Section 1. Certified personnel in the
Commonwealth:
(1) Shall strive toward
excellence, recognize the importance of the pursuit of truth, nurture
democratic citizenship, and safeguard the freedom to learn and to
teach;
(2) Shall believe in the
worth and dignity of each human being and in educational opportunities for
all;
(3) Shall strive to uphold the
responsibilities of the education profession, including the following
obligations to students, to parents, and to the education profession:
(a) To students:
1. Shall provide students with professional
education services in a nondiscriminatory manner and in consonance with
accepted best practice known to the educator;
2. Shall respect the constitutional rights of
all students;
3. Shall take
reasonable measures to protect the health, safety, and emotional well-being of
students;
4. Shall not use
professional relationships or authority with students for personal
advantage;
5. Shall keep in
confidence information about students which has been obtained in the course of
professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is
required by law;
6. Shall not
knowingly make false or malicious statements about students or
colleagues;
7. Shall refrain from
subjecting students to embarrassment or disparagement; and
8. Shall not engage in any sexually related
behavior with a student with or without consent, but shall maintain a
professional approach with students. Sexually related behavior shall include
such behaviors as sexual jokes; sexual remarks; sexual kidding or teasing;
sexual innuendo; pressure for dates or sexual favors; inappropriate physical
touching, kissing, or grabbing; rape; threats of physical harm; and sexual
assault.
(b) To parents:
1. Shall make reasonable effort to
communicate to parents information which should be revealed in the interest of
the student;
2. Shall endeavor to
understand community cultures and diverse home environments of
students;
3. Shall not knowingly
distort or misrepresent facts concerning educational issues;
4. Shall distinguish between personal views
and the views of the employing educational agency;
5. Shall not interfere in the exercise of
political and citizenship rights and responsibilities of others;
6. Shall not use institutional privileges for
private gain, for the promotion of political candidates, or for partisan
political activities; and
7. Shall
not accept gratuities, gifts, or favors that might impair or appear to impair
professional judgment, and shall not offer any of these to obtain special
advantage.
(c) To the
education profession:
1. Shall exemplify
behaviors which maintain the dignity and integrity of the profession;
2. Shall accord just and equitable treatment
to all members of the profession in the exercise of their professional rights
and responsibilities;
3. Shall keep
in confidence information acquired about colleagues in the course of
employment, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by
law;
4. Shall not use coercive
means or give special treatment in order to influence professional
decisions;
5. Shall apply for,
accept, offer, or assign a position or responsibility only on the basis of
professional preparation and legal qualifications; and
6. Shall not knowingly falsify or
misrepresent records of facts relating to the educator's own qualifications or
those of other professionals.