Standards of Ethical Conduct
AMBERWOOD ACADEMY
(Adapted from the Code of Ethics of the Education
Profession in Florida and Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education
Profession in Florida)
1. Our school
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. Our primary concern is the student and the
development of the student's potential. Employees will therefore strive for
professional growth and will seek to exercise the best professional judgment
and integrity.
3. Concern for the student requires that our
instructional personnel:
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.
c. Shall not
unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.
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. Aware of the importance of maintaining the
respect and confidence of colleagues, of students, of parents, and of the
community, employees of our school must display the highest degree of ethical
conduct. This commitment requires that our employees:
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.
c. Shall not interfere with a colleague's exercise
of political or civil rights and responsibilities. d. Shall not engage in
harassment or discriminatory conduct which 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.
Training Requirement All
instructional personnel and administrators are required as a condition of
employment to complete training on these standards of ethical conduct.
Reporting Misconduct by
Instructional Personnel and Administrators All employees and
administrators have an obligation to report misconduct by instructional personnel
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 should be made to :
In case of Teachers: The director
is the person in charge to receive and handle all the Teachers/Drivers complaints.
Reports of misconduct committed by
administrators should be made to :
The owners are the people in charge
to receive and handle the complaints.
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 in the parents
bulletin board, facebook, instagram
and on our Web site at _____Amberwoodacademy.com_____________________________________________.
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/.
Also they can
leave a voice message at: 1800-7700953 and Fax to; 1800-914-0004
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)