Codes of Educational Ethics

Part I: In this forum you are asked to compare the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) and your own (Kentucky) state's Code of Ethics.

One aspect of the Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE) I appreciated was its specificity and comprehensiveness. The MCEE addresses issues such as information literacy and specific aspects of the student-teacher relationship that the Code of Ethics for Educators for the State of Kentucky does not. For example, the MCEE addresses issues such as the need for teachers to avoid plagiarism in the material they publish as a way of setting a good example for students and the need to promote information literacy. It also stresses the requirement to keep relationships with students professional, to avoid the appearance of bias. In contrast, the Kentucky code simply stresses the need to strive towards excellence, without defining precisely what excellence might be for an educator.
The MCEE is very clear that excellence means upholding high professional standards, seeking out innovative ways to teach and engage in professional self-improvement, and to constantly evaluate the role of cultural competency in the classroom. Both codes do discuss the responsibilities of educators to parents and the community as well as to students and the classroom, which is useful. But the Kentucky code could benefit from incorporating some of the standards of the MCEE, particularly in regards to technology given the importance of this facet of modern-day life in the existences of so many students. The MCEE also discusses responsibilities to fellow educators in great detail, which is necessary given the increased emphasis on professional collaboration at many schools. Of course, the specificity is one reason why the MCEE is more likely to be violated. Also, there are still aspects of the MCEE which are somewhat subjective, given its warning against multiple relationships with students. Many teachers and students become friends as the result of extracurricular activities (such as coaches) and while favoritism is never acceptable, multiple relationships beyond the classroom cannot always be avoided.
References
Model Code of Ethics for Educators (MCEE). (2017). NASDTEC. Retrieved from: http://www.nasdtec.net/?page=MCEE_Doc#PrinI
Professional Code of Ethics. (2017). EPSB. Retrieved from: http://epsb.ky.gov/legal/ethics.asp
Part II: Write a response (150 words each) to both forums listed below.
Forum I
The MCEE content provides very specific, behavior-based instruction on how teachers should conduct themselves in and outside of class. I agree that state codes often contain more general and morals-based guidelines. That was true of my state of Kentucky as well as your state of Texas. Naturally, I am curious as to why this is the case, given that it would seem more logical for state codes to be more locally-based than a generic natural code. I agree about the concern regarding professional conduct and avoiding favoritism is common to all professional codes. Because teachers deal with such personal issues when interacting with students, even the most conscientious teachers can forget this. Since the issue of professional boundaries has been receiving increased attention, particularly given the fact that technology has created more out-of-class student-teacher and parent-teacher interactions, the advice given about this issue in the MCEE is particularly welcome.


Forum 2
The difficulty in finding a state ethical code is a relevant concern given that if codes are not easily searchable and accessible via Google, people are unlikely to read them for advice. The fact that it is infrequently updated also suggests that it is of low priority. A 1998 era code will not have relevant information about how to use social media and technology in the classroom, given how much things have changed in the 21st century. Having easy-to-read language is an important positive aspect of the code, however. Teachers are not lawyers and the codes should be clearly written and useful in everyday pedagogical practice. The ease of navigation in the MCEE and the ways in which it is broken down into sections is very helpful. The codes may not deter all aspects of teacher cheating but hopefully will provide guidance regarding ethical gray areas for concerned educators.