(Adapted from the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession in Florida and Principles of Professional Conductfor the Education Profession in Florida)
1. Our school values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all.
2. Our primary concern is the student and the development of the student's potential. Employees will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek to exercise the best professional judgment and integrity.
3. Concern for the student requires that our instructional personnel:
a. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to thestudent's mental and/or physical health and/or safety.
b. Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning.
c. Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.
d. Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student's academic program.
e. Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
f. Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student's legal rights.
g. Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national orethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and familybackground and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination.
h. Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.
i. Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable information obtained in the course of professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by law.
4. Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of colleagues, of students, of parents, andof the community, employees of our school must display the highest degree of ethical conduct. This commitmentrequires that our employees:
a. Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.
b. Shall not on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, maritalstatus, handicapping condition if otherwise qualified, or social and family background deny to a colleague professional benefits or advantages or participation in any professional organization.
c. Shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political or civil rights and responsibilities. d. Shall notengage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an individual'sperformance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which createsa hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
e. Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague.
Training Requirement
All instructional personnel, educational support employees, and administrators are required as a condition of employment to complete training on these standards of ethical conduct.
Reporting Misconduct by Instructional Personnel and Administrators
All instructional personnel,educational support employees, and school administrators have an obligation to report misconduct by instructionalpersonnel, educational support employees, and school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfareof a student. Examples of misconduct include obscene language, drug and alcohol use, disparaging comments,prejudice or bigotry, sexual innuendo, cheating or testing violations, physical aggression, and accepting or offeringfavors. Reports on the misconduct of employees should be made to the school administration. Reports of misconduct committed by administrators should be made to the school governing board.
Legally sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators will be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services. Policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affect the health, safety, or welfare of a student are posted in the school office and onour Web site.
Reporting Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect
All employees and agents have an affirmative duty toreport all actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Call 1-800-96-ABUSE or reportonline at: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.
Signs of Physical Abuse The child may have unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, or other injuries; brokenbones; or burns. A child experiencing physical abuse may seem withdrawn or depressed, seem afraid to go home or may run away, shy away from physical contact, be aggressive,or wear inappropriate clothing to hide injuries.
Signs of Sexual Abuse The child may have torn, stained or bloody underwear, trouble walking or sitting, pain or itching in genital area, or a sexually transmitted disease. A child experiencing sexual abuse may have unusual knowledge of sex or act seductively, fear a particular person, seem withdrawn or depressed, gain or lose weightsuddenly, shy away from physical contact, or run away from home.
Signs of Neglect The child may have unattended medical needs, little or no supervision at home, poorhygiene, or appear underweight. A child experiencing neglect may be frequently tired or hungry, stealing food, or appearing overly needy for adult attention.
Patterns of Abuse: Serious abuse usually involves a combination of factors. While a single sign may not be significant, a pattern of physical or behavioral signs is a serious indicator and should be reported.
Liability Protections
Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized orrequired by law or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the departmentor any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise resultby reason of such action. (F.S. 39.203)
An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer of theformer or current employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee isimmune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the former or current employer was knowingly false or violated anycivil right of the former or current employee protected under F.S. Chapter 760. (F.S. 768.095)