Craig Kotsmith EDAD 5921 Ethics Assignment November 20, 2011 Code of Ethics for School Administrators When

reviewing the (3512.5200) Code of Ethics for School Administrators, it sounded very similar to the code of ethics for all educators. The rubric creation component was pretty straightforward, so I decided to add a short reflection below each guideline within the rubric. I used the same rubric format that Jay created because of its cleanness and comprehensiveness. I have often heard that taking care of the small problems prevents many of the bigger problems from occurring. Ethics are similar in that when one lets a seemingly minor ethical principle slide, a snowball effect can make it a really big, often complicated problem. Reflecting on each guideline allowed me to clearly see where I stand in terms of ethics, and reminded me of the great responsibility all educators hold to think and act with good conscience. Upon completing this assignment, I feel very good about my value system and ethical compass. I strive to act with ethical integrity and make decisions with the interest of education and students in mind.

CODE OF ETHICS FOR MINNESOTA SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT RUBRIC Professional Conduct Standard
A. A school administrator shall provide professional educational services in a nondiscriminatory manner.

Does Not Meet Standard

The administrator does not provide professional educational services in a nondiscriminatory manner.

Partially Meets Standard

The administrator provides professional educational services in a nondiscriminatory manner most of the time.

Meets Standard
The administrator consistently provides professional educational services in a nondiscriminatory manner.

Exceeds Standard
The administrator consistently provides exceptional professional educational services in a nondiscriminatory manner.

Free and appropriate education requires all educators to look out for the well being of all students. I do not pick winners and loser in the classroom, nor would I as an administrator. It is imperative to the integrity of the educational process that everyone has equal access to professional education services.

B. A school administrator shall take reasonable action to protect students and staff from conditions harmful to health and safety.

The administrator does not take reasonable action to protect students and staff from conditions harmful to health and safety.

The administrator takes reasonable action to protect students and staff from conditions harmful to health and safety most of the time.

The administrator takes reasonable action to protect students and staff from conditions harmful to health and safety.

The administrator takes exceptional action to protect students and staff from conditions harmful to health and safety.

This immediately reminds me of having a well-communicated crisis plan. It also emphasizes the importance for a healthy school climate, which includes physical and emotional. I am a firm believer that true learning cannot take place unless students feel safe (Maslov). This is and always has been a major priority for me. C. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall take does not take takes reasonable takes reasonable takes exceptional reasonable action to reasonable action to action to provide action to provide an action to provide provide an atmosphere provide an an atmosphere atmosphere an atmosphere conducive to learning. atmosphere conducive to conducive to conducive to conducive to learning most of learning. learning. learning. the time. An environment conducive to learning is accomplished through providing a safe and functional building. It also means having appropriate curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Seeking and supporting highly qualified teaching staff helps ensure this ethical guideline is being met. D. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall not misuses professional does not use does not use does not use misuse professional relationships with professional professional professional relationships with students, parents and relationships with relationships with relationships with students, parents and caregivers, staff, or students, parents students, parents students, parents caregivers, staff, or colleagues to private and caregivers, and caregivers, and caregivers, colleagues to private advantage. staff, or staff, or colleagues staff, or advantage. colleagues to to private colleagues to private advantage advantage while private advantage most of the time. building trust while building throughout the trust throughout learning the learning community. community all while continuing to establish new, positive relationships. Understanding boundaries and recognizing the difference between professional and personal are keys to making sure this ethical guideline is upheld. E. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall does not practice practices data practices data practices data disclose confidential data privacy privacy practices privacy practices privacy practices

information about individuals only when a compelling professional purpose is served in accordance with state and federal laws, and school district policies.

that protect confidential information about individuals and utilizes information in accordance with state and federal laws, and school district policies and ensures data practices are followed throughout the school community. Confidentiality has so many legal and ethical ties that information must remain secure. Sometimes that secure vault is a computer file or a file cabinet, but many times, the vault that must remain secure is ones mouth. F. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall not knowingly falsifies does not does not knowingly does not knowingly falsify or or misrepresents knowingly falsify falsify or knowingly falsify misrepresent records or records or facts or misrepresent misrepresent or misrepresent facts relating to the relating to the records or facts records or facts records or facts administrators administrators relating to the relating to the relating to the qualifications, or to the qualifications, or to administrators administrators administrators qualifications of other the qualifications of qualifications, or qualifications, or to qualifications, or staff or personnel. other staff or to the the qualifications to the personnel. qualifications of of other staff or qualifications of other staff or personnel. other staff or personnel most of personnel most of the time. the time and assists others to represent themselves in the same manner. This seems pretty straightforward. If an administrator is fraudulent, there are some major concerns. G. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall not knowingly makes does not does not knowingly does not knowingly make false or false or malicious knowingly make make false or knowingly make malicious statements statements about false or malicious malicious false or malicious about students, students students, students statements about statements about statements about families, staff, or families, staff, or students, students, students students, colleagues. colleagues. students families, families, staff, or students families, staff, or colleagues. staff, or colleagues most colleagues and

practices that protect confidential information about individuals.

that protect confidential information about individuals most of the time.

that protect confidential information about individuals and utilizes information in accordance with state and federal laws, and school district policies.

assists others to represent themselves in the same manner. No matter how much disrespect or recklessness someone may show, it cannot become a personal attack on the part of the administrator. It is essential to remain positive to encourage positive outcomes. H. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall not accepts gratuities, does not accept does not accept does not accept accept gratuities, gifts, gifts, or favors that gratuities, gifts, or gratuities, gifts, or gratuities, gifts, or or favors that impair impair professional favors that impair favors that impair favors that impair professional judgment, judgment, and/or professional professional professional nor offer any favor, offers any favor, judgment, nor judgment, nor judgment, nor service, or item of value service, or item of offers any favor, offers any favor, offers any favor, to obtain special value to obtain service, or item of service, or item of service, or item of advantage. special advantage. value to obtain value to obtain value to obtain special advantage special advantage. special advantage most of the time. and assists others to represent themselves in the same manner. Kickbacks create a conflict of interest, and banning them is necessary to help ensure impartial decisionmaking. I. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall only accepted a contract accepted a accepted a contract accepted a accept a contract for a for a position when contract for a for a position only contract for a position when licensed not licensed for the position only when licensed for position only for the position or when position or granted a when licensed for the position or when licensed for a school district is variance by the the position or granted a variance the position or granted a variance by commissioner of granted a variance by the granted a variance the commissioner of Children, Families, by the commissioner of by the Children, Families, and and Learning under commissioner of Children, Families, commissioner of Learning under Minnesota Statutes, Children, and Learning under Children, Minnesota Statutes, section 121.11, Families, and Minnesota Statutes, Families, and section 121.11, subdivision 7b. Learning under section 121.11, Learning under subdivision 7b. Minnesota subdivision 7b. Minnesota Statutes, section Statutes, section 121.11, 121.11, subdivision 7b. subdivision 7b and assists others to follow procedures in the same manner. Being properly licensed is to protect and increase the quality of the educational process. Hence, I am taking the EDAD program through UMD. J. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator

of the time.

administrator, in filling does not employ, employs, employs, employs, positions requiring recommend for recommends for recommends for recommends for licensure, shall employ, employment, and employment, and employment, and employment, and recommend for assign only assigns only assigns only assigns only employment, and assign appropriately appropriately appropriately appropriately only appropriately licensed personnel, licensed licensed personnel, licensed licensed personnel, or or persons for whom personnel, or or persons for personnel, or persons for whom the the school district persons for whom whom the school persons for whom school district has been has been granted a the school district district has been the school district granted a variance by variance by the has been granted granted a variance has been granted the appropriate state appropriate state a variance by the by the appropriate a variance by the board or agency, unless, board or agency. appropriate state state board or appropriate state after making reasonable board or agency agency in all cases. board or agency efforts to obtain a in most cases. in all cases and variance, an assists others to appropriately licensed follow procedures person cannot be in the same assigned and the manner. position must be filled to meet a legitimate emergency educational need. School administrators need to seek out highly qualified staff, and only fill those positions with appropriately licensed persons. This is an example where a license must take priority over convenience and sometimes preference. It is the law. K. A school The administrator The administrator The administrator The administrator administrator shall not engages in conduct does not engage does not engage in does not engage engage in conduct involving in conduct conduct involving in conduct involving dishonesty, dishonesty, fraud, or involving dishonesty, fraud, involving fraud, or misrepresentation in dishonesty, fraud, or dishonesty, fraud, misrepresentation in the the performance of or misrepresentation or performance of professional duties. misrepresentation in the performance misrepresentation professional duties. in the of professional in the performance of duties. performance of professional professional duties most of the duties and assists time. others to represent themselves in the same manner. This final ethical guideline seems to act as a catchall to guarantee administrators understand the importance of ethical behavior. Transparency is a key to information flow and high-functioning organizations. Dishonesty, fraud, and misrepresentation go directly against the ideal of transparency.