(1) The following disciplinary rule shall constitute the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education
Profession in Florida.
(2) Violation of any of these principles shall subject the individual to revocation or suspension of the
individual educator’s certificate, or the other penalties as provided by law.
(3) Obligation to the student requires that the individual:
(a) Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the
student’s mental and/ or physical health and/or safety.
(b) Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning.
(c) Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.
(d) Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student’s academic program.
(e) Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
(f) Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal rights.
(g) Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national
or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family
background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or
discrimination.
(h) Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.
(i) Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable information obtained in the course of professional
service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by law.
(4) Obligation to the public requires that the individual:
(a) Shall take reasonable precautions to distinguish between personal views and those of any educational
institution or organization with which the individual is affiliated.
(b) Shall not intentionally distort or misrepresent facts concerning an educational matter in direct or indirect
public expression.
(c) Shall not use institutional privileges for personal gain or advantage.
(d) Shall accept no gratuity, gift, or favor that might influence professional judgment.
(e) Shall offer no gratuity, gift, or favor to obtain special advantages.
(5) Obligation to the profession of education requires that the individual:
(a) Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.
(b) Shall not on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital
status, handicapping condition if otherwise qualified, or social and family background deny to a colleague
professional benefits or advantages or participation in any professional organization.
(c) Shall not interfere with a colleague’s exercise of political or civil rights and responsibilities.
(d) Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an
individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or
which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make
reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
(e) Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague.
(f) Shall not use coercive means or promise special treatment to influence professional judgments of
colleagues.
(g) Shall not misrepresent one’s own professional qualifications.
(h) Shall not submit fraudulent information on any document in connection with professional activities.
(i) Shall not make any fraudulent statement or fail to disclose a material fact in one’s own or another’s
application for a professional position.
(j) Shall not withhold information regarding a position from an applicant or misrepresent an assignment or
conditions of employment.
(k) Shall provide upon the request of the certificated individual a written statement of specific reason for
recommendations that lead to the denial of increments, significant changes in employment, or termination of
employment.
(l) Shall not assist entry into or continuance in the profession of any person known to be unqualified in
accordance with these Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida and other
applicable Florida Statutes and State Board of Education Rules.
(m) Shall self-report within forty-eight (48) hours to appropriate authorities (as determined by district) any
arrests/charges involving the abuse of a child or the sale and/or possession of a controlled substance. Such notice
shall not be considered an admission of guilt nor shall such notice be admissible for any purpose in any
proceeding, civil or criminal, administrative or judicial, investigatory or adjudicatory. In addition, shall self-
report any conviction, finding of guilt, withholding of adjudication, commitment to a pretrial diversion program,
or entering of a plea of guilty or Nolo Contendre for any criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation
within forty-eight (48) hours after the final judgment. When handling sealed and expunged records disclosed
under this rule, school districts shall comply with the confidentiality provisions of Sections 943.0585(4)(c) and
943.059(4)(c), Florida Statutes.
(n) Shall report to appropriate authorities any known allegation of a violation of the Florida School Code or
State Board of Education Rules as defined in Section 231.28(1), Florida Statutes.
(o) Shall seek no reprisal against any individual who has reported any allegation of a violation of the Florida
School Code or State Board of Education Rules as defined in Section 231.28(1), Florida Statutes.
(p) Shall comply with the conditions of an order of the Education Practices Commission imposing
probation, imposing a fine, or restricting the authorized scope of practice.
(q) Shall, as the supervising administrator, cooperate with the Education Practices Commission in
monitoring the probation of a subordinate.
Specific Authority 229.053(1), 231.546(2)(b) FS. Law Implemented 231.546(2), 231.28 FS. History–New 7-6-82, Amended
12-20-83, Formerly 6B-1.06, Amended 8-10-92, 12-29-98.
Requirements of Faculty and Staff at Blessed Star Montessori Christian School:
(a) All faculty and staff must complete the training program for ethical standards as a condition of
employment; after which they must sign a statement attesting to its completion.
(b) Faculty and staff have a duty to report alleged misconduct to the Director.
(c) Employees do have liability protection for reporting misconduct as stated in Florida Statutes:
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 chapter 760. (F.S. 768.095)
Reporting Misconduct by Instructional Personnel and Administrators
All employees, educational support employees, and administrators have an obligation 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 of employees should be made to:
Chris Jarrell , cj11900@blessedstar.com 850-476-9208.
Reports of misconduct committed by administrators should be made to:
Olivia Chen/Vicky Hinrichs , admin@blessedstar.com 850-476-9208.
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 on our Bulletin Board
And on our Website at: www.blessedstar.com.
Reporting Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect
All employees and agents have an affirmative duty to report all actual or suspected cases of child abuse,
abandonment, or neglect. Call 1-800-96-ABUSE or report online at: 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 in a serious indicator and should be reported.
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.
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