Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators

The Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators is issued by the ____________.

• United States government

• Georgia Professional Standards Commission

• local school district

• school PTO

The Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators is designed to ________.

• get teachers in trouble

• protect students and teachers

There are a total of ___ standards in the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators.

• 8

• 9

• 10

• 11

Standard 1: _______________ - An educator shall abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes.

• Legal Compliance

• Conduct with Students

• Alcohol or Drugs

• Honesty

Answer explanation

• Complying With the Law - Educators have to be careful not to commit any crimes and have to follow local, state and federal laws. This means that educators have to be careful not to be convicted of felonies, sexual offenses, drug offenses, or crimes involving dishonesty or poor morals, among others.

Standard 2: ___________________ - An educator shall always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom.

• Legal Compliance

• Conduct with Students

• Alcohol or Drugs

• Honesty

Answer explanation

• Interacting With Students - It is important for educators to be careful about their interactions with students when they are in the classroom as well as when they are away from the classroom. Some examples of misconduct include offering students alcohol or illegal drugs or engaging in sexual acts with students.

Standard 3: ____________________ - An educator shall refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice.

• Legal Compliance

• Conduct with Students

• Alcohol or Drugs

• Honesty

Answer explanation

• Use of Drugs or Alcohol - It is unethical for educators to take alcohol or drugs while they are working. Educators are working while they are in the school building, on the school grounds, and when they are attending school related activities. These are activities sponsored by the school system or the school, like parent-teacher organizations or booster clubs.

Standard 4: ___________- An educator shall exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice.

• Legal Compliance

• Conduct with Students

• Alcohol or Drugs

• Honesty

Answer explanation

• Integrity and Honesty - Educators are supposed to be as honest and upstanding as possible while employed. This can apply to any number of situations where they have to include information about themselves or others in written documents. Some examples include evaluating students, reporting their reasons for absences, or completing a document with their criminal history.

Standard 5: ________________ - An educator entrusted with public funds and property shall honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility.

• Public Funds and Property

• Remunerative Conduct

• Confidential Information

• Required Reports

Answer explanation

• Handling Public Property and Funds - If an educator is trusted with access to school property or funds, they have to be responsible in their use and management of them. Using school property without getting authorization is an example of an educator not acting in an ethical manner. Educators must also be careful not to mismanage school money or money taken from parents or students.

Standard 6: ___________________________ - An educator shall maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation.

• Public Funds and Property

• Remunerative Conduct

• Confidential Information

• Required Reports

Answer explanation

• Accepting Compensation - It is required for educators to act with integrity when it comes to receiving payment for work or school related services. For example, an educator is not supposed to accept money for tutoring students unless the board of education approves it. Among other things, educators are also not supposed to accept gifts from vendors that work with the school or any vendors interested in working with the school.

Standard 7: ________________ - An educator shall comply with state and federal laws and state school board policies relating to the confidentiality of student and personnel records, standardized test material and other information.

• Public Funds and Property

• Remunerative Conduct

• Confidential Information

• Required Reports

Answer explanation

• Keeping Information Confidential - Information given to educators has to be kept confidential, or it is considered a violation of their ethical obligation to do so. This includes situations where educators are not supposed to disclose information in student records about academic performance or family income, for example. Educators are also not allowed to copy standardized tests or discuss or teach classes about information included on standardized tests.