How Social Media Is Typically Covered Most states and school districts now explicitly include social media conduct in their professional standards. That usually means teachers must: Avoid harassment, bullying, or threats Avoid discriminatory or hateful speech Avoid inappropriate communication with students Avoid conduct that harms the school’s reputation Maintain professional boundaries online Follow confidentiality laws (FERPA, student privacy) Even posts made “on personal time” can lead to discipline if they: Disrupt the school environment Violate ethics standards Create a hostile environment Undermine trust in the educator Courts have repeatedly upheld discipline when teacher speech damages the educational environment.