Correspondence;
Georgia Professional Standards Commission
1452 Twin Towers East
Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Telephone:
(404) 657-9000 - Metro Atlanta and Long Distance Line
(800) 869-7775 - Toll Free Outside the Metro Atlanta Area
(404) 651-9185 - FAX Line
(404) 657-1313 - Status Line

Introduction:

The Code of Ethics for Educators defines the professional behavior of educators in Georgia and serves as a guide to ethical conduct. The Professional Standards Commission has adopted standards which represent the conduct generally accepted by the education profession.The code protects the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, ensures the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within the education profession, and defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanction.

Definitions:

"Certificate" refers to any teaching, service, or leadership certificate, license, or permit issued by authority of the Professional Standards Commission.

"Educator" is a teacher, school or school system administrator, or other education personnel who holds a certificate issued by the Professional Standards Commission and persons who have applied for but have not yet received a certificate. For the purposes of the Code of Ethics for Educators, "educator" also refers to paraprofessionals, aides, and substitutes teachers.

"Student" is any individual enrolled in the state's public or private schools from preschool through grade 12 or any individual age 18 or under.

"Complaint" is any written and signed request from a local board, the state board, or one or more individuals residents of this state filed with the Professional Standards Commission alleging that an educator has breached one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators.

"Revocation" is the invalidation of any certificate held by the educator.

"Denial" is the refusal to grant initial certification to an applicant for a certificate.

"Suspension" is the temporary invalidation of any certificate for a period of time specified by the Professional Standards Commission.

"Reprimand" or "Warning" admonishes the certificate holder for his or her conduct. The reprimand or warning cautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action.

"Monitoring" is the quarterly appraisal of the educator's conduct and performance by the Professional Standards Commission through contact with the educator and his or her employer. The Commission specifies the length of the monitoring period.

Standards:

Standard 1: Criminal Acts - An educator should abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes. Unethical conduct includes the commission or conviction of a felony or misdemeanor offence, including DUI/BUI, but excluding minor traffic violations such as speeding, following too closely, improper lane change, etc. As used herein, "conviction" includes a finding or verdict of guilt, a plea of guilty, or a plea of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere.

Standard 2: Abuse of Students – An educator should always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

Soliciting, encouraging, or consummating a romantic or inappropriate relationship with a student (including dating a student) whether written, verbal, or physical; and Furnishing alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any student or allowing a student to consume alcohol or illegal/unauthorized drugs.

Standard 3: Alcohol or Drugs – An educator should refrain from the abuse of alcohol or drugs during the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

Being on school premises or at a school-sponsored activity involving students while under the influence of, possessing, using, or consuming illegal or unauthorized drugs; and

Being on school premises or at a school-sponsored activity involving students while under the influence of, possessing, using, or consuming alcohol.

Standard 4: Misrepresentation or Falsification – An educator should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

Falsifying, deliberately misrepresenting, or omitting professional qualifications, college or staff development credit and/or degrees, academic award, and employment history when applying for employment and/or certification or when recommending an individual for employment, promotion, or certification;

Falsifying, deliberately misrepresenting, or omitting information regarding compliance reports submitted to federal, state, and other governmental agencies;

Falsifying, deliberately misrepresenting, or omitting information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel including improper administration of any standardized tests (changing test answers, copying or teaching identified test items, unauthorized reading of the test to students, etc.);

Falsifying, deliberately misrepresenting, or omitting reasons for absences or leaves; and

Falsifying, deliberately misrepresenting, or omitting information submitted in the course of an official inquiry/investigation.

Standard 5: Public Funds and Property – An educator entrusted with public funds and property should honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

Misusing public or school-related funds or property;

Failing to account for funds collected from students or
parents; and

Submitting fraudulent requests for reimbursement of
expenses or for pay.

Standard 6: Improper Remunerative Conduct – An educator should maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:

Soliciting students or parents of students to purchase equipment, supplies, or services from the educator in a private remunerativecapacity;

Accepting gifts from vendors or potential vendors for personal use or gain where there may be the appearance of a conflict of interest;

Tutoring students assigned to the educator for remuneration unless approved by the local board of education or superintendent.

Standard 7: Confidential Information - An educator should comply with state and federal laws and local school board policies relating to the confidentiality of student records, unless disclosure is required or permitted by law. Unethical conduct includes but is limited to sharing of confidential information concerning student academic and disciplinary records, personal confidences, health and medical information, family status and/or income, and assessment/testing results.

Standard 8: Abandonment of Contract – An educator should fulfill all terms and obligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agency for the duration of the contract. Unethical conduct includes but is limited to:

Abandoning the contract for professional services without the prior release from the contract by the employer; and Willfully refusing to perform the services required by a contract.

Standard 9: Failure to Make a Required Report – An educator should file reports of a breach of one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators, child abuse (O.C.G.A. 19-7-5), or any other required report. Unethical conduct includes the failure to make a required report.

Standard 10: Professional Conduct – An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards. Unethical conduct is any conduct that seriously impairs the certificate holder's ability to function professionally in his or heremployment position or conduct that is detrimental to the health, welfare, discipline, or morals of students (inappropriate language, physical altercations, inadequate supervision, inappropriate discipline, etc.).

Reporting:

Educators are required to report a breach of one or more of the Standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators. Educators should be aware of local policies and procedures and/or the chain of command for reporting unethical conduct. Complaints filed with the Professional Standards Commission must be in writing and must be signed by the complainant (parent, educator, personnel director, superintendent, etc.).

The Commission notifies local, state, and national officials, including the NASDTEC Clearing house, of disciplinary actions taken.

Disciplinary Action:

The Professional Standards Commission is authorized to suspend, revoke, or deny certificates, to issue a reprimand or warning, or to monitor the educator's conduct and performance after an investigation is held and notice and opportunity for a hearing are provided to the certificate holder. Any of the following grounds shall be considered cause for disciplinary action against the holder of a certificate:

Unethical conduct as outlined in The Code of Ethics for
Educators, Standards 1-10 (PSC Rule 505-2-.03);

Disciplinary action against a certificate in another state on grounds consistent with those specified in the Code of Ethics for Educators,
Standards 1-10 (PSC Rule 505-2-.03);

Order from a court of competent jurisdiction that the certificate should be suspended for non-payment of child support (O.C.G.A. 19-6-28.1 and 19-11-9.3);

Notification from the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation that the educator is in default and not in satisfactory repayment status on a student loan guaranteed by the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation (O.C.G.A. 20-3-295);

Violation of any other laws and rules applicable to the profession (O.C.G.A. 16-13-111); and

Any other good and sufficient cause.

An individual whose certificate has been revoked, denied for disciplinary reasons, or suspended may not be employed as an educator, paraprofessional, aide, or substitute teacher.

Authority O.C.G.A 20-2-200; 20-2-981 through 20-2-984.5