EDLD Week 5 Part 1

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Example 1--Standard 1.2 of the Code of Ethics states that, “the educator shall not knowingly misappropriate, divert, or use monies, personnel, property, or equipment committed to his or her charge for personal gain or advantage. An example of a violation of this ethical standard would be a superintendent who directs the district lawn crew to go to his house and mow the lawn and weed the flowerbeds using district equipment. In this scenario the administrator would have used district personnel and property for personal gain.

Consequence— Both short term and long term consequences could result from this violation. The Board of Trustees could place the superintendent on administrative leave and conduct an investigation. Whether or not the allegation was substantiated the superintendent’s reputation in the community could be tarnished.  In the case where the allegations were substantiated the district could seek restitution. Additionally, the superintendent could be terminated and have a Code of Ethics violation filed with the Texas Education Agency. The long term effects of this violation could be devastating to one’s career.

Preventive action—Proper training should be provided for all educators on the code of ethics. District employees should knowledgeable of what duties fall within the scope of their job and what does not. Clear directions should be developed for employees to report code of ethics violations.



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Example 2—Standard 1.4 of the Code of Ethics states that, “the educator shall not use institutional or professional privileges for personal or partisan advantage.” An example of a violation of this standard would be a superintendent who holds religiously based trainings a regarding the biblical basis of teaching abstinence during school time. The Superintendent also directed employees to call parents to request their attendance at these meetings and submit their call logs to their campus principal. All of the handouts were from religious organizations and printed by district employees on district paper. This example is a violation of the Code of Ethics because the superintendent used his position to communicate information that was outside the scope of his duties and was of a personal nature.

Consequence— An educator should not use district materials for personal use. Nor should they utilize the district board room for religiously based abstinence trainings.  A violation of this type could result in disciplinary action being taken ranging from a reprimand to administrative leave or even termination of the contract.

Preventive action— School districts should develop ways to monitor district trainings and ensure that a staff development calendar of activities is placed in front of the school board for review. Additionally, staff should be reminded often that materials purchased by the school district are the property of the district and not for personal use.  The school district should also remind staff that one’s personal, religious and/or political views should be not be taught while they are at work.



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Example 3—Standard 1.5 of the Code of Ethics states that, “the educator shall not accept nor offer gratuities, gifts, or favors that impair the professional judgment or to obtain special advantage.” An example of this would be a superintendent who recommends a particular contractor to the board in exchange for getting some repairs done to his home for free.

Consequence— Both short term and long term consequences could result from this violation. The Board of Trustees could place the superintendent on administrative leave and conduct an investigation. Whether or not the allegation was substantiated the superintendent’s reputation in the community could be tarnished.  In the case where the allegations were substantiated the district could seek restitution. Additionally, the superintendent could be terminated and have a Code of Ethics violation filed with the Texas Education Agency. The long term effects of this violation could be devastating to one’s career.

Preventive Action— School district’s should follow an approved procedure when selecting contractors. A request for proposals should be published and the proposals should be opened in a public forum to ensure proper security.

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Example 4-   Standard 2.3. states, “The educator shall adhere to written local school board policies and state and federal laws regarding the hiring, evaluation, and dismissal of personnel.” An example of a violation of this standard would be a superintendent who decides not to follow the district developed evaluation tool. Instead, he develops his own evaluation tool which does not correspond to the district’s written policies. The superintendent then uses this tool, which the staff is unaware of, to evaluate all of the administrative employees and base their contract recommendations on these evaluations.

Consequence- This violation could result in grievance being filed under DGBA local. Additionally, it could result in lower staff morale and a lack of trust between administrators and the superintendent. A long term effect of this decision to utilize an unapproved evaluation tool could range from a breakdown in superintendent –school board relations to the recommendation for nonrenewal of the superintendent.

Preventive Action— School district’s should follow an approved procedure when conducting evaluations. Superintendents should ensure that all staff is knowledgeable of the evaluation tool that will be used and its basis in board policy. All evaluations should be sent to the Personnel Department for review to ensure proper compliance with board policy.

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Example 5 (F) Standard 2.6. states, “The educator shall not use coercive means or promise of special treatment in order to influence professional decisions or colleagues. An example of a violation of this standard would be a superintendent who informs a campus administrator that if they hire a particular individual it will be remembered when future central office openings take place. In other words, quid pro quo.

Consequence- In the short term the effects could range from a non-highly qualified staff member being placed in a classroom to the students simply receiving a less effective instructor. The long term effects could range from an internal investigation to even an EEOC investigation when a less qualified campus administrator is hired over someone else in order to repay the original favor.

Preventive Action— School district’s should follow an approved procedure when selecting employees. Proper protocols should be developed that include signature forms that require a group consensus. Administrative positions should require more than one level of interviews.