Ethics in Sight

A.  The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with parents/guardians by:

1. Communicating with parents/guardians in a timely and respectful manner that represents the students’ best interests;

2. Demonstrating a commitment to equality, equity, and inclusion as well as respecting and accommodating diversity among members of the school community;

3. Considering the implication of accepting gifts from or giving gifts to parents/guardians; and

4. Maintaining appropriate confidentiality with respect to student information disclosed by or to parents/guardians unless required by law. 

B. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with colleagues by:

1. Respecting colleagues as fellow professionals and maintaining civility when differences arise;

2. Resolving conflicts, whenever possible, privately and respectfully and in accordance with district policy;

3. Keeping student safety, education, and health paramount by maintaining and sharing educational records appropriately and objectively in accordance with local policies and state and federal laws;

4. Collaborating with colleagues in a manner that supports academic achievement and related goals that promote the best interests of students;

5. Enhancing the professional growth and development of new educators by supporting effective field experiences, mentoring or induction activities across the career continuum;

6. Ensuring that educators who are assigned to participate as mentors for new educators, cooperating teachers, or other teacher leadership positions are prepared and supervised to assume these roles;

7. Ensuring that educators are assigned to positions in accordance with their educational credentials, preparation, and experience in order to maximize students’ opportunities and achievement; and

8. Working to ensure a workplace environment that is free from harassment.

C. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with the community and other stakeholders by:

1. Advocating for policies and laws that the educator supports as promoting the education and well-being of students and families;

2. Collaborating with community agencies, organizations, and individuals in order to advance students’ best interests without regard to personal reward or remuneration; and

3. Maintaining the highest professional standards of accuracy, honesty, and appropriate disclosure of information when representing the school or district within the community and in public communications.

D. The professional educator promotes effective and appropriate relationships with employers by:

1. Using property, facilities, materials, and resources in accordance with local policies and state and federal laws;

2. Respecting intellectual property ownership rights (e.g. original lesson plans, district level curricula, syllabi, gradebooks, etc.) when sharing materials;

3. Exhibiting personal and professional conduct that is in the best interest of the organization, learning community, school community, and profession; and

4. Considering the implications of offering or accepting gifts and/or preferential treatment by vendors or an individual in a position of professional influence or power.

E.  The professional educator understands the problematic nature of multiple relationships by:

1. Considering the risks that multiple relationships might impair objectivity and increase the likelihood of harm to students’ learning and well-being or diminish educator effectiveness;

2. Considering the risks and benefits of a professional relationship with someone with whom the educator has had a past personal relationship and vice versa;

3. Considering the implications and possible ramifications of engaging in a personal or professional relationship with parents and guardians, student teachers, colleagues, and supervisors; and

4. Ensuring that professional responsibilities to paraprofessionals, student teachers or interns do not interfere with responsibilities to students, their learning, and well-being.  

Professional Competencies - Teaching competencies include proficiency in planning, teaching, and assessing, but there are other duties and responsibilities that transcend a learning segment. Professional competencies include self-presentation, self-representation, professional collegiality and demeanor, and also taking responsibility for those tasks entrusted to you.

Professional Attitudes- Toward Teaching Methods - Content and assessment change alongside changes in the broader society and a teacher must understand and address those changes through effective planning, instruction, and assessment. Lesson plans and methods should not be understood as guidelines written in stone but a reflection on possibilities that can be adapted to new and diverse situations.

Professional Attitudes - Toward Students- Diversity exists across students and teachers and within students and teachers. Effective teaching values diversity and includes it in all areas of planning, instruction, and assessment.

Professional Attitudes - Toward Schools - While a teacher may be isolated to a single classroom, no classroom exists divorced from other classrooms or from its social context. A teacher must value the input and experience of others in the development of effective planning, instruction, and assessment.

Professional Dispositions - Open-mindedness Dispositions - The classroom is the first time many students are placed in close proximity to those from other backgrounds and cultures. In this space, a teacher must provide safety and challenge to all students, which requires a stance of open-mindedness to the ways and knowledges of diverse people.

Professional Dispositions - Self-Reflection Dispositions - The most important posture in a teacher’s tool kit is self-reflection that drives changes and development in knowledge and action. Teaching is an art and a teacher must determine what a classroom needs, year after year, class after class. A teacher must use self-reflection as the foundation for effective planning, instruction, and assessment for all students.

Professional Dispositions - Curiosity Dispositions - a good teacher is a lifelong learner. To this end, we look for a disposition toward curiosity, both toward understanding how things work but also toward imagining how things might be made better.

Professional Dispositions - Educational Equity Dispositions - It is difficult to imagine that one teacher can change the world, but we look for teachers who are willing to try. While much can be accomplished within a single classroom, a strong educational equity and advocacy disposition also means forming alliances across classrooms and communities.

Learner Development

1(c) The teacher collaborates with families, communities, colleagues, and other professionals to promote learner growth and development.

1(k) The teacher values the input and contributions of families, colleagues, and other professionals in understanding and supporting each learner’s development.

Learning Environments

3(a) The teacher collaborates with learners, families, and colleagues to build a safe, positive learning climate of openness, mutual respect, support, and inquiry.

3(c) The teacher collaborates with learners and colleagues to develop shared values and expectations for respectful interactions, rigorous academic discussions, and individual and group responsibility for quality work.

3(n) The teacher is committed to working with learners, colleagues, families, and communities to establish positive and supportive learning environments

3(q) The teacher seeks to foster respectful communication among all members of the learning community.

Assessment

6(c) The teacher works independently and collaboratively to examine test and other performance data to understand each learner’s progress and to guide planning.

Planning for Instruction

7(a) The teacher individually and collaboratively selects and creates learning experiences that are appropriate for curriculum goals and content standards, and are relevant to learners

7(e) The teacher plans collaboratively with professionals who have specialized expertise (e.g., special educators, related service providers, language learning specialists, librarians, media specialists) to design and jointly deliver as appropriate effective learning experiences to meet unique learning needs.

7(l) The teacher knows when and how to adjust plans based on assessment information and learner responses.

7(o) The teacher values planning as a collegial activity that takes into consideration the input of learners, colleagues, families, and the larger community.

Instructional Strategies

8(c) The teacher collaborates with learners to design and implement relevant learning experiences, identify their strengths, and access family and community resources to develop their areas of interest.

8(r) The teacher is committed to exploring how the use of new and emerging technologies can support and promote student learning.

Professional Learning and Ethical Practice

9(c) Independently and in collaboration with colleagues, the teacher uses a variety of data (e.g., systematic observation, information about learners, research) to evaluate the outcomes of teaching and learning and to adapt planning and practice.

9(d) The teacher actively seeks professional, community, and technological resources, within and outside the school, as supports for analysis, reflection, and problem-solving.

Leadership and Collaboration

10(a) The teacher takes an active role on the instructional team, giving and receiving feedback on practice, examining learner work, analyzing data from multiple sources, and sharing responsibility for decision making and accountability for each student’s learning.

10(b) The teacher works with other school professionals to plan and jointly facilitate learning on how to meet diverse needs of learners.

10(c) The teacher engages collaboratively in the school-wide effort to build a shared vision and supportive culture, identify common goals, and monitor and evaluate progress toward those goals.

10(d) The teacher works collaboratively with learners and their families to establish mutual expectations and ongoing communication to support learner development and achievement.

10(e) Working with school colleagues, the teacher builds ongoing connections with community resources to enhance student learning and well being.

10(f) The teacher engages in professional learning, contributes to the knowledge and skill of others, and works collaboratively to advance professional practice.

10(i) The teacher seeks appropriate opportunities to model effective practice for colleagues, to lead professional learning activities, and to serve in other leadership roles.

10(j) The teacher advocates to meet the needs of learners, to strengthen the learning environment, and to enact system change.

10(k) The teacher takes on leadership roles at the school, district, state, and/or national level and advocates for learners, the school, the community, and the profession.

10(l) The teacher understands schools as organizations within a historical, cultural, political, and social context and knows how to work with others across the system to support learners.

10(m) The teacher understands that alignment of family, school, and community spheres of influence enhances student learning and that discontinuity in these spheres of influence interferes with learning.

10(n) The teacher knows how to work with other adults and has developed skills in collaborative interaction appropriate for both face-to- face and virtual contexts.

10(o) The teacher knows how to contribute to a common culture that supports high expectations for student learning.

10(p) The teacher actively shares responsibility for shaping and supporting the mission of his/her school as one of advocacy for learners and accountability for their success.

10(q) The teacher respects families’ beliefs, norms, and expectations and seeks to work collaboratively with learners and families in setting and meeting challenging goals.

10(r) The teacher takes initiative to grow and develop with colleagues through interactions that enhance practice and support student learning.

10(s) The teacher takes responsibility for contributing to and advancing the profession.

10(t) The teacher embraces the challenge of continuous improvement and change.

49-5-1003-(a) An educator shall strive to help each student realize the student's potential as a worthy and effective member of society. An educator therefore works to stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals.

49-5-1003-(b) In fulfillment of this obligation to the student, an educator shall:

     49-5-1003-b-(3) Provide the student with professional education services in a nondiscriminatory manner and in consonance with accepted best practices known to the educator;

     49-5-1003-b-(11) Not use the educator's professional relationship with the student for private advantage;

    49-5-1003-b-(13) Not knowingly make false or malicious statements about students or colleagues;

49-5-1004-(a) The education profession is vested by the public with a trust and responsibility requiring the highest ideals of professional service. In the belief that the quality of the services of the education profession directly influences the nation and its citizens, the educator shall exert every effort to raise professional standards, to promote a climate that encourages the exercise of professional judgment, to achieve conditions which attract persons worthy of the trust to careers in education, and to assist in preventing the practice of the profession by unqualified persons.

49-5-1004-(b) In fulfillment of this obligation to the profession, an educator shall not:

     49-5-1004-b-(1) Deliberately make a false statement or fail to disclose a material fact related to competency and qualifications in an application for a professional position;

     49-5-1004-b-(2) Misrepresent the educator's professional qualifications;

     49-5-1004-b-(3) Assist entry into the profession of a person known to be unqualified in respect to character, education, or other relevant attribute;

     49-5-1004-b-(4) Knowingly make a false statement concerning the qualifications of a candidate for a professional position;

     49-5-1004-b-(5) Assist a noneducator in the unauthorized practice of teaching;

     49-5-1004-b-(6) Disclose information about colleagues obtained in the course of professional service unless the disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law;

     49-5-1004-b-(7) Knowingly make false or malicious statements about a colleague;

     49-5-1004-b-(8) Accept any gratuity, gift, or favor that might impair or appear to influence professional decisions or actions;

     49-5-1004-b-(9) Use illegal or unauthorized drugs.

49-5-1004-(c) In fulfillment of this obligation to the profession, educators shall:

      49-5-1004-c-(2) Conduct themselves in a manner that preserves the dignity and integrity of the education profession.