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The following Standards of ethical Conduct
are adapted from “The Code of Ethics and The Principles of
Professional Conduct of the Education Profession in Florida”
promulgated by the Florida Department of Education.
1. The educator 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. The educator’s primary professional concern will
always be for the student and for the development of the
student’s potential. The educator will therefore strive for
professional growth and will seek to exercise the best
professional judgment and integrity.
3. Aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and
confidence of one’s colleagues, of students, of parents, and
of other members of the community, the educator strives to
achieve and sustain the highest degree of ethical conduct.
The following disciplinary rule
shall constitute the Principles of Professional Conduct of
the Education Profession at St. Matthew’s Lutheran
Christian Day School
Obligation to the student requires that the individual:
- Shall have an obligation and legal responsibility to
report misconduct by instructional personnel and school
administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare
of a student. Any misconduct must be reported to the
Principal Rev. Luis M. Santana (305-642-4177).
- Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from
conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student's
mental and/or physical health and/or safety.
- Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from
independent action in pursuit of learning.
- Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse
points of view.
- Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject
matter relevant to a student's academic program.
- Shall not intentionally expose a student to
unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
- Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student's
legal rights.
- Shall not harass or discriminate against any student
on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age,
national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital
status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or
social and family background and shall make reasonable
effort to assure that each student is protected from
harassment or discrimination.
- Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for
personal gain or advantage.
- Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable
information obtained in the course of professional
service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes
or is required by law.
Obligation to the public requires that the individual:
- Shall take reasonable precautions to distinguish
between personal views and those of any educational
institution or organization with which the individual is
affiliated.
- Shall not intentionally distort or misrepresent
facts concerning an educational matter in direct or
indirect public expression.
- Shall not use institutional privileges for personal
gain or advantage.
- Shall accept no gratuity, gift, or favor that might
influence professional judgment.
- Shall offer no gratuity, gift, or favor to obtain
special advantages.
Obligation to the profession of education requires that
the individual:
- Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.
- Shall not on the basis of race, color, religion,
sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs,
marital status, handicapping condition if otherwise
qualified, or social and family background deny to a
colleague professional benefits or advantages or
participation in any professional organization.
- Shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise of
political or civil rights and responsibilities.
- Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory
conduct which unreasonably interferes with an
individual's performance of professional or work
responsibilities or with the orderly processes of
education or which creates a 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.
- Shall not make malicious or intentionally false
statements about a colleague.
- Shall not use coercive means or promise special
treatment to influence professional judgments of
colleagues.
- Shall not misrepresent one's own professional
qualifications.
- Shall not submit fraudulent information on any
document in connection with professional activities.
- Shall not make any fraudulent statement or fail to
disclose a material fact in one's own or another's
application for a professional position.
- Shall not withhold information regarding a position
from an applicant or misrepresent an assignment or
conditions of employment.
- Shall provide upon the request of the certificated
individual a written statement of specific reason for
recommendations that lead to the denial of increments,
significant changes in employment, or termination of
employment.
- Shall not assist entry into or continuance in the
profession of any person known to be unqualified in
accordance with these Principles of Professional Conduct
for the Education Profession in Florida and other
applicable Florida Statutes and State Board of Education
Rules.
- Shall self-report within forty-eight (48) hours to
appropriate authorities (as determined by district) any
arrests/charges involving the abuse of a child or the
sale and/or possession of a controlled substance. Such
notice shall not be considered an admission of guilt nor
shall such notice be admissible for any purpose in any
proceeding, civil or criminal, administrative or
judicial, investigatory or adjudicatory. In addition,
shall self-report any conviction, finding of guilt,
withholding of adjudication, commitment to a pretrial
diversion program, or entering of a plea of guilty or
Nolo Contendre for any criminal offense other than a
minor traffic violation within forty-eight (48) hours
after the final judgment.
Any educator reporting in good faith any instance of
child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the department or
any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil
or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason
of such action. (39.203.F.S.)
An employer who discloses information about a former
employee’s job performance to a prospective employer of the
former employee upon request of the prospective employer or
of the former employee is presumed to be acting in good
faith and, unless lack of good faith is shown by clear and
convincing evidence, is immune from civil liability for such
disclosure or its consequences. (768.095,F.S.)
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