The MSSA (Maine School Superintendents Association) Executive Committee has requested that the MSSA Statement of Ethics for Educational Leaders be posted. The below Statement was excerpted from MSSA Handbook, 2022-2023, pp. 19-23.
MSSA
Statement of Ethics
for Educational Leaders
MSSA and its
members shall act with integrity,
model professional behavior, and maintain high expectations for all students,
staff and ourselves. An educational leader's
professional conduct must conform to
an ethical code of behavior, and the code must set
high standards for all educational leaders and commit to serving others above self and promote
equity in the practices of
the School Administrative Unit. This
responsibility requires a leader who:
I.
Provides professional leadership across
the district and also across
the community.
a.
Knows and upholds the procedures, policies, laws, and regulations
relevant to professional practice regardless of personal views; and pursues
appropriate measures to correct those
laws, policies, and regulations that are not consistent with sound educational goals or that
are not in the best interest of children.
i.
Enhances one's professional effectiveness by staying
current with ethical
principles and decisions from relevant sources including professional
organizations.
ii.
Actively participates in educational and professional
organizations and associations.
b.
Advises the school
board and implements the board's
policies and administrative rules and regulations.
i.
Advocates for adequate resources and facilities to ensure equitable opportunities for all students.
ii.
Influences and supports
decisions and actions that positively impact teaching and
learning, educational leadership and student services.
iii.
Ensures equity and non-discrimination in the school administrative unit's hiring practices.
c.
Engages in
professional or personal activity that supports one's effectiveness within the
school community; and refrains from using their position
for personal gain.
i.
Avoids relationships
with students which might impair objectivity and increase the risk
of harm to student learning or
well-being or decrease educator effectiveness.
ii.
Collaborates with community agencies, organizations, and
individuals in order to advance
students' best interests without regard to personal
reward or remuneration.
iii.
Maintains the highest professional standards of accuracy,
honesty, and appropriate disclosure of information when
representing the school or district within the community and in
public communications.
iv.
Considers the
implications of offering or accepting gifts
and/or preferential treatment by vendors or an
individual in a position
of professional influence or power.
2.
Promotes effective and appropriate relationships with colleagues.
a.
Enhances the professional growth and development of
new teachers and
administrators by supporting effective field experiences, mentoring or induction activities across
the career continuum.
b. Ensures that educators who are assigned to participate as mentors for
new educators, cooperating teachers, or other leadership
positions are prepared and
supervised to assume these roles.
c. Ensures that educators are assigned to positions in accordance with
their credentials, preparation, and experience in order to maximize students' opportunities and achievement.
d.
Works to ensure a workplace environment that is free from harassment.
e.
Honors all contracts until fulfillment, release
or dissolution mutually agreed upon by all parties.
3.
Maintains standards
of exemplary professional conduct while recognizing their actions will be viewed and appraised by the
community, professional associates and students.
a.
Implements professional standards and local, state and national
laws.
i.
Confronts and takes reasonable steps to resolve
conflicts between the Code of Conduct and maintains fidelity to the Code
by taking proactive steps when having reason to believe that another
educator may be approaching
or involved in an ethically compromising situation.
ii.
Advocates for adequate resources and facilities to ensure equitable opportunities for all students.
iii.
Accepts the
responsibilities, perfonning duties and providing services
corresponding to the area of
certification, licensure, and training of one's position.
iv.
Reflects upon and assessing one's professional skills, content
knowledge, and competency on an
ongoing basis.
v.
Commits to ongoing professional learning.
b. Accepts academic degrees or professional certification only from accredited institutions.
c. Acknowledges the
need to use technology
responsibly and ethically in educational settings.
d. Fulfills all
professional duties with honesty and integrity and always acts in
a trustworthy and responsible manner with staff and students.
e. Acknowledges the need to use technology responsibly and ethically in educational settings
and understands and abide by
the district's policy on the use of technology and communication.
i.
Considers the
ramifications of using social media
and direct communication via technology on one's interactions with students,
colleagues, and the general public;
and exercises prudence in
maintaining separate and professional virtual profiles, keeping personal and
professional lives distinct.
ii.
Promotes the
benefits of and the limitations of various appropriate technological applications with colleagues, appropriate school personnel,
parents, and community members.
iii.
Knows how to access, document, and use proprietary materials and understands how to recognize and prevent plagiarism by students and educators.
iv.
Recognizes that some electronic
communications are records
under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) and state public access laws and should consider the implications of sharing sensitive information electronically either via
professional or personal devices/accounts.
v.
Is vigilant
in identifying, addressing and reporting (when appropriate and in accordance with local district, state, and federal
policy) inappropriate and illegal materials/images
in electronic or other forms.
Monitors to the extent practical and appropriately reporting information
concerning possible cyberbullying incidents and their potential impact on the student learning enyironment.
vi.
Understands the
intent of Federal Educational Rights
to Privacy Act (FERPA) and how it
applies to sharing electronic
student records; including taking appropriate and reasonable measures to
maintain confidentiality of student
information and educational records
stored or transmitted through
the use of electronic or computer
technology.
4.
Acknowledges that he or she serves the schools
and community by providing
equal educational opportunities to each and every child.
a. Makes the education and well-being of students the fundamental
value of all decision making.
i.
Strives to attain diversity, equity, and inclusion of all voices and experiences.
ii.
Conducts research in an ethical and responsible manner with appropriate permission and supervision.
b. Supports the principles of due process.
i.
Respects the privacy of students and the need to hold in confidence certain forms of student communication, documents, or information obtained in
the course of professional practice.
ii.
Upholds
parents'/guardians' legal rights, as well as any legal requirements to reveal
information related to legitimate concerns for the well-being of a student.
iii.
Protects the confidentiality of student records
and releasing personal data in accordance with
prescribed state and federal laws
and local policies.
c.
Protects the civil and human rights of all individuals.
i.
Seeks to understand students' educational,
academic, personal, and
social needs as well as students' values, beliefs,
and cultural background(s).
ii.
Respects the dignity, worth, and
uniqueness of each individual
student including, but not limited
to, race, sex, gender, gender
expression, language, physical and intellectual ability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation,
indigenous origin, religion, and all
aspects of human identity that have been subjugated within our society.
iii.
Establishes and maintains an environment
that promotes the emotional, intellectual, physical, and sexual safety of all students.
5.
Emphasizes accountability and results, strives for increased
student achievement, and holds high expectations for each and
every student.
a. Maintains the standards and seeks to improve
the effectiveness of the profession
through research and continuing
professional development.
b. Creates learning communities that recognize and value diversity and advocates for equitable
access for all students to the highest level of quality public education.
c.
Facilitates
continued self-examination of
practices and policies recognizing
bias and stereotyping; and adopts guidance and takes actions that ensure
that students'
success will not be predicted nor predetermined by either
real or perceived identities.
d. Provides students, regardless of
their
race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ancestry, national origin or disability with
equitable opportunities and support to learn in Maine's public schools.
e. Seeks to use evidence, instructional data, research, and professional knowledge to inform practice.
f.
Uses
data, data sources,
or findings accurately and reliably.
g. Increases students access to the curriculum, activities, and resources in order to provide a quality and equitable
educational experience.
h. Works to engage the school community to close achievement, opportunity, and attainment gaps.
