1. Standard 1:
Professional Conduct
An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows
generally recognized professional standards.
a. Ethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Encouraging and
supporting colleagues in developing and maintaining high standards
ii. Respecting fellow educators and
participating in the development of a professional teaching environment
iii. Engaging in a variety of
individual and collaborative learning experiences essential to professional
development designed to promote student learning
iv. Providing professional education services
in a nondiscriminatory manner
v.
Maintaining competence regarding skills, knowledge, and dispositions relating
to his/her organizational position, subject matter and pedagogical practices
vi. Maintaining a professional
relationship with parents of students and establish appropriate communication
related to the welfare of their children
b. Unethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Harassment of
colleagues
ii. Misuse or
mismanagement of tests or test materials
iii. Inappropriate language on school grounds
or any school-related activity
iv.
Physical altercations
v. Failure to
provide appropriate supervision of students and reasonable disciplinary
actions
2.
Standard 2. Trustworthiness
An educator should exemplify honesty and integrity
in the course of professional practice and does not knowingly engage in
deceptive practices regarding official policies of the school district or
educational institution.
a.
Ethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
i. Properly representing facts concerning an
educational matter in direct or indirect public expression
ii. Advocating for fair and equitable
opportunities for all children
iii.
Embodying for students the characteristics of honesty, diplomacy, tact, and
fairness.
b. Unethical
conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
i. Falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting, or
erroneously reporting any of the following:
a) employment history, professional
qualifications, criminal history, certification/recertification
b) information submitted to local, state,
federal, and/or other governmental agencies
c) information regarding the evaluation of
students and/or personnel
d)
reasons for absences or leave
e)
information submitted in the course of an official inquiry or
investigation
ii.
Falsifying records or directing or coercing others to do so
3. Standard 3. Unlawful Acts
An educator shall abide by federal, state, and local
laws and statutes and local school board policies.
Unethical conduct includes, but is not limited to, the
commission or conviction of a felony or sexual offense. As used herein,
conviction includes a finding or verdict of guilty, or a plea of nolo
contendere, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been
sought or situation where first offender treatment without adjudication of
guilt pursuant to the charge was granted.
4. Standard 4. Educator/Student Relationship
An educator should always maintain a professional
relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom.
a. Ethical conduct includes, but is
not limited to, the following:
i. Fulfilling
the roles of mentor and advocate for students in a professional relationship. A
professional relationship is one where the educator maintains a position of
teacher/student authority while expressing concern, empathy, and encouragement
for students
ii. Nurturing the
intellectual, physical, emotional, social and civic potential of all students
iii. Providing an environment that
does not needlessly expose students to unnecessary embarrassment or
disparagement
iv. Creating,
supporting, and maintaining a challenging learning environment for all students
b. Unethical conduct
includes, but is not limited to the following:
i. Committing any act of child abuse
ii. Committing any act of cruelty
to children or any act of child endangerment
iii. Committing or soliciting any unlawful
sexual act
iv. Engaging in
harassing behavior on the basis of race, gender, national origin, religion or
disability
v. Furnishing tobacco,
alcohol, or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any student or allowing a student to
consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs
vi. Soliciting, encouraging, participating or
initiating inappropriate written, verbal, electronic, physical or romantic
relationship with a student.
a) Examples of
these acts may include but not be limited to:
1) sexual jokes
2) sexual remarks
3) sexual kidding or teasing
4) sexual innuendo
5) pressure for dates or sexual favors
6) inappropriate touching,
fondling, kissing or grabbing
7)
rape
8) threats of physical harm
9) sexual assault
10) electronic communication such as texting
11) invitation to social
networking
12) remarks about a
student's body
13) consensual
sex
5. Standard 5. Educator Collegial Relationships
An educator should always maintain a professional
relationship with colleagues, both in and outside the classroom
1. Unethical conduct includes but is
not limited to the following:
a. Revealing
confidential health or personnel information concerning colleagues unless
disclosure serves lawful professional purposes or is required by law
b. Harming others by knowingly making false
statements about a colleague or the school system
c. Interfering with a colleague's exercise of
political, professional, or citizenship rights and responsibilities
d. Discriminating against or coercing a
colleague on the basis of race, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability
or family status
e. Using coercive
means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional
decisions of colleagues
6. Standard 6. Alcohol, Drug and Tobacco Use
or Possession
An educator should refrain from the use of alcohol
and/or tobacco during the course of professional practice and should never use
illegal or unauthorized drugs
a. Ethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Factually
representing the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug use and abuse to
students during the course of professional practice
b. Unethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Being under the
influence of, possessing, using, or consuming illegal or unauthorized drugs
ii. Being on school premises or at
a school-related activity involving students while documented as being under
the influence of, possessing, or consuming alcoholic beverages. A
school-related activity includes but is not limited to, any activity that is
sponsored by a school or a school system or any activity designed to enhance
the school curriculum such as club trips, etc. which involve students.
iii. Being on school premises or
at a school-related activity involving students while documented using tobacco.
7. Standard 7.
Public Funds and Property
An educator shall not knowingly misappropriate,
divert, or use funds, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her
charge for personal gain or advantage.
a. Ethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Maximizing the
positive effect of school funds through judicious use of said funds
ii. Modeling for students and colleagues the
responsible use of public property
b. Unethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Knowingly
misappropriating, diverting or using funds, personnel, property or equipment
committed to his or her charge for personal gain
ii. Failing to account for funds collected
from students, parents or any school-related function
iii. Submitting fraudulent requests for
reimbursement of expenses or for pay
iv. Co-mingling public or school-related
funds with personal funds or checking accounts
v. Using school property without the approval
of the local board of education/governing body
8. Standard 8. Remunerative Conduct
An educator should maintain integrity with students,
colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities,
favors, and additional compensation.
a. Ethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Insuring that
institutional privileges are not used for personal gain
ii. Insuring that school policies or
procedures are not impacted by gifts or gratuities from any person or
organization
b. Unethical
conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following:
i. Soliciting students or parents of students
to purchase equipment, supplies, or services from the educator or to
participate in activities that financially benefit the educator unless approved
by the local governing body.
ii.
Tutoring students assigned to the educator for remuneration unless approved by
the local school board
iii. The
educator shall neither accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that
impair professional judgment or to obtain special advantage. (This
standard shall not restrict the acceptance of gifts or tokens offered and
accepted openly from students, parents, or other persons or organizations in
recognition or appreciation of service)
9. Standard 9. Maintenance of Confidentiality
An educator shall comply with state and federal laws
and local school board policies relating to confidentiality of student and
personnel records, standardized test material, and other information covered by
confidentiality agreements.
a. Ethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Keeping in
confidence information about students that has been obtained in the course of
professional service unless disclosure serves a legitimate purpose or is
required by law
ii. Maintaining
diligently the security of standardized test supplies and resources
b. Unethical conduct includes, but
is not limited to, the following:
i. Sharing
confidential information concerning student academic and disciplinary records,
health and medical information family status/income and assessment/testing
results unless disclosure is required or permitted by law.
ii. Violating confidentiality agreements
related to standardized testing including copying or teaching identified test
items, publishing or distributing test items or answers, discussing test items,
and violating local school board or state directions for the use of tests
iii. Violating other
confidentiality agreements required by state or local policy
10. Standard 10. Breach
of Contract or Abandonment of Employment
An educator should fulfill all of the terms and
obligations detailed in the contract with the local school board or educational
agency for the duration of the contract.
a. Unethical conduct includes, but is not
limited to, the following:
i. Abandoning the
contract for professional services without prior release from the contract by
the school board
ii. Refusing to
perform services required by the contract.
