Upper Arlington City School District
Bylaws & Policies
 

3210 - STAFF ETHICS

An effective educational program requires the services of men and women of integrity, high ideals, and human understanding. To maintain and promote these essentials, the Board of Education expects all professional staff members to maintain high standards in their working relationships, and in the performance of their professional duties, to:

 A.recognize basic dignities of all individuals with whom they interact in the performance of duties;
 B.represent accurately their qualifications;
 C.exercise due care to protect the mental and physical safety of students, colleagues, and subordinates;
 D.seek and apply the knowledge and skills appropriate to assigned responsibilities;
 E.keep in confidence legally-confidential information;
 F.ensure that their actions or those of another on their behalf are not made with specific intent of advancing private economic interests;
 G.avoid accepting anything of value offered by another for the purpose of influencing judgment;
 H.refrain from using his/her position or public property, or permitting another person to use an employee's position or public property for partisan political or religious purposes. (This will in no way limit constitutionally or legally protected rights as a citizen.)

In addition, the Board believes that each professional staff member should maintain standards of exemplary professional conduct and conform his/her behavior to the code of ethics set forth below as adopted, in part, from the Association of American Educators' Code of Ethics and the National Education Association's Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, by demonstrating a commitment to students, the educational profession, and the District and community.

Commitment to the Student:

The educator strives to help each student realize his/her potential as a worthy and effective member of society. The educator therefore works to stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals.

In fulfillment of the obligation to the student, the educator:

 A.shall not unreasonably deny the student from independent action in the pursuit of learning.
 B.shall not unreasonably deny the student’s access to varying points of view.
 C.Shall not deliberately suppress or distort subject matter relevant to the student’s progress.
 D.shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, political or religious beliefs, family, social or cultural, or sexual orientation, unfairly:
  1.exclude any student from participation in any program
  2.deny benefits to any student
  3.grant any advantage to any student
 E.shall not use professional relationships with students for private advantage.
 F.shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.

Commitment to the Profession:

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 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 that attract persons worthy of the trust to careers in education, and to assist in preventing the practice of education by unqualified persons.

In fulfillment of the obligation of the profession, the educator:

 A.shall not assist any entry into the profession of a person known to be unqualified in respect to character, education, or other relevant attribute.
 B.shall not assist a noneducator in the unauthorized practice of teaching.
 C.shall not knowingly make false or malicious statements about a colleague.
 D.shall not accept any gratuity, gift, or favor that might impair or appear to influence professional decisions or actions.