Model Code of Ethics for Educators: Guiding Principles for Ethical Practice
The Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) serves as a shared ethical guide for both future and current educators navigating the complexities of education. It establishes principles for ethical best practice, mindfulness, self-reflection, and decision-making, setting the groundwork for self-regulation and self-accountability.
Introduction
The professional educator strives to create a learning environment that nurtures the potential of all students. They act with conscientious effort to exemplify the highest ethical standards and responsibly accept that every child has a right to an uninterrupted education, free from disruptions. Trust in the profession depends upon a level of professional conduct and responsibility that may be higher than required by law.
Ethical Conduct Toward Students
The professional educator accepts personal responsibility for teaching students character qualities that will help them evaluate the consequences of and accept responsibility for their actions and choices. While parents are the primary moral educators, all educators are obligated to help foster civic virtues such as integrity, diligence, responsibility, cooperation, loyalty, fidelity, and respect for the law, for human life, for others, and for self. Educators measure success not only by the progress of each student toward their personal potential but also as a citizen of the greater community.
Key Principles:
- Just and Considerate Treatment: The professional educator deals considerately and justly with each student and seeks to resolve problems, including discipline, according to law and school policy.
- Protection from Disparagement: The professional educator does not intentionally expose the student to disparagement.
- Confidentiality: The professional educator does not reveal confidential information concerning students unless required by law.
- Safe Learning Environment: The professional educator makes a constructive effort to protect the student from conditions detrimental to learning, health, or safety.
- Objective Presentation of Facts: The professional educator endeavors to present facts without distortion, bias, or personal prejudice.
It should not be appropriate to give a gift to a student lacking an educational purpose.
Ethical Conduct Toward Practices and Performance
The professional educator assumes responsibility and accountability for their performance and continually strives to demonstrate competence. They endeavor to maintain the dignity of the profession by respecting and obeying the law and by demonstrating personal integrity.
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Key Principles:
- Professional Qualifications: The professional educator applies for, accepts, or assigns a position or responsibility based on professional qualifications and adheres to the terms of a contract or appointment.
- Mental and Physical Well-being: The professional educator maintains sound mental health, physical stamina, and social prudence necessary to perform the duties of any professional assignment.
- Continuous Growth: The professional educator continues professional growth.
- Compliance with Policies and Laws: The professional educator complies with written local school policies and applicable laws and regulations that are not in conflict with this code of ethics.
- Honest Representation: The professional educator does not intentionally misrepresent official policies of the school or educational organizations and clearly distinguishes those views from their own personal opinions.
- Financial Accountability: The professional educator honestly accounts for all funds committed to their charge.
- Impartiality: The professional educator does not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage.
Ethical Conduct Toward Professional Colleagues
The professional educator, in exemplifying ethical relations with colleagues, accords just and equitable treatment to all members of the profession.
Key Principles:
- Confidentiality: The professional educator does not reveal confidential information concerning colleagues unless required by law.
- Truthfulness: The professional educator does not willfully make false statements about a colleague or the school system.
- Freedom of Choice: The professional educator does not interfere with a colleague's freedom of choice and works to eliminate coercion that forces educators to support actions and ideologies that violate individual professional integrity.
Confirm the story before you bring up the matter with your supervisor or building administrator (which you have the right and even responsibility to do, especially if the students hear any improper speech first-hand or that the incidents rise to the level of bullying or aggressive behavior), first confirm the story. Talk to the unhappy team member one-on-one. We work together to ensure that all educational goals are met.
Be extremely careful in the practice of any behavior or language of a kidding, sarcastic, cynical, or joking manner. It can be misinterpreted regardless of your intentions… and it can hurt someone’s feelings.
Less experienced teachers, run everything through your fellow colleagues (informally) and principal (formally). Don’t fall back on the lame “oops” and “beg for forgiveness.” There’s no reason to place “the teacher’s convenience” over the safety/welfare of the students.
Ethical Conduct Toward Parents and Community
The professional educator pledges to protect public sovereignty over public education and private control of private education. They recognize that quality education is the common goal of the public, boards of education, and educators, and that a cooperative effort is essential among these groups to attain that goal.
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Key Principles:
- Communication with Parents: The professional educator makes concerted efforts to communicate to parents all information that should be revealed in the interest of the student.
- Respect for Diversity: The professional educator endeavors to understand and respect the values and traditions of the diverse cultures represented in the community and in their classroom.
It is part of “moral professionalism,” your “code,” and good ethical standards to originate meaningful two-way dialogue, and if necessary, confront the parents of underachieving children.
Additional Considerations for Ethical Practice
Teachers make as many as 1,500 decisions a day for their classes and students… that’s as many as four educational choices per minute for the average teacher given six hours of class time. Teachers weigh the moral (personal) dimensions with regulatory ones (the law) with the ethics of the profession. While focusing on consequences is important, teachers may interpret this to mean that as long as they don’t break the law, they can still be unprofessional and immoral.
Digital Citizenship and Social Media
The professional educator considers the impact of consuming, creating, distributing, and communicating information through all technologies. Using social media responsibly, transparently, and primarily for purposes of teaching and learning per school and district policy.
Especially during this period of online/virtual/remote education, we must reference the owners of intellectual property (including sheet music) that we use and abide by all copyright regulations.
Using social media for sharing social interactions and personal relationships with your students, parents, and staff is unethical and dangerous.
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Relationships with Students
The professional educator has a primary obligation to treat students with dignity and respect. Considering the ramifications of entering into an adult relationship of any kind with a former student, including but not limited to, any potential harm to the former student, public perception, and the possible impact on the educator's career.
You cannot be their “friend.” You are their teacher, an authority figure who is looking out for them and doing what is necessary (“fiduciary” responsibilities) for their health and welfare… perhaps at times things they do not want you to do.
Avoiding Bias and Prejudice
Check your prejudices and personal biases at the door. Being a teacher is all about sensitivity and caring of all individuals-students, parents, staff, etc.
Maintaining Confidentiality
Gossiping about and “carrying tales” home or in the teachers’ room are serious breaches of the care and trust as well as your fiduciary responsibilities assigned to you on behalf of your students. As for “regulations,” your indiscretion may be a violation of your students’ confidentiality rights (according to Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, Grassley Amendment, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and Individuals with Disabilities Education Act).
Avoiding Conflicts of Interest
Formerly called “sweetheart deals” with music companies, you are on “shaky” ethical ground (and may also have “crossed the line” violating state laws/statutes) if you negotiate the rights of exclusive access to your school’s or booster’s purchasing.
Understanding the Difference Between Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics
Codes of conduct are specific mandates and prohibitions that govern educator actions. A code of ethics is a set of principles that guide professional decision making, not necessarily issues of “right or wrong,” nor defined in exact terms of law or policies.
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