1、An Overview of the Professional Licensure Standards Board 2014 Standards 2013 Case Study Information 2013 License Surrender Examples,Disclaimer,Every Professional Licensure Standards Board (PLSB) investigation is unique and different. For brevity and training purposes, case study data provided in th
2、is presentation does not include/depict all the evidentiary information provided to the PLSB Ethics Sub Committee. The PLSB Ethics Sub Committee examines and takes into consideration all pertinent evidence and information provided in the entire investigative case file during their decision making pr
3、ocess prior to making any recommendation for educator sanction to the State Board of Education (SBE). Because of the uniqueness of every case, ethical violations and resolutions decided by the SBE and noted in this presentations case studies should not be used for comparison purposes or determining
4、the fairness of the process or resulting sanctions.,The 2014 Standards,The Code of Ethics for Arkansas Educators was recently revised and consists of eight standards as of July 1, 2014. The conduct of educators is currently compared to these standards in determining whether or not a violation or vio
5、lations have occurred.,The 2014 Standards,Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.Standard 2: An educator maintains competence regarding his or her professional practice inclusive of skills, knowledge, dispositions and respon
6、sibilities relating to his or her organizational position. Standard 3: An educator honestly fulfills reporting obligations associated with professional practices.,The 2014 Standards,Standard 4: An educator entrusted with public funds and property, including school sponsored activity funds, honors th
7、at trust with honest, responsible stewardship. Standard 5: An educator maintains integrity regarding the acceptance of any gratuity, gifts, compensation or favor that might impair or appear to influence professional decisions or actions and shall refrain from using the educators position for persona
8、l gain. Standard 6: An educator keeps in confidence secure standardized test materials and results and maintains integrity regarding test administration procedures.,The 2014 Standards,Standard 7: An educator maintains the confidentiality of information about students and colleagues obtained in the c
9、ourse of the educators professional services that is protected under state law or regulations, federal law or regulations, or the written policies of the educators school district, unless disclosure serves a professional purpose as allowed or required by law or regulations. Standard 8: An educator r
10、efrains from using, possessing and/or being under the influence of alcohol or unauthorized drugs/substances and/or possessing items prohibited by law, or possessing or using tobacco-related products while on school premises or at school-sponsored activities involving students.,2013 Case Study Inform
11、ation,The Allegations noted in the case studies that follow were all reported between July 1, 2013 and June 30, 2014.The Standards noted in these case studies were the seven 2013 standards in effect during the same reporting time frame. Only cases recommended by the Ethics Subcommittee to the SBE ar
12、e included.The Resolutions noted are all final, as made by the SBE or the PLSB Ethics Subcommittee.,Ethics Violation,an act or omission on the part of an educator, when the educator knew, or reasonably should have known, that such act or omission was in violation of the Code of Ethics for Arkansas E
13、ducators. An ethics violation does not include a reasonable mistake made in good faith;acts or omissions taken in accordance with the reasonable instructions of a supervisor; or an act or omission under circumstances in which the educator had a reasonable belief that failure to follow the instructio
14、ns of a supervisor would result in an adverse job action against the educator.,Possible Sanctions,Private Letter of Caution Written Warning Written Reprimand Probation Suspension Permanent Revocation (or nonrenewal) Monitoring Conditions or Restrictions,Private Letter of Caution,DESCRIPTIONa non-pun
15、itive communication from the Ethics Subcommittee to an educator in response to an ethics complaint against the educator. provided by the Ethics Subcommittee in lieu of recommending other discipline does not make any factual findings but inform the educator that the conduct alleged in the complaint o
16、r its investigation falls within the broad range of the Code of Ethics but that the circumstances and mitigating factors do not warrant disciplinary actionis not submitted to the State Board of Education for approval and it does not constitute a sanction for the purposes of the Code of Ethics for Ar
17、kansas Educators cannot be the basis for a request for an evidentiary hearing before the Ethics Subcommittee or the State Board of Education,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEis not placed in an educators licensure file is not a “public record” and therefore not subject to FOIAremains in the files retained by the P
18、LSB staff,Written Warning,DESCRIPTIONa written communication from the State Board to the named educator that his or her conduct is unethical. The warning cautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe sanction,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEremains in the licensure file of the educator for a
19、period of two (2) years from the date the warning is imposed by the State Boardremains permanently in the files retained by PLSB staffis a public record subject to disclosure under FOIA,Written Reprimand,DESCRIPTIONa written admonishment from the State Board to the educator for his or her conduct ca
20、utions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe sanction and is associated with a monetary fine of the educator,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEremains in the licensure file of the educator for a period of two (2) years from the date the reprimand is imposed by the State Boardremains permanently
21、in the files retained by PLSB staffis a public record subject to disclosure under FOIA,Probation,DESCRIPTIONthe placing of conditions, requirements or circumstances on the status of a teaching license for a period of time established by the State Board. Educator must sufficiently satisfy such condit
22、ions, requirements or circumstances in order to maintain or be reinstated to the original non-probationary teaching license status.Educator may still be employed in a position that requires the license,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEremains in the licensure file of the educator for the period of probationremains
23、 permanently in the files retained by PLSB staffis a public record subject to disclosure under FOIAis reported to the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC) Clearinghouse,Suspension,DESCRIPTIONthe temporary invalidation of any teaching license for a
24、period of time specified by the State BoardEducator may not be employed in a position for which a license is required for the period of the suspension,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEremains in the licensure file of the educator for the period of suspensionremains permanently in the files retained by PLSB staffis
25、 a public record subject to disclosure under FOIAis reported to the NASDTEC Clearinghouse,Permanent Revocation (or Nonrenewal),DESCRIPTIONthe permanent invalidation of any teaching or administrators license held by the educator,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEremains permanently in the licensure file and files re
26、tained by PLSB staffis a public record subject to disclosure under FOIAis reported to the NASDTEC Clearinghouse,Monitoring Conditions or Restrictions,DESCRIPTIONinclude any actions or alternative sanctions allowed under the Administrative Procedures Act, including at a minimum a semi-annual appraisa
27、l of the educators conduct by the PLSB staff through contact with the educator and his or her employer or other appropriate persons. Examples:requiring that an educator, at the educators expense, submit a new criminal background check or submit other requested information such as current employmentr
28、equiring counseling, treatment, education or training,LENGTH/CONSEQUENCEThe Ethics Subcommittee may recommend the length of the monitoring period to the State Board of EducationMonitoring conditions or restrictions must be complied with before a licensure sanction will be lifted,2013 Standard 1: An
29、educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1A,Allegation: The complaint alleged that the educator:Led a small group of 10th and 11th grade students in a book study of the novel Fifty Shades of Grey, thereby exposing those students
30、to content of an adult, sexual nature, inappropriate for their age.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1A,Resolution:Following an educator requested evidentiary hearing, the State Boa
31、rd of Education suspended the educators license for a period of one year and imposed a fine of $100.,Case Study 1B,Allegation: The complaint alleged that the educator:Showed a PG-13 rated film (“To Save a Life“) to a junior high health class, which contained inappropriate material for the age of the
32、 students, including teens engaging in sexual activity and using drugs; a young man committing suicide in school in front of his peers; inappropriate lyrics from rap music; and presented an overall religious theme.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationshi
33、p with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1B,Resolution:The State Board of Education placed the educators license on probation for a period of two years and imposed a fine of $75.,Case Study 1C,Allegations: The complaint alleged that the educator:Used profanity in presence o
34、f students; Told a student “to take his a* to the principal; and Used the “n” word during a confrontation with a student in the classroom.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1C,Resolu
35、tion:The State Board of Education issued the educator a written reprimand and imposed a $50 fine.,Case Study 1D,Allegations: The complaint alleged that the educator:Embarrassed a student in the presence of her peers by berating her after she read at the educators request openly in class; Frequently
36、rude to students in class; Confronted/yelled at students, telling them how “horrible“ they were; and Entered another teachers classroom, yelled at the class about how “horrible“ they were, thereby causing the other teacher to request the educator leave and reporting the incident to school leadership
37、.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1D,Resolution:The State Board of Education issued the educator a written reprimand and imposed a $50 fine.,Case Study 1E,Allegation: The complaint
38、 alleged that the educator:Made a demeaning and embarrassing remark to a student about being selected to the homecoming court, knowing that the student had an obvious physical impairment.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both i
39、n and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1E,Resolution:The State Board of Education issued the educator a written warning.,Case Study 1F,Allegation: The complaint alleged that the educator:Threw a pencil at a sleeping student in the classroom to awaken him, resulting in the pencil striking the studen
40、t under his eye and injuring him.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1F,Resolution:The State Board of Education issued the educator a written reprimand and imposed a $50 fine.,Case St
41、udy 1G,Allegation: The complaint alleged that the educator:Engaged in a long term inappropriate relationship with a female student, including communicating with her utilizing social media and spending time alone with her.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional rela
42、tionship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1G,Resolution:The State Board of Education permanently revoked the educators license.,Case Study 1H,Allegation: The complaint alleged that the educator:Told a female student that he could not give the student his phone number
43、because she “tempted him sexually.“Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1H,Resolution:The State Board of Education suspended the educators license for 3 years and imposed a $100 fine.,
44、Case Study 1I,Allegations: The complaint alleged that the educator:Transmitted nude photographs of himself to a high school student; Received nude photographs of the high school student; Received inappropriate text messages from the high school student and responded inappropriately, indicating the s
45、tudent spent the night or nights at his residence; Sent the student several text messages asking for money; and Exchanged text messages of an inappropriate nature with an additional student from another district.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship
46、with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1I,Resolution:The State Board of Education permanently revoked the educators license.,Case Study 1J,Allegations: The complaint alleged that the educator:Requested female student send photographs of a sexual nature to him; Sent photogra
47、phs of a sexual nature of himself to the student; Discussed sexual pictures on phone “app” with the student; and Invited the student to his home when his wife was not present.Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outsid
48、e the classroom.,Case Study 1J,Resolution:The State Board of Education permanently revoked the educators license.,Case Study 1K,Allegations: The complaint alleged that the educator:Sent sexually explicit texts to a male student; Met male students at hotel; Took a male students phone, put it between
49、her legs, and dared the male student to get it; Showed male student photographs of other nude males; Had a female student upload a video to the social media site “KIK,“ depicting the educator cupping her breasts and shaking them; and Engaged in oral sex with male students in a classroom.Standard All
50、eged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,Case Study 1K,Resolution:The State Board of Education permanently revoked the educators license.,Case Study 1L,Allegations: The complaint alleged that the educator:Establ
51、ished a Twitter account where he “Tweeted“ and reposted pictures and “tweets“ which contained alcohol references, obscene and inappropriate language, and sexual references; Had conversations on his Twitter account demonstrating his awareness that students were following his Twitter “feed“; Maintaine
52、d links on his page or “feed“, that, when accessed, directed the viewers to photographs of a pornographic nature; Allowed female students not scheduled for his class to be in his classroom while class was in session; and Touched female students, rubbing their shoulders and flipping their hair. Standard Alleged Violated:Standard 1: An educator maintains a professional relationship with each student, both in and outside the classroom.,
