I have written already about a tempest in a teapot in our school district regarding a newly written Code of Ethics and its announcement from the Director of Schools. I have done quite a bit of research on this matter over the course of the last few weeks. Here are some things I’ve found:
The State of TN Law Changed – This year, the legislature passed HB 3130 (SB 2416) changing the code of ethics policy for the state. Prior to this bill, all teachers in TN were required to abide by the Code of Ethics policy as provided by TEA (TN Education Association). Under the old law, all teachers were subject to the voting whims of the state union whether they were members of the organization or not. Fortunately, our state legislature saw the folly in such a law and came to their senses to write their own. The Code of Ethics passed by the state is taken directly from TEA. However, the change in the law takes ownership of the code away from the union and puts it back into the hands of our employer. You can find a summary of the new law here. (Our new policy does not follow TEA’s wording. Instead, it follows the wording of PET – Professional Educator’s Association – among others).
The County Ethics Policy Passed 6 to 1 - When voted on by the Board of Education, the new Code of Ethics policy for Bradley County teachers was passed by a vote of 6 to 1. The one board member voting against and the local affiliate of the TEA (BCEA) have raised questions about the policy. The board has scheduled a work session on July 6 to look at questions from teachers in the system. The county attorney will be answering those questions from a legal perspective.
The New Local Policy Calls for a Signature – This seems to be a real problem for some. The new policy states
“Upon initial employment, election, or appointment each shall sign and date a copy of this Code of Ethics, which shall form a part of their personnel record. Upon enactment by the Board, all those covered by this Code shall deliver a signed dated copy to the Director of Schools.”
Unfortunately, “all those covered” were not asked to sign a dated copy “upon enactment.” Instead, we were notified to offer a signature two months later. The question was raised, “What happens if I don’t sign the form?” The simple answer is nothing. Nobody is being fired or targeted. However, the policy is still in effect and all employees and volunteers of the Bradley County Schools system are required to abide by it.
The Local Policy is More Detailed Than The State Policy - The local policy goes into more detail about specifics than does the state law. It covers board members specifically, all others generally, and includes a method for filing grievances. However, the state law does have requirements in it that are not in the local ethics policy. It is important for all teachers to know what is in both policies. While the local policy is applied to board members, principals, teachers, secretaries, volunteers, coaches, and more, the state law applies only to those holding a teaching license. The specifics covered in the state law, but not in the local policy are these:
A teacher must not 0n the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, political or religious beliefs, family, social or cultural background or sexual orientation:
- Exclude any student from participation in any program
- Deny benefits to any student
- Grant any advantage to any student
A teacher must not use professional relationships with students for private advantage
A teacher must not misrepresent the educator’s professional qualifications
A teacher must no assist entry into the profession of a person known to be unqualified in respect to character, education, or other relevant attribute
A teacher must not assist a non-educator in the unauthorized practice of teaching
A teacher must not accept any gratuity, gift, or favor that might impair or appear to influence professional decisions or actions (the local policy addresses this statement to board members only)
I encourage all teachers in the Bradley County School system to become familiar with the changes in both the board policy and the state law. If you have questions about the new local Code of Ethics policy, you can address those by email to the Director of Schools for Bradley County.