School Support Fundraising and Communications

MNPS.org School Sites for Academic and Primary School Information

School support organizations are vital to schools and their dedication often is unmatched. At times, a PTA or PTO manages or launches - or wants to launch - a new website for a school.

However, by policy and procedure a school's website on the MNPS.org domain is the official school website. Also, official school websites are supported with aggressive search optimization and translation features, making the content readily accessible to all users and therefore:

• Information on topics such as academics, school supplies, transportation, nutrition, updates from principal, the calendar and any information important to families, students – and prospective students – must be on the school website on MNPS.org. 

We understand, and appreciate, the desire to connect with, and influence, current and potential school communities. School support organizations are encouraged to curate and manage their own websites, focused specifically on the work they do so well:

• Connect families and schools
• Encourage parent participation
• Market the value and accomplishments of PTA
• Promote joining PTA
• Foster cooperation with the school
• Connect the school to the community
• Raise funds, etc.

Disclaimer Needed on Websites

All school support websites must include the disclaimer they are operated by the organization and not an official MNPS.org website. Example:

"This website is managed and operated by [INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION] to support [SCHOOL/CLUB/ACTIVITY/ETC…]. The [NAME OF ORGANIZATION/CLUB/ACTIVITY] website does not speak for, or represent, [SCHOOL NAME] or Metro Nashville Public Schools."

Existing School Support Websites

• If a school has been using a school support site – or a free Weebly or Google Site, etc. - to deliver important school information, the content must be brought over to the official school site, hosted on MNPS.org.
• If a school support website wants to share academic or basic administrative school information, it can link to school sites to share it with their school community.
• If information is missing from the school site, families and SSO members can reach out to the school principal to have it added.

Website Policy and Procedure

• Metro Schools website policy
• Metro Schools website and intranet procedure, which ensures: "... Metro Schools public information is primarily, easily, readily and completely (not in part) found on MNPS.org."
  • This includes all school and department subsites on the MNPS.org domain.

Protect MNPS Email Addresses from Phishing and Bots

Please join us in protecting school and district staff from malicious phishing and scam emails.

How?

PTA and PTO websites and district partners should not publish MNPS employee e-mail addresses directly onto their web pages. Example: Steve.Smith@schooldistrict.org

Why? While a small portion of site scans are performed by legitimate businesses - for example how Google regularly indexes websites for its search engine - most scans are performed by unknown entities who collect e-mail addresses to generate spam lists and phishing attack targets.

Staff directories are a primary target because they often already are indexed by search engines, making them easy to find and will provide regularly updated contact information to individuals.

Web editors from support organizations or partners have options:

• Link to the school or district directory page
• Link to the school’s general inbox (found at the bottom of each school site homepage)

Linking to a district department general inbox is fine but be sure to hide the email address in your hyperlink text.

• Correct Example: “email the School Department Name”
• Incorrect Example: “email school.department@mnps.org”

If exposed Metro Schools email addresses are found on third party sites, web editors will be asked by district communications staff to follow correct protocol.

Need help? Reach out to your school web editor or email the district web editor.

School Support Organizations are not required to go through the District to create or manage accounts for their organizations. However, it is strongly recommended that:

• Organizations speak to the principal and agree on messaging.
• Organizations use the school’s official logo/spirit mark or their own logo – but not a doctored or altered school logo or mark.
• School administrators should follow the accounts to ensure appropriate, timely and factual messages are being shared
• School administrators should address concerns and feedback
• School administrators should confirm with the organization that it has a succession plan to share account access and passwords with future organization members.
• Academic information belongs to schools: Support organizations sharing academic information and basic school information should link back to the school website.
• Support organizations are encouraged to follow ADA compliance and social media best practices when sharing information on behalf of schools.

Social Media Disclaimer

All school support organization and club accounts that are not managed by the school should have a disclaimer such as:

"This social media account is managed and operated by [INSERT NAME OF ORGANIZATION] to support [SCHOOL/CLUB/ACTIVITY/ETC…]. While school administration may be involved, and offer guidance, neither the school nor District has direct control of this social media account. The [NAME OF ACCOUNT] social media account does not speak for, or represent, [SCHOOL NAME] or Metro Nashville Public Schools."

School Support Organizations shall have a limited right to use MNPS’s or affiliated schools logo and name purely to demonstrate the approved PTO relationship.

This limited right can be terminated at any time through notice by MNPS.