ATPE Online Community Code of Conduct and Guidelines
The ATPE Online Community offers members across the state a space to connect, share experiences, and expand their professional learning community. By joining and participating in this platform, you agree to comply with the following rules and guidelines. For any questions regarding the ATPE Online Community, please contact ATPE.
Key guidelines include:
- Be respectful: Acknowledge diverse viewpoints and refrain from making offensive or unprofessional comments or linking to any content that is defamatory or fraudulent. All defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials are strictly prohibited. Do not post anything that you would not want the world to see or that you would not want anyone to know came from you.
- Adhere to legal and ethical standards: Respect copyright by not plagiarizing or posting copyrighted material without permission and indicating any reuse restrictions. Follow all relevant laws and regulations regarding intellectual property. When posting items in our collaborative environment, please indicate if the item is not available for reuse. It’s also advisable to contact the owner of any material if you would like to reuse it.
- Maintain confidentiality: Do not share private or personally identifiable information about parents, students, or colleagues. Ensure that all communications respect privacy and do not defame individuals. Post only content that you have personally created or have permission to use and have properly attributed to the content creator.
- Avoid advertising: Refrain from recommending or advertising commercial products or services. This includes but is not limited to soliciting via direct messages, links to online stores, or otherwise conducting business.
Disregarding these guidelines may lead to content removal, warnings, or account termination.
The ATPE Online Community is not a means for eligible members to request assistance from the ATPE Member Legal Services Department. All requests for assistance from the ATPE Member Legal Services Department should be made through the ATPE Member Legal Services Intake System (MLSIS) or by phone at (800) 777-2873 during business hours. Visit atpe.org/protection for information about eligibility for these member benefits.
Users should refrain from sharing information on the ATPE Online Community that deals with an employment-related legal concern about which you have contacted the ATPE Member Legal Services Department. Sharing details about a legal matter that involves you could jeopardize your attorney-client privilege. Similarly, ATPE cannot prevent your posts on the ATPE Online Community from being viewed and disclosed by other authorized users of the community, which could have an adverse impact on your legal situation.
Discussion Group Etiquette
- State concisely and clearly the topic of your comments in the subject line. This allows members to respond more appropriately to your posting and makes it easier for members to search the archives by subject.
- Send messages such as "thanks for the information" or "me, too" to individuals, not to the entire list. Do this by using the "Reply to Sender" link in every message.
Do not send administrative messages, such as “remove me from the list,” to the group. Instead, use the web interface to change your settings or to remove yourself from a list.
Legal Disclaimer
This site is provided as a service for the members and invited guests of the Association of Texas Professional Educators, herein known as ATPE. ATPE is not responsible for the opinions and information posted on this site by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by ATPE or any third party; this disclaimer includes all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness. In no event shall ATPE be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages or any damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.
Do not post any defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal materials. Do not post any information or other material protected by copyright without the permission of the copyright owner. By posting material, the posting party warrants and represents that he or she owns the copyright with respect to such material or has received permission from the copyright owner. In addition, the posting party grants the ATPE and users of this site the nonexclusive right and license to display, copy, publish, distribute, transmit, print, and use such information or other material.
ATPE does not actively monitor the site for inappropriate postings and does not on its own undertake editorial control of postings. However, in the event that any inappropriate posting is brought to the attention of ATPE, we will take all appropriate action.
ATPE reserves the right to terminate access by any user who does not abide by these guidelines.
Privacy Policy
Any personal information you provide to us including and similar to your name, address, telephone number, and email address will not be released, sold, or rented to any entities or individuals outside of our organization except as noted below.
With Whom Do We Share the Personal Information We Collect Through This Site:
Our Service Providers
We may share your personal information with companies (including our affiliates) that perform services on our behalf, for example, companies that help process credit card payments. Our service providers are required by contract to protect the confidentiality of the personal information we share with them and to use it only to provide specific services on our behalf.
Business Transfers
Your personal information may be transferred to another entity (either an affiliated entity or an unrelated third party) in connection with a merger, reorganization, dissolution, or similar corporate event. If such a transfer were ever to occur, the acquiring entity’s use of your personal information will still be subject to this Privacy Policy.
Government and Legal Disclosures
We may disclose the personal information we collect through this site, when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or a court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce our Terms and Conditions or other agreements that govern your use of this site; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our company, our users, or others.
External Sites
We are not responsible for the content of external internet sites. You are advised to read the privacy policy of external sites before disclosing any personal information.
Cookies
A "cookie" is a small data text file that is placed in your browser and allows us to recognize you each time you visit this site (personalization, etc.). Cookies themselves do not contain any personal information, and we do not use cookies to collect personal information. Cookies may also be used by third-party content providers such as newsfeeds.
Remember the Risks Whenever You Use the Internet
While we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of any information that you transmit to us, and you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of any passwords or other account information. In addition, other Internet sites or services that may be accessible through our site have separate data and privacy practices independent of us, and therefore we disclaim any responsibility or liability for their policies or actions. Please contact those vendors and others directly if you have any questions about their privacy policies. For any other information, please contact us.
Date of Publication: July 2024