Ethical Conduct for Idaho PTE Teachers

1. Ethical Conduct for Idaho PTE Teachers Dr. Jim Connors Dr. Allison Touchstone ByPresenterMedia.com

2. Presenters • Dr. Allison Touchstone • Senior Instructor • Agricultural Education & 4-H Youth Development • 15 years experience • High School Ag. Educator • State Program Manager • University professor • Dr. Jim Connors • Department Head • Agricultural Education & 4-H Youth Development • 28 years of experience • High School Ag. Educator • 4 Land Grant Universities

3. Problem • Inappropriate Conduct • Unethical Behavior • Illegal Activity • Endangering Student Safety • Educational Professionals • Teachers • Academic Teachers • Professional-Technical Education Teachers • School professionals • Athletic Coaches • Volunteers • School Administrators

4. Purpose • Bring attention to the problem of inappropriate, unethical, or illegal behavior on the part of educational professionals. • Describe policy and procedures that promote ethical leadership from educational professionals. • Develop a resource for reference and use by educational professionals related to ethical conduct by educational professionals.

5. Disclaimers • Reference materials and presentation based on past experience and current information available from multiple reliable sources. • Presenters are educational professionals with over 40 years of experience in secondary and post-secondary educational institutions. • Presentation is not based on legal statutes. Any questions related to the legal nature of certain behaviors should be addressed by a lawyer.

6. Goals for the Presentation • Open Discussion of ethical behaviors. • Best practices for promoting youth protection within educational institutions. • Sharing of ideas, suggestions, and recommendations for ethical leadership by educational professionals. • Recommendations for future steps to promote ethical behavior • Teacher in-service workshops • Reference materials for teachers • Website information on ethical leadership

7. Agenda • Ethics, Morality, and Professionalism • Teacher → Student Interaction • Youth Protection • Teacher Certification & Case Studies • Questions/Answers • Discussion

8. Ethics • The discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation. • A set of moral principles or values. • A theory or system of moral values • The principles of conduct governing an individual or a group (professionals) • A guiding philosophy

9. Idaho Professional Educator’s Code of Ethics • Idaho Department of Education • Professional Standards Commission • Preamble • The Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators symbolizes the commitment of all Idaho educators and provides principles by which to judge conduct. • Ten Principles

10. Idaho Professional Educator’s Code of Ethics • I Abides by all federal, state, and local laws and statutes. • II Maintains a professional relationship with all students, both inside and outside the classroom. • III Refrains from the abuse of alcohol or drugs during the course of professional practice. • IV Exemplifies honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice. • V Entrusted with public funds and property, honors that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility.

11. Idaho Professional Educator’s Code of Ethics • VI Maintains integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or business personnel when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation. • VII Complies with state and federal laws and local school board policies relating to the confidentiality of student and employee records, unless disclosure is required or permitted by law. • VIII Fulfills all terms and obligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agency for the duration of the contract.

12. Idaho Professional Educator’s Code of Ethics • IX Reports breaches of the Code of Ethics for Idaho Professional Educators, and submits reports as required by Idaho Code. • X Demonstrates conduct that follows generally recognized professional principles with the rights to exercise academic freedom.

13. Teacher Behaviors ~ Code of Ethics

14. Teacher Behaviors ~ Code of Ethics

15. Email Communications • Teachers should use their school assigned email address for professional communications only. • Teachers should maintain a separate email account for personal communications. • Email communications should be professionally written.

16. Email Communications • Teachers should only email individual students about school-related issues such as class lessons, grades, missed assignments, etc. • Teachers should copy parents on all communications with students. • Teachers should avoid communicating with students about personal issues at all times.

17. Cellular “Smart” Phones • Should teachers allow students to know their cell phone numbers and call them with questions, problems, etc.? • Cell phones allow teachers to: • Keep in contact with students when not at school. • Keep in contact with students while on school-sponsored trips.

18. Cellular “Smart” Phones • Teachers should only give out their cell phone numbers in special situations. • Only communicate with students about school-related issues. • Never communicate with students about personal issues or problems. • Never allow students to use your cell phone for calls, photos, browse the web, etc. • If a student tries to communicate with a teacher about personal issues, the teacher should report the incident to school officials immediately.

19. Texting • Should teachers text their students? • Should teachers allow their students to text them? • Sexting – “the act of sending sexually explicit messages or photographs, primarily between mobile phones.”

20. Social Networks • Facebook • MySpace • LinkedIn • Twitter

21. Social Networks “Rapidly advancing technology has only added to school safety problems with issues of cyber-bullying, social networking websites, and cell phones with instant messaging, texting, and digital photo-sharing capabilities.”Ethical Leadership and Decision Making in EducationShapiro & Stefkovich (2011)

22. Social Networks • Should teachers use Facebook? • Should teachers “Friend” their students? • Should teachers post comments and photographs to their profile?

23. School-Sponsored Trips • Place no more than 4 students per room. • Record room number and names of all 4 students in room. • Request adjoining rooms on one floor • Adults should NEVER share rooms with students. • At least one male and one female chaperone. • Inform all students of emergency procedures. • All students should be given the room number and phone number of all chaperones on the trip.

24. School-Sponsored Trips • Room checks should be done at a set time each night. • Chaperones should NEVER enter a student’s room. • All chaperones should be at least 21 years of age and approved by school administration. • Any meetings, discussions, team practices should take place in a public area or hotel meeting room. • Students should never enter an adult’s room. • Block all pay movie and adult entertainment channels. • No one-on-one, private, closed door meetings between an adult and a student.

25. Emergency Procedures • Sickness • Illness or accident • Criminal behavior • Consumption of alcoholic beverages • Inappropriate behavior requiring a student to be sent home. • Illness, accident, or death of a family member at home.

26. Supervisory Project Visits • Location • School classroom/laboratory • School campus • Greenhouse • Land laboratory • Livestock facility • Home farm/ranch • Place of employment • Visits • During school • After school • Evenings • Weekends • Situation • School-based • Home-based • Job Placement in community • Volunteer opportunity • Participants • Student • Teacher • Parent/guardian • Employer

27. Supervisory Project Visits • Schedule supervisory visits at least 3 days in advance • Confirm visit date and time with student, parent, employer, etc. • Never meet with student alone. • Never transport a student in a vehicle unless a second adult is present. • Meet with the student, parent, employer, supervisor, etc. • Take photographs of the student and his/her project. • Complete a written report • Signed reports should be given to student, parent,employer and put in student’s file.

28. Technology • Computers • Internet Access • Digital cameras • Cellular “smart” phones • Video cameras • Tablet computers

29. Technology Use • Students using computers should be supervised at all times. • Students should only use digital and video cameras for educational purposes. • Teachers should have computer equipment password protected. • Teachers should monitor students using the internet. • Teachers should work with school technology officer to limit internet access to school-approved websites. • Teachers should monitor use of Facebook and other social networkingsites for educational purposes.

30. Fiduciary Responsibilities • Club/Chapter Advisors • Fundraising Activities • Ethical handling of club/chapter funds • No mingling of club/chapter funds with school funds • School resources should not be used to benefit student clubs/chapters or teachers personally.

31. Youth Protection – Two Deep Leadership • Boy Scouts of America ~ Two-Deep Leadership • No adult leader should be alone with a youth, other than his/her son, on a one-on-one basis at any time. • At least 2 adults must be present at all meetings, activities, etc. • Three R’s • Recognize situations that place students at risk • Resist unwanted or inappropriate situations • Report any inappropriate or unethical activities to school administration

32. Student Safety • Minors < 18 years of age • Students > 18 years of age • Physical contact • Sexual harassment • Hazing • Alcohol and drug abuse • Child abuse and molestation

33. Child Abuse and Molestation • Professional Standard Commission • All school personnel, upon learning of suspected child abuse, “shall report or cause to be reported within twenty-four (24) hours” the suspected child abuse to the police or the Department of Health and Welfare (DHW). • All school personnel are obligated to report suspected abuse, including teachers, support staff, and administrators. • Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (DHW) • Idaho CareLine – 211

34. Volunteers • Coaches, classroom aides, chaperones, advisory committee members, etc. • Volunteer registration process • Criminal background checks • Updated regularly in compliance with school district policy • Chaperones • Approved by the school administration or school board • At least 21 years of age

35. Teacher Certification & Investigations • Poor decision making • Inappropriate, unethical, or illegal behavior • Investigation Process • Allegation of inappropriate, unethical, illegal behavior • Report to school administration, Superintendent, School Board • Report to local police authorities • Report to State Department of Education • Investigation by school, police, State Department of Education • Removal from the classroom – administrative leave • Formal charges filed

36. Teacher Certification & Investigations • Final Disposition • May take weeks, months, or years • Formal criminal charges, trial • Incarceration • Suspension of teaching certificate • Loss of teaching certificate for life

37. Case Studies • Real-life case studies of inappropriate, unethical or illegal behavior. • Obtained from: • Broadcast, print, and internet news services • Personal communications • School personnel • Academic teachers, PTE/CTE instructors, athletic coaches • School support staff • School administrators • All cases of inappropriate, unethical, or illegal behavior relate directly back to educational professional violating the Code of Ethics

38. Ethical Conduct for Idaho PTE Teachers Dr. Jim Connors Dr. Allison Touchstone ByPresenterMedia.com