School Finance Week 5 Assignment Part 1

Standard 1.2, example: purchasing office equipment with district funds and bringing them home for personal use

Short term: Written reprimand and required to return the items. The loss of trust among colleges and supervisors. Criminal charges, fines, jail time and loss of job

Long term: Lack of promotion or increased responsibility. Due to behavior the individual becomes ostracized and will be so dissatisfied the he or she may leave the place of employment. The loss of certificate and inability to use college degree for a purposeful job. Lifetime of guilt.
In order to prevent employees from abusing state/district equipment or funds it is necessary to for the superintendent to model the appropriate behavior. It would also benefit district employees to receive training and review of the ethical conduct set forth by the state. During the training provide specific examples as well as consequences for the actions that relate to misuse of district equipment and funds. If violations occur the disciplinary action must be swift and in accordance with state and local policies. The SBEC Superintendent Competency One addresses the modeling component of the prevention plan, it says, model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behaviors.

Standard 1.5, example: accepting monies or gifts from a potential contractor vying for a open bid

Short term: Criminal charges, fines, jail time, and loss of job
Long term:The loss of certificate and inability to use college degree for a purposeful job. Lifetime of guilt.
To prevent someone in a leadership position responsible for the bid process from accepting bribes or monies for contracted agreements a district or board of trustees must create a very transparent environment with consistent oversight. It is also important to employ a person of good moral standing and character, which is much easier, said than done. Everyone can be tempted, but if employers have built in safe guards and high expectations violations can be minimized. The SBEC Superintendent Competency One addresses the necessary components of the prevention plan, exhibit understanding and implement policies and procedures that promote district personnel compliance with The Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, and model and promote the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behaviors.

Standard 2.5, example: based on age not hire someone with experience because they will cost the district more money than the novice or first year teacher when considering pay scale

Short term:Loss of hiring a qualified veteran educator for your students, could face grievance or Office of Civil Rights visit
Long term:Poor student performance on standardized tests, if confirmed of violation could be fired and loose certificate, embarrassment

The most effective way to prevent age discrimination is reinforce how important it is to hire the best, most qualified, and compatible candidate as possible. Educating supervisors who are responsible for hiring on the laws and what specific skill set to look for during the interview. Also providing theses supervisors with a list of questions that are used during the interview process based on the vacant position. The SBEC Superintendent Competency One addresses the necessary components of the prevention plan, serve as an advocate for all children(hire the best possible candidate for student success) and interact with district staff, students, school board, and community in a professional and ethical manner.

Reflection:
It is beneficial to frequently review the ethics and principles of an educator in the State of Texas.  It was challenging to create an ethical violation based on the standards of an educator, but it was a very thought provoking activity.   

The preventative action plan activity was probably the most difficult to complete because it was necessary to think about all the preliminary actions that should take place in order to provide employees with the best possible understanding of the specific violation.  I plan to use the newly gained information to help me organize and educate those under my supervision to prevent violations of the code of ethics for educators. 

Overall, I found the assignment to be beneficial in understanding how important it is to maintain the highest ethical standards.  As educators we are constantly under the microscope and must be beyond reproach in all of our practices.