1210 - STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT

The School Board of Polk County

Bylaws & Policies

Unless a specific policy has been amended and the date the policy was revised is noted at the bottom of that policy, the bylaws and policies of The School Board of Polk County were adopted on November 12, 2013 and were in effect beginning November 12, 2013.

1210 - STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT

An effective educational program requires the services of men and women of integrity, high ideals, and human understanding.

The School Board hereby establishes the following as the standards of ethical conduct for all administrators in the District:

An administrator shall:

		1.	make a 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;
		2.	not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning;
		3.	not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view;
		4.	not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student's academic program;
		5.	not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement;
		6.	not intentionally violate or deny a student's legal rights;
		7.	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 efforts to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination;
		8.	not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage;
		9.	keep in confidence personally identifiable information obtained in the course of professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by law;
		10.	take reasonable precautions to distinguish between personal views and those of any educational institution or organization with which the individual is affiliated;
		11.	not intentionally distort or misrepresent facts concerning an educational matter in direct or indirect public expression;
		12.	not use institutional privileges for personal gain or advantage;
		13.	accept no gratuity, gift, or favor that might influence professional judgment;
		14.	offer no gratuity, gift, or favor to obtain special advantages;
		15.	maintain honesty in all professional dealings;
		16.	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;
		17.	not interfere with a colleague's exercise of political or civil rights and responsibilities;
		18.	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 efforts to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination;
		19.	not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague;
		20.	not use coercive means or promise special treatment to influence professional judgments of colleagues;
		21.	not misrepresent one's own professional qualifications;
		22.	not submit fraudulent information on any document in connection with professional activities;
		23.	not make any fraudulent statement or fail to disclose a material fact in one's own or another's application for a professional position;
		24.	not withhold information regarding a position from an applicant or misrepresent an assignment or conditions of employment;
		25.	provide upon the request of a 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;
		26.	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;
		27.	self-report within forty-eight (48) hours to appropriate authorities (as determined by the 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, administrators 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 Contendere for any criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation within forty-eight (48) hours after the final judgment. When handling sealed and expunged records disclosed under this rule, school districts shall comply with the confidentiality provisions of F.S. 943.0585(4)(c) and F.S. 943.059(4)(c);
		28.	report to appropriate authorities any known allegation of a violation of the Florida School Code or State Board of Education rules as defined in F.S. 1012.795(1);
		29.	seek no reprisal against any individual who has reported any allegation of a violation of the Florida School Code or State Board of Education rules as defined in F.S. 1012.795(1);
		30.	comply with the conditions of an order of the Education Practices Commission imposing probation, imposing a fine, or restricting the authorized scope of practice;
		31.	as the supervising administrator, cooperate with the Education Practices Commission in monitoring the probation of a subordinate.

	B.	No administrative staff member shall have any interest, financial or otherwise, direct or indirect; engage in any business transaction or professional activity; or incur any obligation of any nature which is in substantial conflict with the proper discharge of his/her duties in the public interest.
	C.	All District administrative staff members shall adhere to the principles enumerated above.

All administrators shall be required to complete training on the standards established herein upon employment and annually thereafter.

F.S. 112.313, 1001.42(6), 1012.23
F.A.C. 6B-1.001, 6B-1.006