Code of Ethics | Kipe Academy

The Code of Ethics of the Education Professional in Florida

(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 Principles of Professional Conduct of the Education Profession

(1) The following disciplinary rule shall constitute the Principles of Professional Conduct

of the Education Profession in Florida.

(2) Violation of any of these principles shall subject the individual to revocation or

suspension of the individual educator’s certificate, or the other penalties as provided by law.

(3) Obligation to the student requires that the individual:

(a) 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.

(b) Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of

learning.

(d) Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student’s

academic program.

(e) Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or

disparagement.

(f) Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal rights.

(g) 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.

(h) Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.

(i) Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable information obtained in the course

of professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is

required by law.

(4) Obligation to the public requires that the individual:

(a) Shall take reasonable precautions to distinguish between personal views and those

of any educational institution or organization with which the individual is

affiliated.

(b) Shall not intentionally distort or misrepresent facts concerning an educational

matter in direct or indirect public expression.

(d) Shall accept no gratuity, gift, or favor that might influence professional judgment.

(e) Shall offer no gratuity, gift, or favor to obtain special advantages.

(5) Obligation to the profession of education requires that the individual:

(a) Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.

(b) 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.

responsibilities.

(d) Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct with 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.

(e) Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague.

(f) Shall not use coercive means or promise special treatment to influence

professional judgment of colleagues.

(g) Shall not misrepresent one’s own professional qualifications.

(h) Shall not submit fraudulent information on any document in connection with

professional activities.

(i) 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.

(j) Shall not withhold information regarding a position from an applicant or

misrepresent an assignment or conditions of employment.

(k) 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.

(l) 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 of the

educational Profession in Florida and other applicable Florida statutes and State

Board of Education rules.

(m) Shall self-report within 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 Contendere for any criminal offense other than

a minor traffic violation within 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 Sections 943.0585(4)(c) and

943.059(4)(c), Florida Statutes.

(n) Shall report to appropriate authorities any known allegation of a violation of the

Florida School Code or State Board of Education Rules as defined in Section

231.28(1), Florida Statutes.

(o) Shall 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 Section 231.28(1), Florida Statutes.

(p) Shall comply with the conditions of an order of the Education Practices

Commission imposing probation, imposing a fine, or restricting the authorized

scope of practice.

(q) Shall, as the supervising administrator, cooperate with the Education Practices

Commission in monitoring the probation of a subordinate.

Reporting Misconduct

All instructional personnel, education support employees, and school administrators have an obligation to report misconduct by instructional personnel, educational support employees and school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. Examples of misconduct include obscene language, drug and alcohol use, disparaging comments, prejudice or bigotry, sexual innuendo, cheating or testing violations, physical aggression, and accepting or offering favors.

Reports of misconduct of employees or administrators should be made to:

Anna Jacobs at anna@64colorbox.com

Testimonies from both the student and teacher will be reviewed, as well as any witness(es) testimony. After the investigation is completed, the findings will be recorded, and the next steps will be taken.

Legally sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators will be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services. Policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student are posted on the wall near the front exit and on our website at www.kipeacademy.org.

Reporting Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect

All employees and agents have an affirmative duty to report all actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Call 1-800-96-ABUSE or report online at: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.

As soon as you suspect abuse, you need to immediately call or report online. The sooner the information is reported, the sooner someone can follow up with the child.

Signs of Physical Abuse: The child may have unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, or other injuries; broken bones; or burns. A child experiencing physical abuse may seem withdrawn or depressed, seem afraid to go home or may run away, shy away from physical contact, be aggressive, or wear inappropriate clothing to hide injuries.

Signs of Sexual Abuse: The child may have torn, stained or bloody underwear, trouble walking or sitting, pain or itching in genital area, or a sexually transmitted disease. A child experiencing sexual abuse may have unusual knowledge of sex or act seductively, fear a particular person, seem withdrawn or depressed, gain or lose weight suddenly, shy away from physical contact, or run away from home.

Signs of Neglect: The child may have unattended medical needs, little or no supervision at home, poor hygiene, or appear underweight. A child experiencing neglect may be frequently tired or hungry, steal food, or appear overly needy for adult attention.

Patterns of Abuse: Serious abuse usually involves a combination of factors. While a single sign may not be significant, a pattern of physical or behavioral signs is a serious indicator and should be reported.

Liability Protections

Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by law, or 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. (F.S. 39.203)

An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer of the former or current employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the former or current employer was knowingly false or violated any civil right of the former or current employee protected under F.S. Chapter 760. (F.S. 768.095)

DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT AWARENESS OVERVIEW

Who Must Follow This Policy:

ALL employees must follow Kipe Academy Incorporated policies.
The Executive Director must follow and enforce KA Board policies.
The Executive Director is accountable for harassment and discrimination for which they knew or should have known about.

What is Illegal Discrimination:

Treat someone differently based on a protected class characteristic.
Protected Classes are: Race, Age, Color, Disability, National, Origin, Ancestry, Marital Status, Sex, Religion Sexual Orientation/Transgender

Examples of Illegal Discriminatory Conduct:

Negative personnel action (e.g., hiring, firing, promotions, discipline, evaluations) against someone Treating someone different because of a serious medical condition
Advertising a position as particularly wanting to hire a female or male
Evaluating harder because of a requested accommodation Denying an employee to use their reasonable accommodation

Harassment is – unwelcome conduct that is based on: race, color, gender, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

What is Harassment?

Sexual harassment is not the only form of unlawful harassment.
Any harassment based on the protected classes is prohibited.
Racial harassment includes stereotypes about physical or social differences, comments about cultural habits, & insensitive nicknames.
Religious harassment includes nicknames, jokes about religion, ridicule of dress/attire or traditions.
National origin harassment can be similar to religious harassment and also include mimicking language.

Unwelcome Behavior is – Conduct that is unwelcome if the employee perceives it to be offensive.

Harassment becomes unlawful where:

1) Enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or

2) The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

Conduct must be severe or pervasive enough to make a reasonable/average person feel that the conditions of work are hostile or abusive.

Anti-discrimination laws also prohibit harassment against individuals in retaliation for –

filing a discrimination charge
testifying
or participating in any way … in an investigation, proceeding, or lawsuit; OR opposing employment practices that they reasonably believe discriminate against individuals.

Any form of Discrimination and/or Harassment should be reported immediately to the Executive Director or the Kipe Academy Board of Directors.

Connect With Us

Disclaimer

Privacy Policy