HA-MOM's comments

Surprising Code of Ethics for Arkansas Teachers - Blog Entry

25 Jun 2008 06:24 AM

You don't have the whole story. The original version of the ethics code was much more intrusive. If a teacher was even accused of a crime, it would become public and they could lose their license. Even a speeding ticket would be a cause to lose your job. Does that sound fair? There was also a provision about moral turpitude. So, if someone had different values than you, they could report you and you'd lose your license. For instance, drinking alcohol in a restaurant is morally objectionable to many people in my area of the state. Any taxpayer could file a complaint on a teacher drinking wine with dinner in a restaurant. The report would be public knowledge before the teacher even got to have a hearing on the manner. If a teacher had an affair even with someone totally outside the school setting, that would be grounds for dismissal.

Another part that was taken out had to do reporting anything done by a colleague. If I saw another teacher smoking in his car on school grounds and didn't report him, I could lose my license. Does that sound like a good working environment?

You should really make sure you know the whole story before passing judgment on a whole state of teachers.