Tatijana Strange

The 10 Principles in the Idaho State Code of Ethics

Principle 1: Professional Conduct

A professional educator must follow all federal, state, and local laws and statutes regarding

education. Any unethical conduct can include felony or misdemeanor offense, as set in Idaho

Code Section 33-1280.

Principle 2: Educator/Student Relationship

An educator must maintain a professional relationship with all students inside and outside the

physical and virtual classroom. There are 11 types of unethical conduct that include but aren’t

limited to: physical and emotional child abuse; cruelty or child endangerment; soliciting sexual

acts; harassment as defined by district policy; engaging in an inappropriate relationship with a

student by soliciting, encouraging, or consummating in a written, verbal, virtual, or physical

way; possessing or taking any images, digital, physical, or video, of any students that are in a

harassing, confidential, or sexual nature; inappropriate contact with any minor or student

regardless of age that is using electronic media; giving students alcohol or illegal or unauthorized

drugs to students or encouraging students to consume said substances except within a medical

emergency; conduct that is detrimental to the welfare or health of students; purposely falsifying

information to students.

Principle 3: Alcohol and Drugs Use or Possession

An educator will refrain form abuse of drugs and alcohol during professional practice. This

unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: while being on school premises or any school-

sponsored event while home or away while possessing, using, or consuming illegal or

unauthorized drugs; being on school premises or at any school sponsored events, home or away,
involving students while possessing, using, or consuming alcohol; inappropriate/ illegal use of

prescription medications while on school premises or at school events; inappropriate or illegal

use of drugs and alcohol that can impair your ability to function; possession of any illegal drug

as defined by Idaho Code Chapter 27, Idaho Code, Uniformed Controlled Substances.

Principal 4: Professional Integrity

A professional educator exemplifies honesty and integrity in their professional practice.

Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: fraudulently prepping or altering materials for

licensure or employment; falsifying or purposely misrepresenting professional qualifications,

degrees, academic awards, and related employment history when applying for employment and

license; failure to notify the state of past revocations or suspensions of license from another state;

failure to notify state of past criminal record; purposely misrepresenting or lying about

information regarding the evaluation of students; falsifying, lying, or misrepresenting reasons for

leave of absence; lying about information in the course of an official investigation; lying about

material for official evaluations of colleagues; failure to notify the state about criminal

conviction or crime that violates the statues or rules about teaching/teaching certification.

Principle 5: Funds and Property

A professional educator that is entrusted with public funds and property must be held to a high

level or trust. Unethical conduct in this area includes but is not limited to: spending public funds

on inappropriate items; not properly accounting for funds collected from others; submitting fake

requests for reimbursement or pay; putting public funds with your personal ones; using school

money or property for private gain; using school computers to deliberately view and or print

pornography; purposefully using a poor budget and accounting practices.

Principle 6: Compensation
A professional educator must maintain integrity with others when accepting gifts, gratuities,

favors, and additional compensation. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: Asking

students or parents for equipment, supplies, or services without authorization; accepting gifts

from vendors and potential vendors for personal use where there may be a conflict of interest;

tutoring students assigned to remuneration unless approved; soliciting, accepting, or receiving aa

financial benefit greater than fifty dollars as defined in Idaho Code Section 18-1395(b); keeping

donations of items or money for yourself when they were donated for the school or students.

Principle 7: Confidentiality

A professional educator must comply with state and federal laws as well as local school board

policies relating to the confidentiality of students and fellow employees’ records, unless required

or permitted by law. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: Sharing confidential

information about a student in any area (i.e. academic, disciplinary etc.) with inappropriate

individuals or entities; sharing confidential information about colleagues with inappropriate

individuals or entities.

Principle 8: Breach of Contract or Abandonment of Employment

A professional educator must fulfill the terms and obligations of their contract. Unethical

conduct includes but is not limited to: abandoning any contract for professional services without

prior written release of contract; willfully refusing to perform services required by contract;

abandonment of classroom or failure to provide appropriate supervision of students at school and

school-sponsored activities;

Principle 9: Duty to Report

A professional educator reports breaches of the Code of Ethics. Unethical conduct includes but is

not limited to: failure to comply with Idaho Code Section 33-1208A (reporting requirements);
Failure to comply with Idaho Code Section 16-1605 (Reporting child abuse, abandonment, and

neglect);Failure to comply with Idaho Code Section 33-512B (suicidal tendencies and duty to

warn); having knowledge of a violation of the code of ethics and not reporting it.

Principle 10: Professionalism

A professional educator must treat all members just and equitable. Unethical conduct includes

but is not limited to: any conduct that can seriously impair the Certificate holder’s ability to teach

or preform duties; committing harassment towards colleagues; not cooperating with the

Professional Standards Commission in investigations; using institutional privileges for the

promotion of a political candidate or for political activities, except for local, state, or national

education association elections; willfully interfering in the free participation of colleagues in

professional associations; taking or possessing images (digital, physical, or video) of a colleague

in a harassing, confidential, or sexual nature.