Parkway Christian School
Standards of Ethical Conduct
Employees of an educational institution are held to a higher standard by parents, students, colleagues, and members of the public. As educational professionals, Parkway Christian School (PCS or the School) has a responsibility to provide the children we teach with the opportunity to obtain the best education possible which includes establishing, implementing, maintaining, and evaluating the learning environment in which the spiritual, emotional, psychological, academic and social needs of the students are met.
PCS supports and endorses a strict policy of respect toward students and expects employees to act at all times as adult role models. The School is dedicated to fostering an environment that promotes kindness, acceptance, and embraces differences among individuals.
PCS strives to ensure an ideal learning and working environment for all, with employees adhering to the following directives:
Create and maintain a learning atmosphere which affirms the dignity of the student.
Treat students and colleagues with civility and respect.
Foster a stimulating and productive learning environment in which the pros and cons of debatable issues are fairly acknowledged.
Nurture and protect intellectual freedom for students and colleagues.
Require all employees to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the School’s students at all times
Prohibit any type of bullying or harassment activity among students and not tolerating unlawful harassment of students and employees. The term "harassment" includes, but is not limited to, slurs, jokes, and other verbal, graphic or physical conduct relating to an individual's race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, or disability. "Harassment" also includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, offensive touching, and other verbal, graphic or physical conduct of a sexual nature.
Avoid unacceptable discriminatory conduct based on such factors as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, or political beliefs.
Seek to make the School a hospitable community for all students and colleagues, and should be sensitive to the harmful consequences of professional or student conduct or comments in classroom discussions or elsewhere that perpetuate stereotypes or prejudices involving such factors.
Employees shall maintain the highest level of honesty, integrity, and professionalism in their dealings with students, parents, their co-workers, and the public.
Employees should act with integrity, including being honest and candid, while still maintaining the confidentiality of information where required.
Employees must maintain the confidentiality of all confidential information of the School, its students, parents and other family members, customers, suppliers, or joint venture parties that is entrusted to them, except when disclosure is legally mandated, such as any personal information that potentially pertains to a concern of student abuse, abandonment, or neglect, or is expressly authorized by the School
Employees shall comply with all applicable laws, school policies, rules, and regulations. It is the personal responsibility of each employee to adhere to the standards and restrictions imposed by such laws, policies, rules, and regulations.
Employees have an obligation to keep children and the School’s campus safe by ensuring that all standard safety rules and guidelines are followed, whether in the classroom or on campus, on a field trip, on the bus, or at any school-related event.
Employees must promptly report any concerns relating to child abuse, abandonment, or neglect in accordance with the procedures set forth in the School’s Child Abuse Reporting Policy.
Employees must not seek any personal advantage or to seek any advantage on behalf of the School, through illegal or unethical practices.
No employee should take unfair advantage of anyone through manipulation, concealment, abuse of privileged information, misrepresentation of material facts, or any unfair dealing practice.
Training Requirement
All instructional personnel, educational support employees and administrators are required as a condition of employment to complete training on these standards of ethical conduct.
Misconduct by School Employees
All employees, educational support employees and administrators are obligated to report any employee misconduct that affects the health, safety, or welfare of children.
Examples of misconduct include:
Any interaction or communication that may reflect even the appearance of impropriety or make students feel uncomfortable.
Swearing, making inappropriate sexual, racial or ethnic comments.
Yelling or abusive actions toward a student.
Drinking or using illegal drugs at school, around or with students, or at any school-related event when students are present.
Touching students or their clothing in non-professional ways or inappropriate places, or touching a student with aggression, in frustration, or when highly emotional.
Speaking with innuendo to suggest a relationship or sexual subjects.
Engaging students to complete personal errands for you.
Conduct based on such factors as race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, or political beliefs.
Reporting Employee Misconduct
Any employee who becomes aware of any existing or potential employee misconduct is required to promptly notify the Head of School, Nikki Koski at nkoski@pcs-fl.net; Human Resources, Rebeca Rodriguez at rrodriguez@pcs-fl.net; or the Preschool Director, Jennifer Cardona at jcardona@pcs-fl.net.
Any employee who becomes aware of any existing or potential employee misconduct by an administrator is required to promptly notify, Human Resources, Rebeca Rodriguez at rrodriguez@pcs-fl.net.
Legally sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators will be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services. 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 the Human Resources Office, Employee Lunch Rooms, Employee Mail Areas, and on our Web Site at pcs-fl.net/welcome.
Child Abuse Reporting Obligations
All employees and agents have an affirmative duty and legal responsibility to report all actual and suspected cases of child abuse. Any information received that leads to a suspicion that a child has been abused, neglected, or abandoned must be reported by calling
1-800-96-ABUSE or reporting online at: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.
Florida Statutes require that all school personnel immediately (within 24 hours) report situations involving potential child abuse, neglect, or abandonment. The statute contains these definitions:
“Abuse”: any willful act or threatened act that results in any physical, mental, or sexual injury or harm that causes or is likely to cause the child’s physical , mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired.
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.
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.
“Neglect”: when a child is deprived of, or is allowed to be deprived of, necessary food, clothing, shelter, or medical treatment or a child is permitted to live in an environment when such deprivation or environment causes the child’s physical, mental, or emotional health to be significantly impaired or to be in danger of being significantly impaired.
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.
“Abandonment”: a situation in which the parent or legal custodian of a child, or in the absence of a parent or legal custodian, the caregiver responsible for the child’s welfare, while being able, makes no provision for the child’s support and makes no effort to communicate with the child, which situation is sufficient to evince a willful rejection of parental obligations.
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)
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)
Rev. April 2022
