Staff Email Address Policy

[PiqueABoo]

how many parents have the time to sit on email?

Quite. Are you a parent then?

The theory goes that the current decoupling and creeping privatisation of schools will inevitably undermine that magic 'community cohesion' stuff you often get with state schools. The theory works for me and thus I'm becoming increasingly defensive about that aspect. As a parent, knowing I could send teacher an e-mail if I have some relevant issue is one part of that glue - haven't used it but I'm more content with the in loco parentis deal having that facility there, than not.

[mthomas08]

Nope but sisters are and never use email, both sit on facebook though...

[TechMonkey]

The school has a communication policy and staff emails are published on the website. There is a generic school email as well & the Office Manager forwards relevant emails on from there.

It is another issue where I don't think it should be our responsibility to decide, it should be driven from the top with the correct policies and guidelines given to staff. My personal view is that individual staff shouldn't be given the option either, it's an all or nothing except in extreme cases, as the majority will just choose to bunker down and pretend the outside world doesn't exist!

[Ketlane]

Here's what has worked for us.

All emails given.surname@.... (exceptions for duplicate names and things); emails given out freely to parents, who mostly work it out anyway.
Parents get clear briefing on whom they should contact for which issue (lateness, academic worry, illness, pastoral worry, whatever)

Generic email addresses also exist e.g. maths@... which are then assigned to the appropriate person.

Incoming emails are supposed to be acknowledged within 48h - perhaps by a "thank you, I'm investigating, I'll get back to you" - this is key to keepong relations sweet. Further guidance for substative reply deadline. Misdirected emails (e.g. about French GCSE sent to the Bursar) get forwarded and parent copied in.
Email to parents is used heavily for sport, messages for individual teaching groups, whatever...

Pupils also know these addresses and use email quite well to communicate with staff

Seems to work.

[ozydave]

We have internal exchange for staff. I cannot decide what way to go for students live@ edu or add them to our own exchange. But either way if you need to to you can hide staff from the gal. Internal exchange takes a bit of an adsi edit creating a second gal for students. Live@edu students can be gal disabled
Cheers

[MatthewL]

What is the harm in letting email addresses out for parents etc to contact them on, its only the same as a note been brought in like it used to be when I was at school. Things change and email is the new note.

What is the point of giving them email addresses if they are not going to be used. As for staff and students on the same GAL let it happen, students cannot be kept separate for ever why not treat them like adults in the big bad word and let them get on with it. If something happens discipline them and don't let them get away with it. Keep things like they would be in real life world and you will find they are less likely to try and cause an issue.

Just my view on it and how I would do it.

[SYNACK]

Why not just hide the addresses from contacts and autocomplete? Google apps does it.

So does Exchange, I agree with another of the posters that this should be a managment decision and the tech is just a tool. Just because we provide the hammers does not mean we are responcible for building them all houses with them.