Employee Standards of Ethical Conduct

Employee Standards of Ethical Conduct

                                           Standards of Ethical Conduct for International Christian Academy of LaBelle. 

International Christian Academy of LaBelle has adopted policies establishing standards of ethical conduct for all personnel including : All instructional personnel, and school administrators. The Code of Ethics established for Florida certified educators is available on the Office of Professional Practices Services website: fldoe.org . Some of the following standards may or may not be compiled by the readings thereof:
1. The Bible teaches that mankind (the human race) is created in the image of God and that God is the giver of life.  International Christian Academy of LaBelle (also know as "ICA") values the worth and dignity of every person. 
2. We want every student and employee to grow, stretch out of their comfort zone in order to grow some more, and become the best person that they can be.
3. Employees should strive for personal, professional, and spiritual growth.
4. Employees should strive to be like Jesus in words, actions, and character.
5. Employees should seek to exercise professional judgment and integrity.
6. Employees should strive to make their classrooms and their learning environment a safe and  healthy place. 
7. Employees should strive to teach students from a Biblical and loving perspective. 
8. Employees should do their best to not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
9. Employees should not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, gender, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental abilities or disabilities. 
10.Employees shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage. 
11. Employees should strive to not sew discord or contention among other employees, students, or their families. 

Employee should be aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence  of colleagues, of students, of parents, and of the community.  Employees of our school should display the highest degree of ethical conduct.  This commitment requires that our employees:
12. Shall maintain honesty in all personal and professional dealings.
13. Shall not have conduct or engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment. 
14. Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a student or colleague. 
15. Employees should pray for the school, students, colleagues, and the community often. 

  • Training Requirement:  International Christian Academy of LaBelle requires all instructional personnel, counselors and school administrators to attend Code of Ethics training upon employment. Documentation demonstrating that training was completed by each employee and school administrator is a requirement of the compliance application/renewal process. Records are kept with the school compliance and office records. In addition, staff receives yearly training at the beginning of school or during new hiring on the following points:
  • A review of ethical conduct to establish the duty to report, and procedure for reporting, alleged employee or administrator misconduct that affects the health, safety or welfare of a student.
  • Reporting Misconduct by Instructional Personnel and Administrators: All employees and administrators have an obligation and legal responsibility to report misconduct by instructional personnel and school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. Examples of misconduct include obscene language, drug and alcohol use, disparaging comments, prejudice or bigotry, sexual innuendo, cheating or testing violations, physical aggression, and accepting or offering  favors. Reports of misconduct is required to be reported to Principal Tracy Co, at (863) 675-4227. Reports of misconduct committed by administrators should be made to Mona Kajkowski at (863) 342-8900. 
  • International Christian Academy of LaBelle’s Ethics in Education policy states that legally sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators must be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services using the Educator Misconduct Reporting Form. More information about this form and its use is available on the Office of Professional Practices Services website. Policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student are posted in Sis. Mona Kajkowski's front office and on International Christian  Academy of LaBelle's website:  www.icalabelle.com   
  • Failure to report may result in penalties up to termination of employment and revocation of an educator’s certificate.
  • A review of the standards must provide an explanation of the employee liability protections provided under ss.39.203 and 768.095, F.S. This statute provides immunity from liability for those who report teachers’ or administrators’ misconduct.
  • International Christian Academy of LaBelle prohibits confidentiality agreements with instructional personnel or school administrators who are dismissed, terminated, or resign in lieu of termination due to misconduct that affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student. Any reference provided to a potential employer in an educational setting must disclose the misconduct.  

International Christian Academy of LaBelle has posted a notice at the school's front office and at various area in the main building stating that all employees have an affirmative duty to report actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. This is posted in a common room for teachers. This notice includes the statewide toll-free abuse hotline number (1-800-96ABUSE or 800-962-2873 or online: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.

Signs of Physical Abuse: The child may have unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, or other injuries; broken bones, or burns. A child experiencing physical abuse may seem withdrawn or depressed, seem afraid to go home or may run away, shy away from physical contact, be aggressive, or wear inappropriate clothing to hide injuries. 

Signs of Sexual Abuse: The child may have torn, stained or bloody underwear, trouble walking or sitting, pain or itching in genital area, or a sexually transmitted disease.  A child experiencing sexual abuse may have unusual knowledge of sex or act seductively, fear a particular person, seem withdrawn or depressed, gain or lose weight suddenly, shy away from physical contact, or run away from home. 

Signs of Neglect:  The child may have unattended medical needs, little or no supervision at home, poor hygiene, or appear underweight.  A child experiencing neglect may be frequently tired or hungry, steal food, or appear overly needy for adult attention.

Patterns of Abuse: Serious abuse usually involves a combination of factors. While a single sign may not be significant, a pattern of physical or behavioral signs is a serious indicator and should be reported. 

Liability Protections:  Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by law, or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse, abandonment or neglect to the department or any law enforcement agency,  shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason of such action. (F.S. 39.203)  International Christian Academy of LaBelle has posted at the school site, the policies and procedures for reporting child abuse, abandonment, or neglect cases.

As a courtesy, please, notify Principal Tracy Co of any reporting made. Be sure to get the name, phone number (in case transferred) and reference number of the person which the report was made. Keep this as a reference. This should also be held in a file at ICA, in order to prove that a report was made, in the event of a later reference needed.

An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer of the former or current employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the former or current employer was knowingly false or violated any civil right of the former or current employee protected under F.S. Chapter 760. (F.S. 768.095)

Again, the penalties for personnel and administrators who fail to report abuse, abandonment, or neglect within 24 hours, is a felony. Employees are not to wait to report to the Department of Children and Families, even if they are unable to contact Principal Tracy Co. Employee must report within 24 hours.

The sample notice may be downloaded from the Office of Professional Practices Services Web site under the “Abuse” and “Misconduct” heading. Further information about reporting abuse may also be found on the Department of Children and Families (DCF) website,  http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.


Implementation
International Christian Academy of LaBelle, FL began implementing these requirements in the 2010-11 school year upon the start of their school and continues. The School Ethics in Education Policy was written, adopted and implemented.
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