Transcript Ethical Leadership - Irwin County Board of Education

Georgia Professional Standards Commission
Expectations and Boundaries
of Professional Educators
“I’ve come to the
frightening conclusion
that I am the decisive
element in the
classroom.”
Haim Ginott
“It’s my personal
approach that creates
the climate. It’s my
daily mood that
makes the weather.”
Haim Ginott
“As a teacher,
I possess
a tremendous power
to make a child’s life
miserable or joyous.”
Haim Ginott
A Professional
Educator is…
a Role Model for
Students
• 24 hours a day
• 7 days a week.
"Children have never
been very good at
listening to their
elders, but they have
never failed to
imitate them."
James Baldwin
Educators are Responsible
for
Establishing and
Controlling the
Boundaries
in their Professional
Relationships.
Boundaries are
limits that create
a sense of safety
and security.
Mary Jo McGrath
What are the
Boundaries of
Professional
Educators?
Conduct With
Students
The Most Important
Boundary
Teacher - Student
Relationships must
always be
Professional
Relationships
A Student is:
Anyone enrolled in a Georgia
public or private school from
preschool through grade 12.
Anyone under the age of
18.
For the purposes of
the Code of Ethics,
the enrollment period
for a graduating
student ends on
August 31 of the year
of graduation.
Physical
Abuse
All illustrations used in this
presentation are from cases
investigated by the Ethics
Staff of the Georgia
Professional Standards
Commission.
Abuse
The educator kicked a student’s chair,
pushed him to the floor, threw a book
and yard stick in his direction, threw
him down to the floor, and sat on top
of him. The student escaped out the
window and ran to the principal's
office. He stated that the educator had
knocked out his tooth. The principal
found the missing tooth on the floor.
If at first you don’t succeed…
The educator admits that she threw
a shoe at a student two times. The
second time, the shoe hit the
student in the nose and upper lip.
The student, his sister, and two
witnesses said that his nose bled.
The educator admits that it was a
stupid thing to do.
Child
Endangerment
Gang Discipline?
The teacher instructed several
male students to go into a
storage room with students
who were not behaving, turn
off the lights and "jump" on
them and hit them with belts.
Cruel
The educator hit a student on the head
because he colored outside the lines,
hit another student with a ruler and
pulled his mat from beneath him
because he did not get up from his nap
quickly enough, struck a student in the
head with a shoe and on the arm with
a ruler, and crossed a student's arms in
front of him and pull them behind his
back until the child began to cry.
Sexual
Misconduct
Millions of students
endure sexual misconduct
by employees of their
schools, ranging from
inappropriate jokes to
forced sex.
Charol Shakeshaft
Sexual Misconduct
“includes behavior by an
educator that is directed
at a student and intended
to sexually arouse or
titillate the educator or
the child.”
Mary Jo McGrath
Sexual Abuse
of Students
The Unforgivable
Boundary Violation
Sexual Abuse
is defined as
ANY sex act
with a student!
Sexual Abuse
of Students
Older Women
The educator engaged in sexual
misconduct with a male student
that she taught in the sixth grade
the previous year. The
relationship involved telephone,
text messaging, e-mail and
internet contacts, and the student
and the educator engaging in
sexual activity.
High School Band Director
The educator engaged in a
sexual relationship with a
15 year-old female student
in the band room of the high
school. A used condom, was
retrieved from the incident
location.
High School Band Director
The educator acknowledged
that he engaged in a sexual
relationship with a 16 year-old
female student. They exchanged
of notes and nude pictures and
had physical contact, including
the act of masturbation.
Sexual
Harassment
The Starting Point
for Sexual Abuse
Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
• Physical: fondling, touching or
sexual abuse
I Need a Hug
The educator asked a
student to stay in the
classroom when class
ended, locked the
door, and embraced
and kissed her.
Anatomy Class?
The educator kissed and hugged
students and touched their hips,
buttocks and breasts. He
requested that a female student
meet with him before school
and told her to wear a thong or
no underwear because he
needed to check her body.
Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
• Physical: fondling, touching or sexual
abuse
• Verbal: commenting on a student's
body parts or making sexually explicit
jokes
One of the Gang
The Educator talked with
students about men (including a
relationship with a married man),
gave students backrubs and
massages, and sent a picture
of male genitals to students
via cell phone.
Digital Communicator
The Educator sent approximately 400
text messages to a female student
over a 57-day period at all hours of
the day and night. The messages
appear to solicit and encourage an
inappropriate relationship. After
being directed not to have any
additional communications with the
student, the educator texted her on
her birthday and graduation day.
Texting Principal
The Principal engaged in
inappropriate communications
with two female students,
including hundreds of text
messages in a 2-month time
period. The text messages
contained discussions of
alcohol, drugs, and sex.
Three Forms of Educator
Sexual Harassment
• Physical: fondling, touching or sexual
abuse
• Verbal: commenting on a student's body
parts or making sexually explicit jokes
• Visual: showing sexually explicit
photographs, or exposing one's genitals
A Picture is Worth…
The educator asked
a female student to
take nude pictures
of herself and show
them to him.
Show Off
The educator
“accidentally”
made and emailed a
picture of his penis to
a female student.
Three Ways Educators Troll for
Students with Weak Boundaries
• Physical Sexual Harassment
fondling, touching or sexual abuse
• Verbal Sexual Harassment
commenting on a student's body parts or making
sexually explicit jokes
• Visual Sexual Harassment
showing sexually explicit photographs, or
exposing one's genitals
Young people instinctively
recognize these boundary
violations and often
nickname the employee
engaged in such violations a
“pervert,” based on their
perceived sense of
inappropriateness.
Mary Jo McGrath
Grooming
The Next Step
Quid Pro Quo
Sexual Harassment
Grooming
Sex offenders “groom”
victims with gifts and
attention, lull them into
complacency, and
escalate the level of
physical intimacy over
time.
Mary Jo McGrath
Grooming 101
The educator permitted students to skip
their scheduled classes, hang out in his
classroom, use his school computer to
access internet sites, and provided them
with notes to justify being out of their
scheduled classes. A 17-year-old female
student alleged that the educator
touched her in a sexual manner,
exposed himself, and asked her to
perform oral sex on him.
Grooming 102
A female student reported that the educator:
• gave her the answer key to a final exam,
• allowed her to grade other students
papers,
• touched her breast, and
• gave her a note telling her “u owe me”.
• gave her high grades though she never did
any work in his class.
He’s In Love With The Girl
The educator had a romantic
relationship with a student. He
attended the student’s athletic
events (with roses), bought her a
cell phone, and took gifts for the
student to her school. They were
text messaging and talking on
the phone extensively, and the
educator emailed the student a
seven page love letter/story.
Furnishing or
Allowing a Student
to use Alcohol,
Illegal Drugs or
Unauthorized Drugs
Liquor’s Quicker
The Educator provided
alcohol to four minor
females and engaged in
sex with one of them.
Students, Alcohol and Sex
The educator admits that she was
at home and did not supervise a
party at her house that students
attended. Alcoholic beverages
were openly consumed and
marijuana was smoked at the
party. A 17 year-old female was
sexually assaulted at the party.
Avoiding
Allegations of
Inappropriate
Relationships
Student Relationship Guidelines
Be Friendly,
Not a Friend.
Student Relationship Guidelines
Choose
Appropriate
Settings
Student Relationship Guidelines
Present a
Professional
Image
Student Relationship Guidelines
Don’t touch
students in ways a
reasonable person
could interpret as
inappropriate.
Student Relationship Guidelines
Social Networking
Don’t accept students as friends
and decline any student initiated
social network friend requests.
Don’t post anything on a website
that you would not post on the
front door of the school.
Drug
Abuse
A educator should
never possess,
use, or be under
the influence of
illegal drugs.
Avoiding Pain
A coworker videotaped the educator
stealing pain medication from her
purse. The educator initially denied
the theft. When confronted with the
evidence, the educator admitted to
the theft of the drug and to
ingesting the prescribed medication
at school.
Second Job
The educator was arrested for
trafficking marijuana. Fifty
pounds of marijuana was found
in the educator's home. The
home "reeked" of the smell of
smoked and fresh marijuana.
Three children were in the
home at the time of the arrest.
Laid Back Educator
The educator fell asleep in class
and failed to supervise two of
his students engaging in oral
sex during class time. On a
required drug test the educator
tested positive for cocaine.
Professional Boundary
Alcohol
Abuse
An educator shall
refrain from the use
of alcohol during
the course of
professional practice.
Unethical conduct includes but
is not limited to being on school
premises or at a school-related
activity involving students
while under the influence of,
possessing, or consuming
alcoholic beverages.
Georgia's Legal Definitions for
"NOT Under the Influence"
If there was a blood alcohol
concentration of 0.05 grams or less,
it shall be presumed that the person
was not under the influence of
alcohol.
O.C.G.A. § 40-6-392
O.C.G.A. § 52-7-12.
O.C.G.A. § 27-3-7
Driving
Operation of Watercraft
Hunting
Possession of Alcohol
Possession of a CONTAINER of alcoholic
beverage (not in the blood stream).
DO NOT DISCARD the evidence!
Under the Influence?
The educator tested positive
(.034) for alcohol while on
the premises of the school
during school hours. He
admits drinking late the
night before and that he
probably did smell like
alcohol, but maintains he
was not under the influence.
When in Italy…
The educator served as a chaperone
on a school-sponsored trip to Italy.
He admitted that he consumed one
alcoholic beverage after hours on
three nights of the eight-day trip.
The educator acknowledged that he
had made a mistake by consuming
the alcoholic beverages, but denied
that he failed to properly supervise
students during the trip.
Fortification
The educator admits consuming two
glasses of wine prior to attending a
school talent show. She exhibited
manifestations of intoxication
including glassy red eyes, slightly
slurred speech, generally giddy
behavior and the odor of an
alcoholic beverage on her person.
Professional Boundary
Honesty
An educator shall
exemplify honesty
and integrity in
the course of
professional
practice.
Honesty Violations
Falsifying, misrepresenting, or omitting:





professional qualifications;
criminal history;
college or staff development credit;
employment history;
information submitted to
governmental agencies;
Honesty Violations
Falsifying, misrepresenting, or omitting:




information regarding the
evaluation of students or personnel;
reasons for absences or leaves;
information submitted in the course
of an official inquiry; and
information submitted in the course
of professional practice.
Paperwork
The educator fabricated
IEP paperwork by cutting
signatures from other
documents and pasting the
signatures on the
fabricated paperwork.
Teach Your Children Well
The educator, a school
principal, corrected the
answers on student
CRCT answer sheets
prior to submitting
them for scoring.
Liar
The educator claimed sick
leave for a preplanned golf
trip. He lied to administrators
when questioned about the
reason for his absence.
Professional Boundary
Fiscal
Integrity
An educator entrusted
with public funds and
property shall honor that
trust with a high level of
honesty, accuracy, and
responsibility.
Former State School
Superintendent
The educator converted money
that was intended for students
to be used for her own
purposes. She pled guilty to
Conspiracy & Conspiracy to
Money Launder involving
approximately $600,000 of
education funds.
Starting His Own Business
The educator forged the
superintendent’s signature to
purchase unauthorized
equipment to further his
private business.
The production and
distribution of pornography!
Good Use of Time?
The educator used her school
system computer to access dating
and singles websites soliciting
relationships with men during
instructional time and CRCT test
administration. This included
arranging meetings for the
purpose of having sex.
Desperate
The educator used his school
system computer and email to
view pornography and to
contract for the services of
prostitutes. His school system
computer was found to contain
nude photographs and email
solicitations to various
“escorts.”
Superintendent
The educator used his school system
computer and cell phone to solicit a
sexual relationship with someone
that he believed to be a 14 or 15
year-old female. She was, in reality,
a law enforcement officer.
Pornography was discovered during
a search of his school system office
and computer.
Your Tax Dollars at Work
The DOE Academic Coach Program
Manager authorized payment of
funds to employ her relatives, to
fund unallowable expenditures for
herself and a subordinate DOE
employee, and to further her
pursuit of a doctorate degree.
Professional Boundary
Remunerative
Conduct
An educator shall maintain
integrity with students,
colleagues, parents, and
the business community
when accepting gifts,
gratuities, favors, and
additional compensation.
Remunerative Conduct Violations

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soliciting students or parents of
students to purchase equipment,
supplies, or services from the
educator,
participating in activities that
financially benefit the educator
unless approved by the local board
of education/governing board or
authorized designee;
Remunerative Conduct Violations


accepting gifts from vendors or
potential vendors for personal use
or gain where there may be the
appearance of a conflict of interest;
tutoring students assigned to the
educator for remuneration unless
approved by the local board of
education, governing board or their
authorized designee; and
Remunerative Conduct Violations

coaching, instructing, promoting
athletic camps, summer leagues,
etc. that involves students in an
educator’s school system and from
whom the educator receives
remuneration unless approved by
the local board of education,
governing board or their authorized
designee.
Greedy Coach
The Coach used school funds to
open multiple bank accounts
without the school's knowledge.
Numerous checks totaling in the
thousands of dollars were
written to "cash" or to the
Educator. This left the school
over $27,000 in debt.
Free Child Care
The educator enrolled her daughter in
kindergarten though the child was not
old enough to attend. The State paid
the school system for the student who
was not legally eligible to be enrolled.
As a matter of course, the student was
moved on to first grade. Again, she
was below the legally prescribed age
for being enrolled in first grade.
Regulatory Boundary
Legal
Compliance
An educator shall
abide by federal,
state, and local
laws and statutes.
Criminal Convictions
The commission is authorized to
investigate complaints alleging that an
educator has been convicted of any:
•
•
•
•
felony,
crime involving moral turpitude,
drug offense,
sexual offense.
Conviction includes a:
• finding or verdict of guilty;
• plea of nolo contendere;
• first offender treatment;
• a situation where an adjudication of
guilt or sentence was otherwise
withheld or not entered on the
charge or the charge was otherwise
disposed of in a similar manner.
Confidential
Information
An educator shall comply with
state and federal laws and
state school board policies
relating to the confidentiality
of student and personnel
records, standardized test
material, and other
information.
What is Confidential Information?
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•
•
•
Annual performance evaluation
records of school personnel
Health services records
Identifiable individual student
records, performance data, and
reports
School records of students with
disabilities
Confidential Information Cases
• Posting questions from a
standardized test on the web
• Created study guide using
standardized test materials
• Left test material in an unsecure
location
• Released personnel file
information without proper
authorization
Abandonment
of Contract
An educator shall fulfill all
of the terms and obligations
detailed in the contract with
the local board of education
or education agency for the
duration of the contract.
Required
Reports
An educator shall file
reports of a breach of one
or more of the standards in
the Code of Ethics for
Educators, child abuse, or
any other required report.
O.C.G.A. § 19-7-5
‘Child abuse’ includes the following
conduct by a child’s parent or caretaker:
 Physical injury or death (by other than
accidental means)
 Neglect or exploitation of a child
 Sexual abuse - an act of apparent sexual
stimulation or gratification ...
 Sexual exploitation - allows, permits,
encourages, or requires a child to engage in
prostitution or sexually explicit conduct ….
Former School Principal
The educator failed to report sexual
misconduct by a teacher. She had been
informed that a female student was
regularly meeting the male teacher in his
classroom during lunch and that they
were often seen in close proximity. After
the teacher was arrested and charged
with four counts of Sexual Assault, she
confirmed that there were rumors about
the male teacher and female students.
Failure to Secure Evidence
The educator, a high school assistant
principal, was advised that a student
had a video on his cell phone of a
female student performing a sexual act
on a male student . The educator
viewed this video on two separate
occasions, but failed to confiscate the
cell phone. She returned the phone to
the student and told him to erase the
video. He didn’t.
Regulatory Boundary
Testing
An educator shall
administer state
mandated
assessments fairly
and ethically.
Testing
Unethical conduct includes but is
not limited to:
1. committing any act that
breaches Test Security; and
2. compromising the integrity of
the assessment.
Erasures on
Student CRCT
Answer Sheets
are NOT
Unethical!
Changing
Answers on
Student CRCT
Answer Sheets
IS Unethical!
Professional Boundary
Professional
Conduct
An educator shall
demonstrate conduct
that follows generally
recognized professional
standards and preserves
the dignity and integrity
of the teaching profession.
Professional Conduct Cases
• Organized a betting pool with students
• Called a student a “heifer” and her mother
“stupid”
• Gave extra credit to students who
contributed to a fundraiser
• Left class without permission via a window
• Had two loaded guns in desk drawer
• Sexually harassed a colleague
• Restrained a teacher and tried to kiss her
against her will
• Sexual interaction with colleague on
school grounds
Establish and
control the
boundaries in
your professional
relationships.
We judge ourselves by
our best intentions and
most noble acts, but
we're judged by
our last worst act.
Michael Josephson