Iowa Department of Education

Employee Ethics

Help All Your Staff Stay out of Ethical Hot Water We would all like to believe that ethical behavior is so obvious and intuitive that no reminders are needed.  Alas, the caseload of the Board of Educational Examiners tells us differently.  So, here and in no particular order is a Top Ten list of ethical pitfalls to avoid.  An administrator may desire to post this in the staff lounge or otherwise keep this at the forefront of all employees' awareness. 10.    Do not violate the gift law by accepting a gift of more than $3.00 in value from someone or some group wanting favorable treatment or wanting to do business with the district. 9.    Do not physically, emotionally, or sexually abuse any child. 8.    Do not engage in a romantic relationship with any student - it is a crime to do so, and this is true even if the student is an adult and even if the student is in different school than the school employee (e.g., District A student "dating" a District B employee). 7.    Do not require or even request students to take part in an activity that is not school-sponsored if you stand to personally benefit from student participation (e.g., getting a gift for having x number of students fill out a questionnaire for a private company to assess their future plans). 6.    Do not treat school or student funds as your own. 5.   Do not misuse school property - including computers and email. 4.    Do not possess, consume or work under the influence of alcohol or non-prescription controlled substances. 3.   Do not permit harassment, bullying, or hazing and do not fail to report the same. 2.    Do not fail to report a colleague or school volunteer who violates any of the above rules. 1.    Do not discuss students by name with anyone who does not have a legitimate need to know the information.