San Francisco Unified School District and County Office of Education
Administrative Regulation 4019.1
All Personnel – Professional Staff/Student Boundaries
This Administrative Regulation applies to the San Francisco Unified School District and the County Office of Education.
Purpose
This Administrative Regulation sets forth general and specific guidelines for the dissemination of Board Policy 4019.1, Professional Staff/Student Boundaries. This Administrative Regulation is also a notification to administrators/principals/supervisors of their responsibility to provide notice and give clear guidance to employees and all adults who work with or have contact with students (collectively referred to as “Adults”) regarding the District Board Policy 4019.1.
Dissemination of Board Policy 4019.1 Professional Staff/Student Boundaries
A. Employees
- A copy of Board Policy 4019.1 is to be provided to each employee on an annual basis at the beginning of each school year or when the employee reports to the site/work location, if the school year has already begun.
- Board Policy 4019.1 is to be included in the principal’s expectations for teachers at each school site, each school’s Safety Plan, and in the Substitute Folder that is provided to substitute teachers who report to school sites.
- Board Policy 4019.1 shall be included in the list of board policies that newly hired employees are required to review and acknowledge receipt of in writing.
B. All Other Adults Who Work With or Have Contact with Students
A copy of Board Policy 4019.1 is to be provided to any Adult who works with or has contact with students on an annual basis at the beginning of each school year or when the individual reports to the site, if the school year has already begun. Adults who work with or have contact with students include the following: consultants, contractors, grant funded personnel, interns, mentors, and volunteers (including parent volunteers and coaches).
C. Parents
Board Policy 4019.1 shall be included in the annual Student and Family Handbook.
Administrator/Principal/Supervisor Responsibilities
To ensure wide distribution and understanding of Board Policy 4019.1 to all Adults, administrators/principals/supervisors are to convene one or more meetings as necessary at the beginning of the school year to discuss and distribute Board Policy 4019.1. In reviewing Board Policy 4019.1 at the annual meeting, administrators shall do the following:
- Inform Adults that, while the District encourages the cultivation of positive relationships with students, all Adults must observe professional staff/student boundaries as set forth in Board Policy 4019.1.
- Use the following examples in discussing professional staff/student boundaries:
Dos of Physical Affection
- Patting student on head, back or shoulder
- Side hugs
- Fist bumps and high fives
- Holding hands while walking young children
Don’ts of Physical Affection
- Any form of unwanted affection
- Hands in students’ pockets
- Full frontal hugs
- Laying down or sleeping beside youths
- Letting students cling to the legs
- Holding students on the lap
- Massages given by students or Adults
- Patting students on the bottom or the thigh
- Tickling or wrestling
- Remind Adults that there is a fine line drawn between being sensitive to and supportive of students and a possible or perceived breach of responsible, ethical behavior.
- Use the annual meeting as another opportunity to reaffirm our collective commitment, responsibility, and duty to protect students and provide a safe and secure learning environment.
- Remind Adults that, when allegations of inappropriate behavior are made, the District is obligated to investigate the allegations and, if warranted, take appropriate administrative and/or disciplinary action.
- Remind Adults that District Policy requires any Adult who observes or suspects a violation of the Professional Staff/Student Boundaries policy to report the incident to the site administrator.
- Stress the importance of employees’ legal obligation, as mandated reporters of suspected child abuse, to report the conduct to San Francisco’s Family and Children’s Services in accordance with state law and District policy.
- Remind employees that, if they have any questions or need assistance in making a report of suspected child abuse, they are to contact their supervisor, or if the supervisor is the subject of the report, to the Director of Employee Relations.
- Emphasize that an employee reporting suspected child abuse must also immediately advise (such notification may be oral or in writing) their supervisor, or if the supervisor is the subject of the report, to the Director of Employee Relations, of the alleged incident(s)/behavior/conduct.
- Encourage Adults to speak to the supervisor/administrator if they have any questions, need further information, or would like to discuss Board Policy 4019.1 or any specific situation from the past, present, or in the future.
- Ensure that the written agenda (prepared in advance) for the meeting(s) includes an item relating to the distribution/review of Board Policy 4019.1. This will serve as verification of the action.
- Maintain and retain a sign-in sheet for the meeting(s) and provide a copy to the school’s Assistant Superintendent.
- Ensure that the document is provided (record when that occurred) to any Adult who was not present at the meeting or was assigned/reported to the school/work location after the annual meeting.
- Include a copy of Board Policy 4019.1 in the school’s Safety Plan, principal’s expectations or employee/staff/faculty handbook, and in the Substitute Folder that is provided to substitute staff who report to the school/work site.
For further information, to ask questions, to seek assistance, or for related resources, please contact the Employee Relations Department of Legal.
Please note that compare references, or “cf”, refer to CSBA model policies and do not necessarily indicate that the San Francisco Unified School District has adopted the referenced policy.