Workplace Behavior for School Employees

Workplace Behavior for School Employees

Expectations Related to Employee-Student Conduct

IIllinois Educator Code of Ethics

Student Privacy

Employee Handbook

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Illinois Prohibited Political Activities Act

Sexual Harassment & Title IX

Gift Ban Act

Social Media

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Employees & Social Media

School employees must be very careful to use social media in a safe, responsible manner and in a manner that does not open their personal lives to public inspection. The following is advised to District staff in regards to social media use:

Remember that the information on the internet sometimes is accessible well beyond its intended life.

Do not engage in commentary that may later be determined to impact your job in a negative fashion.

Do not post images that may be considered inappropriate.

Do not befriend students on social media.

Communications with Students

Employees are strictly prohibited from using any form of communication with students, including but not limited to, emails, letters, notes, text messages, phone calls, social media, and conversations that include any subject matter that would be deemed unprofessional and inappropriate between an employee and student. Employees must use a school provided or supported method to communicate with students whenever possible and are prohibited from using personal email, text messaging, direct messaging or other forms of communication that are similar in nature.

Contact with Students

Employees are prohibited from meeting or contacting a student outside of their professional role. Some exceptions would be for situations where there is another established appropriate relationship (i.e. religious ed teacher, cub scout master, family relationship, etc). Employees are expected to avoid situations which could result in an actual or perceived inappropriate relationship between the employee and the student.

Employee-Student Conduct

All employee conduct must comply with the Code of Ethics for Illinois Educators, adopted by the Illinois State Board of Education, to the extent applicable. Employees are expected to maintain professional relationships and appropriate boundaries with students.

Grooming Behaviors & Sexual Misconduct

Prohibited grooming behaviors and “sexual misconduct” include, but are not limited to, any verbal, nonverbal, written, or electronic or physical activity, by an employee or agent of the school with direct student contact with a student that is directed toward or with a student to establish a romantic or sexual relationship with the student. Such an act includes, but is not limited to:

• A sexual or romantic invitation;
• Dating or soliciting a date;
• Engaging in sexualized or romantic dialogue;
• Making sexually suggestive comments that are directed toward or with a student;
• Self-disclosure or physical exposure of a sexual, romantic, or erotic nature;
• A sexual, indecent, romantic, or erotic contact with a student.

Photographs of Students

Employees are prohibited from taking or possessing photos of a student on their personal devices. Student pictures, assuming parents have not opted out of photos, for school-sponsored activities used in furtherance of the school’s educational mission are permitted. Employees should delete student photos from their personal device once photos have been posted and/or sent in furtherance of the school's educational mission.

Transportation of Students

Employees are not permitted to transport students in their privately owned vehicles, unless they have obtained the prior permission of the school. Transportation of students in district vehicles requires approval by administration.

Failure to maintain student privacy results in violations of state and federal law.

School employees will have access to confidential information about students and their families. Information about students or their families MAY NOT be shared outside of the environment. Information should only be shared with those school staff members who need to know based on their work/assignment within the school district. School student records are confidential. Information from them shall not be released other than as provided by law.

A school student record is any writing or recorded information concerning a student and by which a student may be identified individually that is maintained by a school or a school employee, regardless of how or where the information is stored. Email and electronic communication is considered part of a student record.

Laws and resources to review:

• FERPA for Parents & Students

• Illinois School Student Records Act

• Overview of Student Data Privacy

• ISBE Additional Resources

Responsibility to Self

Demonstrate the highest level of professional judgment and remain current in both content knowledge and professional practice. Develop and implement personal and professional goals with attention to professional standards through a process of self-assessment and professional development.

Responsibility to Students

Implement a learning environment that is accessible to each student, enabling students to achieve the highest academic potential.We stand in place of the parent in providing a safe and nurturing learning environment to all students.

Illinois Educator Code of Ethics

The Illinois Educators’ Code of Ethics is a set of core principles, values, and responsibilities that sets expectations to guide practice and inspire professional excellence in relation to federal, state, and local policies, rules, regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. There are five core principals for school employees in Illinois.

Responsibility to Colleagues & the Profession

Education is a joint and collective effort and we are committed to collaborating with school and district colleagues and other professionals in the interest of student learning.

Responsibility to Parents, Families, & Communities

Understand and respect values and traditions of the diversity represented in their community and to provide fair and equal educational opportunities to each student.

Responsibility to ISBE

Comply with all state and federal codes, laws, and regulations and mandates that educator credentials be kept up-to-date.

Sexual Harassment & Sex-based Harassment are never appropriate.

Sexual harassment means any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or any conduct of a sexual nature when:

View the Illiois Department of Human Rights training on Sexual Harassment, linked below.

• submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment,

• submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or
• such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

Slides

Video

Sex-based harassment is defined as a form of sex discrimination and means “sexual harassment and other harassment based on sex, which may include sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy and related conditions, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It can take the form of:

DISTRICT COMPLAINT MANAGERS

Brett Sharkey bsharkey@sd44.org | 630-827-4461 150 W Madison St. Lombard, IL Scott Stehlik sstehlik@sd44.org | 630-827-4416 150 W Madison St. Lombard, IL Allie Hahn ahahn@sd44.org | 630-827-4592 150 W Madison St. Lombard, IL

• Quid pro quo harassment, or
• Specific offenses, which may include sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and/or hostile environment harassment

Hostile environment harassment is defined as an unwelcomed sex- based conduct that, based on the totality of circumstances, is subjectively and objectively offensive and is so severe or pervasive that it limits or denies a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from an institution’s education program or activity.

An employee should report claims of harassment, including making a confidential report, to any of the following: your Building Principal, an administrator, the district Nondiscrimination Coordinator and/or a Complaint Managers. Employees may also report claims using Board policy 2:260, Uniform Grievance Procedure.

Employees may not accept gifts from prohibited sources.

The Illinois State Gift Ban Act and the corresponding gift ban act of District 44 prohibit gifts from certain individuals under certain circumstances. There are limited exceptions where a gift may be accepted. A gift is anything of value, including a gratuity, discount, loan, forbearance, or honorarium that is attributable to the employee's official position.

A prohibited source is any person or entity doing business with the school district or soliciting business from the school district. Some exceptions (use with caution):

• Opportunities available to the general public
• Anything of value which the employee pays fair market value
• Educational materials and missions
• Travel expenses to an official business meeting
• Gifts from relatives or personal friends
• Food or refreshment not exceeding $75 a day that is either catered or consumed on the premises
• Food, lodging, transportation, and other benefits from an outside business interest provided that they have not been enhanced because of the employee's official position
• Intra-governmental gifts are gifts that are exchanged among employees; for example, a gift from a supervisor
• And items from a prohibited source that have a cumulative value of less than $100 per year