avoid posting any information or engaging in communication that violates state or federal laws or MTCS policies, or attempt to speak on behalf of MTCS without proper approval as outlined above.
• When employees choose to join or engage with MTCS students, families, fellow employees, or members of the general public over non-District-sponsored social media, they must maintain their professionalism as MTCS employees and remain responsible for addressing inappropriate behavior or activity on these networks, including requirements for mandated reporting.REQUIREMENTS

Employees must observe the following rules when referring to MTCS, its schools, students, programs, activities, employees, volunteers and communities on social media accounts:

• Generally, an employee’s postings, displays, or communications in both their personal and professional capacities must comply with all state and federal laws and any applicable MTCS policies.
• Employees must be respectful and professional in all communications (by word, image, implication, and other means).
• Employees may not disclose information that is classified as private or confidential by federal or state law or information that is proprietary to MTCS.
• Employees may not use or post MTCS’s logos on social media or create a social media account that represents MTCS without receiving approval through the process described above in Section III.
• Employees may not post images on social media of other MTCS employees and/or students without consent.
•  Employees may not post any MTCS security data, including but not limited to, nonpublic images of the MTCS school floor plans or blueprints, the MTCS’s emergency response plan(s), or any other data that, if disclosed, could jeopardize the security or safety of students or staff.
• MTCS-Sponsored Social Media Accounts.
• Employees must not use obscene, profane, or vulgar language on any MTCS-sponsored social media network or engage in communication or conduct that is harassing, threatening, bullying, libelous, defamatory or that encourages any illegal activity, the inappropriate use of alcohol, the use of illegal drugs, sexual behavior, sexual harassment, or bullying.

• Employees may not post images of a student on MTCS-sponsored social media accounts if the student’s parent has opted out of image use of their child or has not provided the appropriate approval. Exceptions to this rule include images of students taken in public arenas such as sporting events or fine arts public performances where names were not included.
• If an image of a student is posted on an MTCS-sponsored social media account, the student’s first name may be posted along with their image.
• Employees must ensure that posts made on MTCS-sponsored social media are secular in nature.
• Social Media Accounts Other Than MTCS-Sponsored Social Media Accounts.
• Employees should not use their MTCS e-mail address for social media accounts that are not sponsored by MTCS without approval from the Superintendent or their designee.
• Employees must make clear that any views expressed on personal social media accounts are the employee’s views and do not necessarily reflect the views of MTCS. Employees may not act as a spokesperson for MTCS or post comments as a representative of MTCS on their personal social media accounts.
• Employees may not post images of students on social media accounts not sponsored by MTCS without prior authorization from MTCS and the student or, if the student is a minor, the student’s parent or guardian.
• Employees may not follow, friend, or otherwise connect with current students or former students who are under the age of 18 on any of their personal social media accounts.
• MTCS is free to view and monitor an employee’s publicly viewable social media, website, or blog at any time without an employee’s consent or previous approval or knowledge.
• MTCS recognizes that student groups or members of the public may create social media accounts representing teams or groups within MTCS. When employees, including other programs or advisors, choose to join or engage with these social media accounts, they always do so as an employee of MTCS. Employees have a responsibility for maintaining appropriate employee-student and employee-public relationships at all times and have the responsibility for addressing inappropriate student behavior or activity witnessed on these accounts. This includes acting to protect the safety of minors online.

• MTCS groups, programs, or teams that wish to create a social media account must receive approval through the process described above in Section III. Once the request has been approved, the coach or advisor must provide MTCS with the secure login, password, and recovery information for that online account now and if changes are made in the future. This will prevent the presence of outdated social media accounts that are no longer active.
• The MTCS Superintendent or assigned designees shall not be obligated to, but may choose to monitor social media and respond to content when necessary. An employee who is responsible for a social media post that fails to comply with the requirements set forth in this policy may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination. Employees will be held responsible for the disclosure, whether purposeful or inadvertent, or confidential or private data, proprietary data, and/or security data.
• MTCS routinely monitors and inspects its computer system.  Employees who use MTCS’s computer system have no expectation of privacy in any data that are stored in or transmitted through MTCS’s computer system, including, but not limited to, data showing an employee’s use of MTCS’s system.  Data that are stored in MTCS’s computer system are subject to inspection and may also be subject to disclosure under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and through the discovery process in litigation.  Official posts on behalf of MTCS must be maintained as government data as required by Board Policy.
• As a general matter, public employees have a First Amendment right to use social media to express their views on matters of public concern.  However, this right is not absolute.  When public employees make statements pursuant to their official job duties, they are not speaking as citizens for First Amendment purposes and, therefore, their speech is not constitutionally protected.  When employees are speaking pursuant to their official job duties, they must follow their supervisor’s directives and the MTCS approved curriculum.  Employees may be disciplined for speech that is not protected under the Constitution or a federal or state law.
• Even when speech touches on a matter of public concern and is not pursuant to an employee’s job duties, an employee’s free speech rights must be balanced against MTCS’s right to maintain efficient operations and an environment that is conducive to working and learning.  When balancing these rights, the courts have held that a public employee’s speech is not protected if it would create disharmony in the workplace, impede the employee’s ability to perform his or her job duties, significantly impair the working relationship with other employees who work closely with the speaker, or significantly harm the employer’s image.  Accordingly, employees may be disciplined for speech that creates disharmony in the workplace, impedes the employee’s ability to perform his or her job duties, significantly impairs the working relationship with other employees who work closely with the speaker, or significantly harms the district’s image.

• POLICY REVIEW

This policy will be reviewed on a regular basis. Appendix I: Social Media Use Official Social Media presence on public online social media sites does require administrative approval from the Superintendent or their designee. A request must include the following:

• Sponsoring program, student program, service, etc;
• Proposed social media site or other location;
• Purpose of site, which cannot be served by the current MTCS website or MTCS social media platforms;
• Plan on how to comply with MTCS policies and record retention requirements;
• Plan on how to comply with MTCS branding;
• Description and primary use of site; and
• Plan for monitoring site, addressing policy violations, and ensuring current content.

The online request will be reviewed by the Superintendent or their designee. Written approval or denial will be made by the Superintendent. If the request is denied, the requestor may request reasons for the denial in writing. If the request is approved, the requestor must submit to the Superintendent within two weeks of developing the site the following information:

• The name of the person(s) who will manage the social media site or website;
• The login, password for the new social media site or website; and
• The recovery information for the social media site or website.

When the presence is established, the assigned site manager is responsible for keeping the site current and monitoring the content of the site. MTCS reserves the right to request updates that comply with district branding and policy or the site may be removed. District Social Media as a Communication Tool MTCS has made the decision to use their social media platforms that include Facebook, X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube as communication tools for the following purposes that directly align with our strategic action plan:

• To promote MTCS in a positive light to further enhance our positive, collaborative culture with our Employees, students, parents, and the MTCS community.
• To share information and resources in a streamlined and intentional way across platforms.
• To recruit new employees at MTCS.

MTCS Approved Posting Processes We have identified specific requirements for those posting using MTCS social media accounts and employees advocating for the MTCS using these accounts.

• Assigned Employees will have access to district social media accounts for posting. These Employees will follow these guidelines for employee use of social media. Failure to comply with the rules and guidelines set forth in the Employee Use of Social Media Policy may be subject to discipline, up to and including termination.

• Post meaningful, respectful comments, no spam, and no remarks that are off-topic or offensive.
• Reply to comments in a timely manner, when a response is appropriate.
• MTCS employees may disable comments on MTCS social media posts in order to avoid creating a forum that must be monitored.
• Liking or commenting on other social media accounts should not be a regular practice we engage in through the use of our MTCS social media accounts. Reserve these actions for when you are using personal social media accounts.
• Respect proprietary information, content, and confidentiality.
• When disagreeing with others’ opinions, keep responses appropriate and polite.
• Employees are encouraged to follow MTCS on all social media platforms.

Whistleblower Protection  MTCS will fully comply with state and federal law regarding protections for individuals who report a violation or suspected violation of any federal or state law, or rule adopted pursuant to law, as outlined in Minnesota Statutes section 181.932.  MTCS shall not discharge, discipline, threaten, discriminate against, or penalize an employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment because the employee, or a person acting on behalf of an employee, in good faith, reports a violation or suspected violation of any federal law, state law, or rule adopted pursuant to law to the Board or Superintendent, or to any governmental body or law enforcement official. The disclosures protected under this policy do not authorize the disclosure of data otherwise protected by law. No board member or employee who reports a violation of a law or regulation in good faith shall suffer harassment, retaliation, or adverse employment consequences. Anyone filing a complaint concerning a violation or suspected violation of the law or a regulation must be acting in good faith and have reasonable grounds for believing the information disclosed indicates a violation. All complaints will be promptly investigated and appropriate corrective action will be taken if warranted by the investigation.

SECTION V: DISCIPLINE

Every employee has the duty and responsibility to be aware of and abide by existing MTCS rules  and policies. Employees have the responsibility to perform their duties to the best of their ability  and to the standards set forth in their job description, or as otherwise established. MTCS supports the use of progressive discipline to address issues such as poor work  performance or misconduct. Outlined below are the steps of the progressive discipline  policy. MTCS reserves the right to combine or skip steps in this process depending on the facts  of each situation and the nature of the offense. The level of disciplinary intervention may also  vary. Some of the factors that will be considered are whether the offense is repeated despite  coaching or counseling; the employee’s work record; and the impact of the conduct and  performance issues on MTCS. In some circumstances, the following progressive disciplinary  procedures will be followed:

• Verbal Warning: The building Administrator may meet with the employee to issue a  verbal warning. This warning will be documented and placed in the employee’s personal  file.
• Written Reprimand: The Building Administrator may meet with the employee and  issue a written reprimand to the employee. The written reprimand will be placed in the  employee’s personnel file. Performance improvement plans may be issued as a part of  this meeting or at a separate meeting, depending upon the circumstances.
• Unpaid Suspension: The employee may be placed on suspension without pay for up to  five days. The employee may be placed on probation for up to 90 days following the  suspension. A written reprimand and discussion of the conduct that led to the suspension  may also be placed in the personnel file.
• Termination: The employee may be recommended for termination by their direct  supervisor to the Superintendent and/or MTCS Board of Directors.

As all employment in MTCS is at will, employee may be discharged at any time without regard  to the preceding steps if the employee engaged in conduct for which immediate termination is  appropriate, or if it is the judgment of the Superintendent that the employee’s continued presence  would be contrary to the well-being of MTCS or any of its employees. MTCS also reserves the  right to implement a formal performance improvement plan, in its sole discretion. As an example, the following types of offenses are considered very serious, and immediate  termination will generally be implemented. This list is not intended to be inclusive of all  possible offenses, and MTCS reserves the right to impose any level of discipline for any level of  offense: theft of school property or property of other employees; insubordination or refusing to  follow instructions; drug or alcohol use on the job; intoxication (including the effects of illegal  drugs) during working hours or while representing MTCS; deliberate destruction of school  property; deliberate injury to another person; the intentional release of confidential information;  other offenses that threaten the well-being of MTCS; inappropriate sexual conduct towards staff  and/or students; and/or any other conduct deemed worthy of termination in the sole discretion of  MTCS.

SECTION VI: HARASSMENT/VIOLENCE 

All Employees are required to review and abide by School Board Policy 413; Harassment and  Violence. It is the policy of MTCS to maintain a learning and working environment that is free from  harassment and violence on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender,  age, marital status, familial status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or  disability. A violation of this policy occurs when any student, teacher, administrator, or other MTCS  personnel harasses a student, teacher, administrator, or other MTCS personnel or group of  students, teachers, administrators, or other MTCS personnel through conduct or communication  based on a person’s race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status,  familial status, status with regard to public assistance, sexual orientation, or disability. Harassment is defined as physical or verbal conduct, including, but not limited to, electronic  communications, relating to an individual’s or group of individuals’ race, color, creed, religion,  national origin, sex, gender, age, marital status, familial status, status with regard to public  assistance, sexual orientation, or disability when the conduct:

1. has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or  academic environment;
2. has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably interfering with an individual’s  work or academic performance; or
3. otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment or academic opportunities.

Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, sexually  motivated physical conduct or other verbal or physical conduct or communication of a sexual  nature when:

1. submission to that conduct or communication is made a term or condition, either explicitly  or implicitly, of obtaining employment or an education; or
2. submission to or rejection of that conduct or communication by an individual is used as a  factor in decisions affecting that individual’s employment or education; or
3. that conduct or communication has the purpose or effect of substantially or unreasonably  interfering with an individual’s employment or education, or creating an intimidating,  hostile, or offensive employment or educational environment.

MTCS prohibits all forms of harassment/violence. MTCS enforces a “Zero Tolerance” policy  with regard to such behavior and will abide by all state and federal laws that prohibit harassment. Any employee or student who feels that he/she has been a victim of harassment or violence or  has witnessed an act of harassment or violence by an employee or student should immediately report the incident to his/her supervisor or teacher. If the employee or student is uncomfortable  reporting such an incident to their immediate supervisor or teacher then he/she should report the  incident to the Superintendent. Upon receiving a report or complaint alleging harassment or violence, MTCS will undertake or  authorize a fair, prompt, and thorough investigation, giving careful consideration to protect the  rights and dignity of all people involved. Upon completion of its investigation, MTCS will take  appropriate disciplinary action against individuals who are found to have violated this policy. MTCS will discipline or take appropriate action against any student, teacher, administrator, or  other MTCS personnel who commits an act of reprisal or who retaliates against any person who  asserts, alleges, or makes a good faith report of alleged harassment or violence, who testifies,  assists, or participates in an investigation of retaliation or alleged harassment or violence, or who  testifies, assists, or participates in a proceeding or hearing relating to such harassment or  violence.