Our Mission, Our Vision, Our Values and Beliefs 2

Welcome to East Jackson Comprehensive High School

Home of the Eagles

EJCHS Faculty Handbook 2007-2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Topic Page Introduction...... 2 Our Mission, Our Vision, Our Values and Beliefs...... 2 School Improvement and Accountability Goals...... 2 Professional Learning and Professional Learning Teams...... 3 Faculty/Staff Evaluation...... 3 Faculty Dress Code...... 3 Faculty and Department Meetings/Blueboard...... 4 Student Progress and Grade Reporting...... 4 Testing Duties and Responsibilities...... 5 Extra and Co-Curricular Activities...... 5 Student Advisement...... 5 Interruption of Instruction...... 6 General School Procedures...... 6 Assemblies...... 6 Telephone Use/Telephone Messages...... 7 Smoking Policy for School Personnel...... 7 School Funds...... 7 Purchases, Reimbursements, and Expenditures...... 8 Purchase Order Procedures/Check Requests...... 9 Solicitations/Fundraising/Candy Sales...... 10 Fund Raising Policy...... 10 Media Resources and Services...... 10 Copyright Guidelines/Supplementary Resources...... 11 Student Attendance and Tardiness...... 13 Attendance and Exemption Rules...... 14 Graduation Rules...... 14 EJCHS Student Rules...... 15 JCSS Policies...... 17 Student Code of Conduct...... 18 General Information...... 18 The Code of Ethics for Educators...... 21 EJCHS Calendar...... 24 EJCHS Student Dress Code...... 25 Accident Report Form...... 26 Testing Dates 2007-2008...... 27 Progress Reports/Report Cards Dates...... 28 Activity Day Schedule...... 29 Faculty and Staff Roster...... 30 Eagles Varsity Football Schedule...... 31 RATS Rubric...... 32 East Jackson High School Faculty Handbook

Introduction Welcome to the staff of East Jackson Comprehensive High School. This handbook is issued to assist teachers in performing their duties more efficiently. It is a supplement to the Staff Handbook of the Jackson County Board of Education. Portions of the material were taken from the Staff Handbook, while the remainder represents policies of EJCHS. This handbook is subject to revision. The EJCHS Administrative Team welcomes your constructive criticism, comments, and suggestions at any time. We would like for you to read the Staff Handbook of Jackson County included herein, and keep for reference all memos and special bulletins issued by the office during the school year. This handbook reflects school policy. Staff members are expected to follow this policy as they provide for the needs of students.

VISION

The Jackson County School System is committed to the relentless pursuit of educational excellence.

MISSION

The mission of the Jackson County School System is to provide and support challenging and rigorous educational opportunities to ensure academic excellence for all students in a safe and caring learning environment.

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

Jackson County School System is ethically bound by and committed to:

 Providing a highly effective, committed staff and resources needed to achieve high expectations.

 Providing a safe, clean, nurturing, and respectful environment.

 Providing a rigorous and challenging standards based curriculum guided by data and research-based best instructional practices.

 Developing a mutual respect for and partnership among all stakeholders. Jackson County Schools included herein, and keep for reference all memos and special bulletins issued by the office during the school year. This handbook reflects school policy. Staff members are expected to follow this policy as they provide for the needs of students. Professional Learning and Professional Learning Teams All faculty and staff members are encouraged to participate in a variety of professional learning opportunities and to belong to their professional organizations. Opportunities for professional growth are provided at the school and system level as well as by Northeast Georgia RESA. In addition, professional organizations offer subject area conferences and workshops. Planning period professional learning is frequently required for all teachers and will be announced in advance. All faculty and staff members are required to participate in a professional learning team at the department level each school year. These groups will meet monthly and report to the administrative team. In most cases, professional learning units will be given to teachers who participate in sanctioned professional learning experiences. Faculty/Staff Evaluation All teachers and other personnel at EJCHS will be evaluated according to state, system, and school regulations. A short orientation to GTOI/GTDRI procedures will be held for teachers at the beginning of each school year. Teachers will receive a copy of each evaluation report. In addition, formative evaluations will be completed by administrators and department chairpersons. Teachers may request personal conferences after each evaluation. The annual evaluation for EJCHS will include a personal development plan for each and every certified employee. East Jackson Comprehensive High School is a Learning Focused School. Teachers are required to employ best practices as described in the Learning Focused Schools Program. Best practices will be documented on the teacher evaluation form. ANNUAL PERFORMANCE EVALUATION O.C.G.A. 20-2-210

 All personnel...,including superintendent, shall have their performance evaluated annually by...trained evaluator  All performance evaluations are part of the personnel file and are confidential  Board of Education evaluates the superintendent  Certified personnel who have deficiencies...shall have a professional development plan (PDP) designed to mitigate deficiencies  Progress relative to completing the PDP shall be assessed during annual evaluation  Local units of administration (LUA) are authorized to use the model evaluation instrument adopted by the state board for each classification of professional personnel certificated by the Professional Standards Commission (PSC)

Annual teacher evaluations shall at a minimum take into consideration the following: (1) The role of the teacher in meeting the school’s student achievement goals, including academic gains of students; (2) Observation by administrators during delivery of instruction and at other times as appropriate; (3) The application of professional development training to classroom and school activities; students, parents, other teachers, administrators, and other school personnel; (5) Timeliness and attendance for assigned responsibilities; (6) Adherence to school and local school system procedures and rules; (7) Personal conduct while in performance of school duties. Faculty Dress Code On May 20, 1992 an administrative committee consisting of Patsy Lentz, Pam Johns, Andy Byers, Shannon Adams, Jane Scales, and Sarah Greene met under the direction of the superintendent to interpret the guidelines for professional dress. The Professional Dress Code from the Policies and Procedures Handbook served as the basis for discussion with the goal of the committee being to review certain clothing items to determine if those specific items were too casual to meet our professional requirements. The recommendations of the committee as to clothes that are too casual are as follows:  Jeans  Warm-ups/wind suits, jogging suits/sweats  Athletic shoes, Keds/tennis shoes  Shorts  Tops that expose midriffs and Sleeveless shirts  Leggings/tights  Sundresses or other items designated by the principal Special circumstances exist in some areas where the principal may feel that an adaptation to the dress code is appropriate. Such adaptations may be considered for teachers in special education classes, where diapering, feeding, lifting, and restraining may be required; physical education classrooms where warm-ups, long shorts, and athletic shoes (no jeans) are appropriate; and agriculture classrooms for applied instruction in horticulture, shop, or animal husbandry. Principals may also consider making exceptions for field trips when circumstances of the trip require different dress, however, teachers must dress professionally for all field trips unless otherwise indicated. Principals may, as indicated in the Professional Dress Code, allow more casual dress on planning dates. School personnel should always dress professionally for system-wide meetings, Open House, or at any time they are meeting with parents or the public. Faculty and Department Meetings/ Blueboard Information Faculty meetings are held on Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m. All teachers are required to attend. If unable to attend due to extenuating circumstances, the department chairperson or an administrator must be contacted. Efforts will be made to ensure that no faculty meeting on a regular school day lasts longer than 20-25 minutes. Faculty meetings begin promptly at 7:30 a.m. Department meetings are held at least once a month at the discretion of the department chair. All department members should attend and participate in meetings. Team Learning Logs for each meeting should be completed and sent to an administrator. The Blueboard will be automatically sent through e-mail each school day. Teachers are required to check the “blue board” for announcements, calendars, and other information. The Blueboard has links to other sites, forms that can be printed and/or submitted, lunch menus, and a variety of other useful information. Student Progress and Grade Reporting It is important for teachers to employ a variety of formative and summative student assessment strategies and to notify parents concerning student progress. Common benchmark assessments should be periodically used by each department to report student progress and to revise and enhance instruction. Grades on progress reports should reflect student mastery of the subject area standards at a certain point in time and grades on report cards should reflect the final level of mastery of the standards. Grade reporting to students and parents, completion of report cards, and posting of student grades on permanent records is an important function for all teachers and advisors. Extreme care must be taken to follow the established procedures for these tasks. Grades should be uploaded to Gradequick by the end of the week. Numerical grades will be given on progress reports and report cards and posted on all permanent records. Progress Reports are given to students at mid-quarter and should reflect the progress of the student up to the time of grade reporting. Students should be made aware of grading procedures at the beginning of each quarter and teachers should follow their approved grading criteria. Progress report grades will be given to each student for each class period. Teachers will be notified in advance of the dates for progress reporting. Four comments may be made about student progress from a list of comments provided to teachers. Teachers are encouraged to send progress reports at times other than the mandated time. Teachers are required to contact parents by telephone any time a student is failing or in danger of failing. This is particularly important if a senior is failing a class. Log sheets for parent contact will be checked by department chairpersons. Final exams are given to students at the end of each quarter. Teachers will be provided with a schedule of final exam testing dates. First and Third Quarter exams may be given at any time during the two weeks preceding the end of the exam period as determined by departments. End of quarter assessments are not limited to traditional exams. Teachers have the flexibility to use another form of assessment; for example, term papers, essays, oral presentations, portfolios, etc. The date of the assessment and the type of assessment must be documented in lesson plans and approved by department chairpersons. Students should be informed of exam procedures at the beginning of each semester and are required to take final semester exams on the regularly scheduled testing dates unless special permission is granted by an administrator. Report cards will be issued to students after each quarter and the numerical grades will be continuous or “running” grades from the beginning until the end of the semester. Quarter grades are NOT averaged together to make a semester grade. Teachers must enter grades into the computer by the specified deadline so that reports can be processed in a timely manner.

Infinite Campus will provide parents a valuable tool for monitoring student progress. Teachers will maintain current and accurate information. Testing Duties and Responsibilities Teachers may be asked to administer or proctor standardized tests during the school year and in the summer. Teachers must attend a testing orientation session and all guidelines for testing must be followed. The importance of following directions and guidelines during testing is crucial. Extra and Co-Curricular Responsibilities All teachers are expected to be involved with at least one extra or co-curricular activity or event during the school year. Examples include athletic and academic teams and events, clubs, homecoming, class sponsors, academic honors night, and prom. Student Advisement

Georgia public school standards require schools to have a system of student advisement to ensure that students follow an individual curriculum that will meet each student’s educational needs. Each teacher at EJCHS serves as an advisor and is assigned a group of students. Advisement sessions are held each year to aid in the registration process for the following year. Prior to the advisement sessions, advisors are provided with materials that will allow them to guide students toward educationally sound decisions regarding course selection. Students will be given an appointed time for their advisement session. Parents are invited and encouraged to attend these sessions. Sessions will be held in the late afternoon or early evening. Interruption of Instruction Schools must provide 180 days of instructional activity per year. Students, however, may be allowed to be absent from class 8 days per year for school-sponsored non- instructional activities. The local Board of Education may approve additional absences for school-sponsored activities on an individual student basis, provided the system has on file with the State Department of Education a policy that clearly sets out how any additional absences will be considered and approved. General School Procedures 1. Teachers are encouraged to supplement normal classroom activities with guest speakers, resources, and special activities and/or field trips. No field trips will be approved for the month of May. 2. Teachers are required to seek appropriate approval at least two weeks in advance for any activity or field trip that takes students out of their normal class schedule. Ms. Hiland must approve vocational field trips, Ms. Seagraves must approve special education field trips, Mr. Tucker must approve fine arts and athletic field trips, and Mrs. Palmer must approve all other field trips. (When discussing the need for the special activity or field trip, have all information available for review.). 3. Upon approval of the activity, the teacher must complete and return the field trip form that includes student names to Ms. Lindsey. Directions on how to complete the form are on the sheet itself. Ms. Lindsey will then post the list of students on the blue board or send it to teachers via e-mail. Teachers are responsible for checking student lists and should record “FT” in grade books to account for field trips. 4. It is the sponsoring teacher’s responsibility to complete a request form for bus transportation. Additionally, the costs incurred for the driver’s time and any admission fees or charges must be covered by the club or the class attending the activity. Proper receipting of funds must be maintained by the teacher. 5. The administration is responsible for monitoring the number of periods a student misses due to activities and/or field trips. State policy allows three additional days of interruptions at administrative discretion. The pep rally bell schedule does comply with state requirements and does not count as a disruption of instructional requirements. Assemblies

Teachers are expected to attend all student assemblies unless they are released by an administrator.

Telephone Use/Telephone Messages Telephones for use by all teachers are located in the classrooms, as well as in administrative offices. Please make arrangements for use of the telephone during your planning period, at lunch, or between classes. Do not make calls during class time unless there is an emergency. Teachers should refrain from using cellular phones while at school, unless there is an emergency. Telephone messages received during class time will be placed in the teacher’s mail box or sent to the teacher’s voice mail. Emergency calls will be handled by an administrator. Teachers should notify front desk personnel of their location if other than in the regular classroom. A student should not be released to use the telephone except in case of a legitimate illness and should not be allowed to use the classroom telephone.

EJCHS WILL BE A TOBACCO FREE CAMPUS AT ALL TIMES.

School Funds Failure to appropriately handle financial responsibilities will result in an exception on the Georgia Teachers Duties and Responsibilities instrument and could result in an unsatisfactory annual evaluation. RECEIPTS Each faculty member is issued a receipt book which will be collected at the end of the school year. A receipt must be issued to each individual when collecting funds for field trips, yearbooks, fund raisers, and lost or damaged books and the receipt should reflect the reason. All receipts should be made in duplicate with the original copy going to the individual from whom money is received and the duplicate remaining in the receipt book. Do not remove the duplicate from the book. When issuing receipts, the name of the individual transmitting the money must be shown. The sources of income must be stated specifically. The person collecting the money shall sign his or her name to receipts-not initials. Voided receipts should have the original white copy stapled to the duplicate and VOID written on both copies. MONEY All money should be turned in to the bookkeeper no later than 3:30 p.m. Large deposits should be made earlier. Bills and coins must be sorted by denomination. Please have receipts written and money counted and sorted before you bring it to the bookkeeper’s office. When depositing funds with the bookkeeper, the receipt book should also be submitted along with a deposit slip. The receipt book and the amount of money turned in must balance. Any discrepancies must be resolved. If the discrepancy cannot be resolved, a written explanation must be given to the principal. An initialed tape of your deposit will be stapled in your book. Your official receipt will be placed in your mailbox at a later date. Please keep up with the receipt either by placing it in the receipt book or in a separate notebook. The bookkeeper will issue a receipt for all funds deposited. This receipt will be attached to the last receipt in your book. Receipt books will be audited periodically during the school year and must be turned in at the end of the school year for auditing by an outside agency, whether or not any receipts were issued. Deposits must equal receipts and should be made with bookkeeper daily. Cash should be grouped by denomination and coins rolled or placed in an envelope with the amount written on the outside. Checks should be made payable to EJCHS and should include the name of the club account on the check and the name of the student collecting the funds. (This helps if the check is returned.) Funds collected should never be given to anyone other than the bookkeeper. All funds must be accounted for in your receipt book. If the bookkeeper is absent, the principal or assistant principal can lock your funds in the safe. Do not ask another secretary or staff member to take your money and book. The money and book are your responsibility until you place it in the bookkeeper’s hands. Leaving money in a mailbox or in your classroom is dangerous and unacceptable. A receipt book belongs to an individual person and not a club or group. Only issue receipts from the receipt book issued to you. Do not give cash refunds. If you have not deposited funds that include the receipt you need to refund, and if you still have the white copy of the receipt, you may issue a refund; otherwise, you must request a check for a refund. Purchases, Reimbursements, and Expenditures Expenditures must be approved by sponsor, appropriate administrator, and principal. Purchases and obligations to purchase should not be made without prior approval. Activity accounts should not be overdrawn. Obligations should not be made until proper authorization has been given. The school will not be responsible for obligations made by anyone without proper authorization. Invoices can be paid without a check request. They must be signed with the account number written on the invoice. Check requests must have proper documentation to be processed. Requests on the wrong form or without documentation will delay your reimbursement. Documentation must be an itemized list of purchases. DO NOT HIGHLIGHT RECEIPTS. Use black or blue ink if any item needs to be indicated. Receipts small in size must be taped to plain white paper for scanning. BOE reimbursements must include original and a legible duplicate receipt taped to white paper and a check stub if a school check was issued. Any change should be attached and placed in an envelope. All should be submitted to the high school bookkeeper before sending to the BOE. Purchase orders must be approved by the appropriate administrator before they can be processed. Orders should not be made by phone. The BOE issues PO numbers after we process them. Reimbursements from the BOE The BOE will NOT accept copies of receipts. If you have requested a check from EJCHS but expect reimbursement, please attach the check stub to an envelope containing the charge receipt and a LEGIBLE copy of the receipts for placement in high school records. Attach the original receipt to a BOE check request and give it to Ms. Cowart to submit for reimbursement.

Reimbursement to Teachers Due to auditors’ rules, checks will not be given to faculty or staff members with the promise they will return a receipt after purchase. Teachers who need to make purchases must pay for the merchandise, and then apply for reimbursement. There will be no exceptions without prior approval by an administrator. Teachers will no longer be able to request that personal conference registration and travel expenses be paid from club accounts. They will have to pay these expenses up front and apply for travel reimbursement. This does not apply to student registration and travel. There will be no exceptions without prior approval from an administrator. Purchase Order Procedures Teachers must generate purchase order requests when spending school budget funds. The purchase order should be written, signed by an administrator, and given to Ms. Cowart to enter in the system. When a purchase order is approved and returned from the BOE, a copy will be given to you so that you will know the order has been placed. Please check it for accuracy. The sooner an error is found, the easier it will be to correct. When you receive your order, please check to make sure the order is complete. Sign and date the purchase order copy and attach it to the packing slip or invoice and return it to Ms. Cowart. If there are items missing, the vendor needs to be contacted. If there are back orders, please indicate on the purchase order copy and keep a copy for yourself. When the missing items arrive, sign and date the copy, attach to the packing slip, and send it to Ms. Cowart. Please indicate when the order is complete. If you receive packages or purchase order copies that are not yours, please return them to Ms. Cowart. Check Requests Check requests turned in on the wrong forms, that are incomplete, or that do not have proper documentation will be returned. Ticket Sales All Tickets sold must be approved by the bookkeeper before they can be used. PROHIBITED PROCEDURES (as outlined in System Accounting Handbook) 1. Requesting a check without proper documentation. 2. Making obligations for which funds are not available. 3. Overdrawing any account. 4. Paying sales tax on school purchases. The only exception would be food for students. 5. Cashing checks with school receipts. 6. Allowing volunteers to handle school funds. 7. Permitting any outside agency access to tax exempt form. 8. Payments from local school funds to any system employee or students: A. Wage or supplemental salary B. Salary advances or loans C. Gifts, flowers, or honorariums (except faculty funds or donations for which these funds were specifically received). D. Travel, registration fees, meals that are not approved or comply with state travel rules. 9. Cash advances or cash refunds.

Solicitations/Fundraising/Candy Sales Solicitation by Students All school fund-raising projects are under the direct control of the building principal and must have her approval. The Board strictly prohibits selling of goods during regular class hours. Additionally, the collection of funds from the sale of goods is prohibited during regular class hours. These prohibitions extend to students when they are transported on school buses. Fund Raising Policy for Jackson County Schools High School: No School-Wide Fund Raising: Limit each club, class, or school organization to one product sale per academic year, with the exception of contractual agreements and student-produced products, such as barbeques. Candy Sales The Jackson County School System does not allow school sponsored clubs or organizations to sell candy as a fund raising item. This procedure was the result of numerous complaints from both administrators and parents concerning students eating/selling candy throughout the school day. In addition, candy wrappers, etc., littered school desks, floors, and school grounds. When parent support organizations sponsor candy sales, even the best intentions fall short. Parent support groups should be made aware of the problems associated with candy sales. Clubs and organizations must find alternate products as fund raising activities. Candy sales are not allowed. Media Resources and Services Acceptable Use of Networked Information Resources The Jackson County Board of Education believes the Internet offers vast, varied, and unique resources to students, school personnel, and other authorized users. It is provided to promote educational excellence in schools. Students, teachers, and other users are responsible for appropriate behavior on school computer networks just as they are in classrooms or hallways. The Internet is provided for users to conduct research and teachers will determine when their students should be granted Internet access. Upon completion of the appropriate forms, an Internet user pass will be issued that states the student’s name, the teacher desiring the access, the date, and the purpose of searching on the Internet. Because communications on the network are often public in nature, general school rules for behavior and communications must apply. Smooth operation of the network relies upon users exercising proper conduct and adhering to strict guidelines. The guidelines are provided so users are aware of their responsibilities. In general, this requires efficient, ethical, and legal utilization of the network resources. If a Jackson County School System user violates any of these provisions, future access will be denied.

Guidelines Internet users should: 1. use computer resources only for authorized purposes following established procedures; 2. be responsible for all activities on assigned computers; 3. access files and data which are publicly available or to which authorized access has been granted; 4. use only legal version(s) of copyrighted software; 5. abide by Policy IFBDP: Instructional Media and Electronic Resources.

In addition, Internet users must not: A. Compromise network security 1. use another person’s password; 2. use another person’s files, system, or data without permission; 3. use computer programs to decode passwords to access controlled information; 4. attempt to circumvent or subvert system security measures; 5. engage in any activity that might be harmful to systems or to any information stored on the systems, such as creating viruses, damaging files, or disrupting service; 6. make or use illegal copies of copyrighted software, store such copies on the school’s system, or send them over networks; 7. use electronic mail to harass others; 8. waste computing resources; 9. violate the regulations of the Jackson County School System regarding appropriate Internet use. B. Internet users should not access, send, or post materials or communications that are: 1. damaging to another’s reputation; 2. abusive; 3. obscene; 4. sexually oriented; 5. threatening; 6. contrary to the district’s policy on harassment (GAEB); 7. illegal.

C. Internet users should not use county resources for any illegal activity including violation of copyright or other contracts or transmitting any material in violation of federal and state regulations.

D. The Internet will not be used for private or financial gain.

E. The Internet will not be used to invade the privacy of individuals

F. The Internet will not be used for creating materials under another person’s name without consent or for forging electronic mail messages. COPYRIGHT GUIDELINE ISSUES

If you are considering using copyrighted materials for instructional purposes, you may do so provided: you are in a place dedicated to instruction and the material will stay there; you are using a legitimate copy as your source; or the service or resource you are using is not available for sale for educational use. Do not use technology for entertainment or reward and do not use bootleg copies of videos, CDs, or software.

Video: According to widely accepted guidelines, programs (including news broadcasts) aired on regular television may be recorded and can be shown for up to 10 days after the broadcast. They may be kept for an additional 45 days for evaluation purposes. Videotapes of TV broadcasts from educational television may be recorded and used for educational purposes for a maximum of seven days. Videos may be rented and shown provided use takes place in areas designated for classroom instruction and programs are shown as part of the instructional program. Videos must be used in face-to-face instruction. It is illegal to copy programs transmitted via subscription television cable services or “pay” programs via satellite such as HBO or Showtime.

Literary Works: A teacher may make single copies of the following if they are to be used in the classroom or for research: a chapter from a book; an article from a periodical or newspaper; a short story, short essay or short poem; a chart, diagram, drawing, cartoon, or picture from a book, newspaper, or periodical. All printed copying must bear an appropriate reference.

Internet: Taking things off the Web and using them in projects is acceptable, but posting them back online is not. Posting on an Intranet is permissible since it is viewed as remaining inside the classroom community.

Audio: Teachers may copy portions of recordings for academic purposes other than performances and use them with students. Multimedia guidelines suggest limiting the portion used to 10 percent and no more than 30 seconds.

Sheet Music: An educator may not copy in order to replace or substitute for anthologies, compilations, or collective works. Nor may an educator copy from “consumable” works such as workbooks, exercises, standardized tests, and answer sheets, for purposes of performance, except in an emergency. Any such copy must include copyright notice. Computer Software: It is illegal to load the contents of one disk into multiple computers without a license; to load the contents of one disk into the local network without a license; to make or use illegal copies of copyrighted programs on school equipment; or to allow any student to illegally duplicate computer software.

Multimedia: Authoring for curriculum-based projects may include material from CDs, books, the Internet, and other sources. The resulting projects cannot be distributed outside the classroom community, although they can be shared with family members. (Remember, any material not part of the school collection must be approved using the Supplementary Materials form. Additional information on copyright and supplemental materials use is available in the Media Center.)

Guidelines for Using Supplementary Resources

This form and the material for which approval is sought should be submitted to the Assistant Principal for Instruction prior to its use.

Supplementary materials include all resources not part of the school collection, i.e. videos, movies, records, cassettes, CDs, software, and most printed material. Some items in the school collection have already been approved for specific subject areas and should only be used in those subject areas.*

The use of supplementary materials must be documented in teachers’ lesson plans prior to use. A copy of this form should be attached to the lesson plan. Supplementary resources should be used only if they are an integral part of the unit or lesson. Objectives should be clearly stated and followed. Teachers should make every effort to incorporate supplementary materials into the lesson in an appropriate manner. (For example, stop a movie from time to time to discuss how it fits into the lesson.)

Any concerns about potentially sensitive material should be written on the approval form. The teacher should have a clear plan about how to handle any sensitive matter and should be present when sensitive material is shown. Teachers are encouraged to send a permission letter to parents if there is a concern.

*Items in the school collection are designated for specific subject areas and should only be used in those areas. For example, the movie Romeo and Juliet is intended only for ninth grade English classes.

THE PRECEDING GUIDELINES FOR USING SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED BASED ON BOARD POLICY IFBD, SECTIONS B AND C WHICH STATE: (B)………MEDIA MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT, INCLUDING GIFTS AND SPONSORED MATERIALS, NON-SCHOOL OWNED MATERIALS, AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES SHALL BE CAREFULLY SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF THEIR POTENTIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE ATTAINMENT OF SYSTEM GOALS AND THEIR APPROPRIATENESS FOR THE PURPOSE AND GRADE LEVEL FOR WHICH THEY ARE SELECTED……… (C) ANY PRINT OR NON-PRINT MEDIA BROUGHT TO THE SCHOOL BY TEACHERS, STUDENTS OR PARENT FOR POSSIBLE CLASSROOM USE SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE SAME CRITERIA AS THAT ESTABLISHED FOR SCHOOL-OWNED MATERIALS. IN NO INSTANCE SHALL THE MEDIA CENTER AND/OR MEDIA EQUIPMENT BE USED IN SUCH A MANNER AS TO VIOLATE BOARD POLICY OR THE LAW.

ABUSE OF INTERNET PRIVILEGES STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO LIMIT THEIR INTERNET ACTIVITIES TO AUTHORIZED SITES ONLY AND TO THE EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES ESTABLISHED BY THEIR TEACHERS. STUDENTS ARE ALSO EXPECTED NOT TO PLAGIARIZE INFORMATION OR ATTEMPT TO BYPASS SYSTEM SECURITY.

Student Attendance and Tardiness (Teachers’ Responsibilities) Below you will find information concerning the documentation of daily student attendance. In order to be consistent, please follow the procedures as outlined. If you have a question about attendance, check with Mr. Crumley. Questions concerning the Infinite Campus attendance program should be directed to Ms. Bearden.  Take attendance within the first five minutes of class and make certain that attendance is entered through Infinite Campus within the first twenty minutes of each class period. Students who enter the classroom five minutes late without a pass are to be sent to the office. Students who are less than five minutes late should be marked tardy. All teachers must document attendance accurately and in a timely manner.  Monthly attendance reports will reflect check-ins and check-outs.  Never allow a student to leave your classroom without a signed student agenda.  Students are to be kept in the classroom and in their seats until the bell ends the period.

Student Tardiness

 Teachers are responsible for keeping track of the number of times a student is tardy.

 When a student has been tardy the teacher must give the student a warning and conference the student on the rules.

 When a student has been tardy two (2) times the teacher must contact a parent.  When a student has been tardy three (3) times to the same class in one semester, the student will receive teacher detention.

 When a student has been tardy four (4) times to the same class in one semester, the student will receive parental suspension (loss of exam exemption).

 When a student has been tardy five (5) times to the same class in one semester, the student will receive parental suspension and/or have their driving/parking privilege revoked.

 When a student has been tardy six (6) times to the same class in one semester, the student will be put on a behavior contract regarding their behavior.

Attendance and Exemption Rules High school students must be in attendance for a minimum of 85 out of 90 class periods in the semester in order to receive credit for the course. Students who miss more than five classes in a semester will not receive credit. An Appeals Committee will review any excessive absence appeals based on extenuating circumstances (such as surgery, car accident, death in the family, etc.) It must be pointed out, however, that five absences is the limit unless there is an exception granted by the Appeals Committee*. Absences due to out-of-school suspension and skipping are unexcused absences and are not afforded the opportunity for make-up work. Students with unexcused absences will be given a “zero” when there is a graded assignment in the class.

EXAM EXEMPTIONS Semester exam exemptions for all students will be based on the following criteria:  Students with an 80 average and one or less absences in a class may exempt.  Students with a 90 average and two or less absences in a class may exempt.  Students must be in attendance at least 75 minutes out of the 90 minute period to be counted present for that class period. (Reminder: Checking out at 3:00 every day is not acceptable)  Any student who has a discipline violation will lose exemption.  School sanctioned field trips and functions and/or competitions do not count against the absence totals for exemption status.  College visits properly arranged 7 days in advance (with permission forms available through the counseling office) will not count against exam exemptions.  Indebtedness must be cleared up.  Students will not be allowed to take exams earlier than the scheduled exam time.  Students who miss exams will have to make arrangements with the teacher to take the exam at a later date.  There will be no exceptions to the exemption rules.

*Documentation for extenuating circumstances is subject to validation and must be submitted with the appeals application prior to the appeals meeting.

Graduation Rules, Valedictorian, Salutatorian, Honor Graduates, and Marching in the Ceremony Determination of a student’s status as valedictorian, salutatorian, and honor graduate is made at the end of first semester of the senior year. The valedictorian is the student in a graduating class who has the highest cumulative grade point average at the end of the first semester in the senior year. The salutatorian has the second highest ranking. Additionally, the valedictorian and salutatorian must be honor graduates and must have attended a Jackson County High School for at least four semesters of a regular school year, including the entire two semesters prior to graduation. (Post Secondary Option Students are considered to be in attendance at EJCHS.)

Honor graduates must have earned at least a 90.0 (not rounded up) cumulative grade point average by the end of the first semester of the senior year. Additionally, honor graduates must have been enrolled at East Jackson Comprehensive High School during the entire second semester of their senior year.

*Seniors must have completed all graduation requirements in order to march and participate in the graduation ceremony.

East Jackson Comprehensive High School Student Rules The following are school wide rules concerning student actions and conduct. These rules should not be interpreted as all-inclusive, but as an outline of the most relevant rules in the day-to-day operation of the school. 1. Purchases of snacks and drinks can only be made before or after school and between classes. Snacks and drinks may only be consumed in the designated areas. Plastic drinks may be transported in the halls if capped and carried in a book bag. Snacks and drinks visible outside the designated areas will be confiscated. 2. After boarding a school bus or upon arriving on campus, students are the responsibility of the school and must follow the prescribed procedure for checking out in order to leave campus. 3. Hats are not to be worn in any part of the school building before, during, or after school. This includes the gym, vocational shop, weight room, and auditorium. 4. Possession or use of tobacco in any form is prohibited. Possession of tobacco in any form will result in out-of-school suspension. 5. All students not in their assigned classroom when the tardy bell rings are tardy. 6. The parking lot is off limits during the regular school day. Permission to enter the parking lot may only be given by the Principal or Assistant Principal. No loitering in the parking lot before, during, or after school. 7. Students leaving a classroom during class must have a valid agenda pass in their possession. This includes trips to the rest room, counselor’s office, library, as well as when students are called to the office from a classroom. 8. Students are encouraged to dress in a manner reflecting proper judgment. (See the Dress Code on page 26.) If any of these items are worn to school, students will be sent home. Clothing should have no reference to drugs, alcohol and/or sexual connotations. If students wear clothing not reflecting modesty and dignity or if they wear something offensive, they will be sent home. 9. Radios, walk-men, I Pods CD, tape players, and cell phones may be brought to school; however, they must not be used during the school day. The school day will be defined as 8:00am-3:15pm. 10. Electronic pagers, laser pointers, and fireworks are prohibited on school property.

11. All students must report to the cafeteria during their respective lunch period. Students may be excused to go to the library if they have a valid agenda pass signed by a classroom teacher. 12. All students must check-in or check-out through Ms. Ward’s office. If a student becomes ill between classes, he/she should report immediately to the next period class for a hall pass to the office. Students should then report directly to Ms. Ward’s office and not go to the phone, rest room or other areas. Students must have a pass to visit the office during lunch and between classes. 13. All students must leave campus at the conclusion of their last scheduled period unless participating in a supervised school activity. 14. The office telephone is a business phone and should be used by students for emergencies only. Students should not ask office personnel for permission to use office phones other than in an emergency. A pay phone is located outside the front office for use by students after school.

Policies and Procedures Discipline: Ideal discipline is self-discipline. Faculty members should strive to help students attain the goal of self-discipline. Teachers should set definite, well-defined limits for acceptable behavior. They should be firm (yet friendly), fair and consistent; and maintain high expectations for appropriate student behavior. Teachers should remember that some discipline methods do not work with some students and that behavioral ideals are not always attained. Certain students will not be able to discipline themselves on occasion. Teachers must have orderly classrooms that create an atmosphere conducive to learning. The main responsibility for discipline within the classroom, in the school building, and on the campus rests with all faculty members. Unacceptable student behavior should be corrected by all faculty members whenever and wherever it occurs. These procedures should be followed in disciplining students: 1. Minor classroom discipline problems and classroom management problems should be handled by the teacher. Parental assistance should be sought for problems with individual students. The teacher may request a parent conference or contact the parent by telephone or by letter. Discipline form letters are available upon request. 2. Serious emergency classroom problems should be referred to Mrs. Palmer, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Crumley, or other administrators. Persistent discipline problems should be referred to the above after parents have been contacted and attempts have been made to correct the problem in the classroom. It is a good idea for a teacher to keep a written record of persistent discipline problems. 3. Teachers may use after school detention as a discipline method. Because a large percentage of students are bus transported, one day’s notice must be given. Suspension Suspension may be used as a disciplinary measure whereby home, school, and pupil can realistically look at the problem that led to the suspension and together arrive at a solution to help the pupil maintain self-discipline. Recommendations for Procedures to Suspend Suspension of a student may result as a natural consequence of serious misbehavior including violations of law while in school attendance and serious breaches of school rules, excluding truancy. A pupil may be suspended up to ten days. Suspensions of longer than ten days may be given on consultation with the superintendent. If suspension is considered necessary by the principal or assistant principal, certain procedures for protection of the pupil and school should be followed: 1. A parent should be contacted prior to the pupil’s leaving school. 2. The pupil must remain at school, either until the parent comes to pick the student up or until the close of the school day, unless the parent notifies the principal that the student should be dismissed during the school day. 3. A letter verifying the reason for suspension and requiring a parent or guardian conference should follow the initial parent contact. A copy of the letter should be kept on file in the principal’s office. 4. Upon the student’s return to school, appropriate school personnel should help the student re-adjust to school. 5. If a pupil is being considered for suspension for more than five days, incidents leading to such consideration will be recorded by appropriate school personnel with a written explanation of the situation. 6. Pupils may not be permanently expelled from school without a hearing before the Discipline Tribunal. This is in accordance with state laws. Involvement of Law Enforcement Officers in Student Behavior When law enforcement services are necessary for serious misbehavior that indicates alleged legal violation by students in attendance at school, the following procedures should occur: 1. The sheriff’s department should be called first. 2. The principal should request an immediate parent conference at the school. 3. Whenever possible, parents and the principal should meet in the principal’s office when law officials make contact with the student. 4. If a law enforcement officer intends to serve a warrant, a juvenile petition, or to question a pupil, the above procedures should be followed. Weapons Notice It is unlawful for any person to carry or have in his/her possession any weapon or explosive compound while within a school safety zone, at a school building, school function, on school property, or on a school bus. A person found guilty will be charged a fine of up to $10,000, imprisonment for 2 to 10 years, or both. Students will be suspended, with notification to the parents. Legal authorities will be notified. A tribunal may be held to determine long-term suspension or expulsion. It is imperative that you understand that the legal definition for “weapon” is broad in scope including “any pistol, revolver, weapon designed to propel a missile of any kind, any dirk, bowie knife, switch blade knife, ballistic knife, any knife having a blade of three or more inches, a straight-edge razor, spring stick, metal knucks, blackjack, any bat, club, or other bludgeon-type weapon, any flailing instrument consisting of two or more rigid parts connected in such a manner as to allow them to swing freely, a nun chachka, nun chuck, nunchaku, shuriken, fighting chain, any disk having at least two points designated to be thrown such as a throwing star or oriental dart, any stun gun or taser, or any weapon like those listed above.” (O.C.G.A. Code 16-11-127.1) Many students are involved in work or activities outside of school where a knife, box cutter, etc., might be used as a tool. Legally, this same item will be classified as a weapon at any school or school related activity, within any school safety zone, or on any school bus or other school vehicle and all provisions and mandates of the law will be met by the Jackson County School System. Student Peer Sexual Harassment Student reports of sexual harassment by other students will be taken seriously and dealt with in a firm and sensitive manner. Such incidents will not be tolerated since they lead to the existence of a hostile and uncomfortable school environment. Student reports of sexual harassment by peers should be referred to school administrators for disciplinary action. Based on the circumstances, administrators will determine the course of action and consequences, including the possibility of making reports to appropriate legal authorities. JACKSON COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM POLICIES MANUAL Threats of Violence JGFAB/EBBCB 10-13-98 It is the policy of the Jackson County Board of Education to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe environment for the students and staff. To that end, any threat by any individual directed toward another which if carried out would pose a potential danger to the life or safety of students and/or staff will be regarded and treated seriously. Any student who receives information concerning such a threat should immediately report that information to a school administrator. The failure of a student to report such information may be treated as a disciplinary problem. Any employee who receives information concerning such a threat will take appropriate action to respond to the threat, which could include reporting the situation as a student disciplinary matter referring it to the administration, taking steps to separate the student perceived to be a threat from the potentially threatening situation and/or reporting the information to a school administrator. If the staff member believes the situation is serious as to warrant the notification of outside authorities, the employee must notify an administrator so that the administrator can be responsible for taking such steps. The principal or responsible administrator should take immediate steps to investigate and determine the factual circumstance of the threat and then determine the appropriate action to respond to it. Such action may include disciplining the students(s) involved as appropriate under school rules, contacting the parents of the student(s) involved, contacting appropriate law enforcement or other officials and contacting the Superintendent or his/her designee.

Appropriate notices will be included in student and staff handbooks indicating that all threats of violence will be taken seriously and urging students and requiring staff to report all such threats to school administrators. Principals should also post at the school a notice indicating that all threats of violence will be taken seriously, will subject the offender to disciplinary action, and may be reported, when appropriate, to law enforcement officials. Student Code of Conduct Threats of Violence It is the policy of the Jackson County Board of Education to take all reasonable steps to provide a safe environment for students and staff. To that end, any threat by any individual directed toward another which if carried out would pose a potential danger to the life or safety of students and/or staff will be regarded as a serious matter. All threats of violence will be taken seriously, will subject the offender to disciplinary action, and may be reported, when appropriate to law enforcement. Bullying Prohibited The Jackson County Board of Education and its employees are committed to providing a safe, secure, and positive learning environment for all students. In an effort to reach that goal, the Jackson County Board of Education has adopted a policy that prohibits bullying. Bullying is defined as, “Any willful attempt or threat to inflict injury on another person, when accompanied by an apparent present ability to do so; or any intentional display of force such as would give the victim reason to fear or expect immediate bodily harm.” Incidents of bullying will not be tolerated and will be dealt with by school administrators as serious disciplinary infractions. Any student in grades 6-12 who is found to have committed the offense of bullying for the third time in a school year will be assigned to the alternative school for a period of time deemed appropriate by school officials. General Information Faculty Absences Teachers’ absences should be reported on AESOP as soon as possible so that arrangements for substitute teachers can be made. Please contact Debbie Caputo with questions. Teachers are required to have lesson plans available for substitute use. A form will be provided to teachers upon request. It is helpful for teachers to have a “buddy” to help coordinate substitute plans. Please do not give substitute plans to Ms. Ward over the phone. It is also helpful for teachers to call in before the school day is over to give a status report for the following day. It is easier to keep the same substitute when it is determined that the teacher will be absent for several consecutive days. Teachers are required by Board of Education policy to be on campus from 7:50 a.m. - 3:50 p.m. Teachers are not to leave the school grounds during the day without an Administrator’s approval. Any teacher or staff member who leaves campus during the school day is required to check with their “wing” administrator and sign out in the notebook located in their administrator’s office. This includes lunch time and planning periods. Teachers or staff members who are away from campus for more than 1 hour will be charged with 1/4 day leave. Student Attendance It is essential that accurate records of attendance be kept. Teachers are encouraged to call regarding extended student absences. This should be done especially if the situation is out of character for a student’s attendance pattern. A daily absentee list is posted on the Blueboard. Ms. Ward’s office is the main check-out and check-in points for students. If a student is not listed on the absentee report, check the check-in and check-out lists. If the student is not listed on any of these reports, the student should be reported to Mr. Tucker. Student Withdrawals Students who intend to withdraw from school should report to the office before school on the final day of attendance. The student will be issued a withdrawal form to be taken to each teacher during the school day. The teacher will certify return of books and issue a grade for class achievement up to the time of withdrawal. The student must return this form to the office for final school clearance before official withdrawal is granted. Hall Passes Student Agendas are used for hall passes. Teachers are urged to use discretion in issuing student hall passes. Parking Faculty parking is located on the bus loading side of the building. Faculty may park in the student lot on the auditorium side of the complex. The parking in front of the office is for office personnel and visitors. Students will be required to park in the large lot on the auditorium side of the building. Student Dress Code Teachers should assist in enforcing the student dress code. Students are expected to be presentable and appropriately dressed for school. Any student who violates the dress code should be sent to Mrs. Palmer. Students failing to comply with teacher expectations should be referred to an administrator. The school rules list unacceptable dress. Duplication of Instructional Materials The Science Workroom is the central location for teacher duplication purposes. In addition, the English and the Social Studies workrooms have copiers and scan-trons. Teachers should use the risograph when making five or more copies. Teachers are encouraged to be as conservative as possible when duplicating materials. Textbooks and Instructional Materials Teachers who would like to have additional textbooks and instructional materials should check with the department chairperson or the assistant principal for instruction. Materials will be provided when funding is available. Use of Books, Videos, Tapes, Records, Guest Speakers, and Other Instructional Materials Prior approval must be granted by the Media Committee for the use of any of the above. Teachers should see the media specialist for the appropriate form. Field Trips Classroom learning can be effectively reinforced by field trips that provide first-hand learning experiences. If you would like to request a field trip for your classes, please discuss the request with appropriate personnel. Complete the field trip forms prior to the scheduled trip. Fire Drills/Inclement Weather Drills During fire drills, teachers should make sure windows and classroom doors are closed upon their exit. Lights should be turned off and the evacuation route should be followed as posted in each classroom. During inclement weather drills, teachers should direct students to a position in the classroom next to an inside solid wall. Students should sit with backs to wall, knees tucked into the chest, and head tucked down with faces covered. In-School Suspension Program As an alternative to out-of-school suspension, the Jackson County School District provides for In-School Suspension. Students are assigned to In-School for a 2-5 day period. While in the program students are isolated from the main school population, are counted present and complete work assigned by their teachers. Teachers will be notified when a student is assigned to ISS. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE TEACHER TO PROVIDE ASSIGNMENTS AND BOOKS FOR THEIR STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM. Teachers should be prompt in sending assignments to ISS. Assignments will be returned to the ISS teacher in a timely manner.

Department Chairs

English Tammy Barnett Math Sandy Akin Science Chris Shirley Soc. Studies Jodee Litzinger Foreign Language Mike Hinkle Vocational Chris Edwards Fine Arts Jeffrey Rowser Special Education Sonya Seagraves Health/PE Jimmy Williams

Leadership Team Stephanie Ware, Chair Nancy Akin Tammy Barnett Laura Boswell Robert Bryan Julie Crouch Deborah Mintz Darrel Presley Tom Taylor Jimmy Williams

THE CODE OF ETHICS FOR EDUCATORS (1) Introduction. The Code of Ethics for Educators defines the professional behavior of educators in Georgia and serves as a guide to ethical conduct. The Professional Standards Commission has adopted standards that represent the conduct generally accepted by the education profession. The code protects the health, safety and general welfare of students and educators, ensures the citizens of Georgia a degree of accountability within the education profession, and defines unethical conduct justifying disciplinary sanction. (2) Definitions (a) “Certificate” refers to any teaching, service, or leadership certificate, license, or permit issued by authority of the Professional Standards Commission. (b) “Educator” is a teacher, school or school system administrator, or other education personnel who holds a certificate issued by the Professional Standards Commission and persons who have applied for but have not yet received a certificate. For the purposes of the Code of Ethics for Educators, “educator” also refers to paraprofessionals, aides, and substitute teachers. (c) “Student” is any individual enrolled in the state’s public or private schools from preschool through grade 12 or any individual between and including the ages of 3 and 17. (d) “Complaint” is any written and signed statement from a local board, the state board, or one or more individual residents of this state filed with the Professional Standards Commission alleging that an educator has breached one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators. A “complaint” will be deemed a request to investigate. (e) “Revocation” is the invalidation of any certificate held by the educator. (f) “Denial” is the refusal to grant initial certification to an applicant for a certificate. (g) “Suspension” is the temporary invalidation of any certificate for a period of time specified by the Professional Standards Commission. (h) “Reprimand” admonishes the certificate holder for his or her conduct. The reprimand cautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action. (i) “Warning” warns the certificate holder that his or her conduct is unethical. The warning cautions that further unethical conduct will lead to a more severe action. (j) “Monitoring“ is the quarterly appraisal of the educator’s conduct by the Professional Standards Commission through contact with the educator and his or her employer. As a condition of monitoring, an educator may be required to submit a criminal background check (GCIC). The Commission specifies the length of the monitoring period. (3) Standards Standard 1: Criminal Acts - An educator should abide by federal, state, and local laws and statutes. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to the commission or conviction of a felony or of any crime involving moral turpitude. As used herein, conviction includes a finding or verdict of guilty, or a plea of nolo contendere, regardless of whether an appeal of the conviction has been sought; a situation where first offender treatment without adjudication of guilt pursuant to the charge was granted; and a situation where an adjudication of guilt or sentence was otherwise withheld or not entered on the charge or the charge was otherwise disposed of in a similar manner in any jurisdiction.

Standard 2: Abuse of Students - An educator should always maintain a professional relationship with all students, both in and outside the classroom. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:  committing any act of child abuse, including physical and verbal abuse;  committing any act of cruelty to children or any act of child endangerment;  committing or soliciting any unlawful sexual act;  engaging in harassing behavior on the basis of race, gender, sex, national origin, religion or disability;  soliciting, encouraging, or consummating an inappropriate written, verbal, or physical relationship with a student; and  furnishing tobacco, alcohol, or illegal/unauthorized drugs to any student or allowing a student to consume alcohol, or illegal/unauthorized drugs. Standard 3: Alcohol or Drugs - An educator should refrain from the use of alcohol or illegal or unauthorized drugs during the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:  being on school premises or at a school-related activity involving students while under the influence of, possessing, using, or consuming illegal or unauthorized drugs; and  being on school premises or at a school-related activity involving students while documented as being under the influence of, possessing, or consuming alcoholic beverages. A school-related activity includes, but is not limited to, any activity sponsored by the school or school system (booster clubs, parent-teacher organizations, or any activity designed to enhance the school curriculum i.e. Foreign Language trips, etc). Standard 4: Misrepresentation or Falsification - An educator should exemplify honesty and integrity in the course of professional practice. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: 1. falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting professional qualifications, criminal history, college or staff development credit and/or degrees, academic award, and employment history when applying for employment and/or certification or when recommending an individual for employment, promotion, or certification; 2. falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting information submitted to federal, state, and other governmental agencies; 3. falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting information regarding the evaluation of students and/or personnel ; 4. falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting reasons for absences or leaves; and 5. falsifying, misrepresenting, omitting or erroneously reporting information submitted in the course of an official inquiry/investigation. Standard 5: Public Funds and Property - An educator entrusted with public funds and property should honor that trust with a high level of honesty, accuracy, and responsibility. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: 1. misusing public or school-related funds; 2. failing to account for funds collected from students or parents; 3. submitting fraudulent requests for reimbursement of expenses or for pay; 4. co-mingling public or school-related funds with personal funds or checking accounts; and 5. using school property without the approval of the local board of education/governing board. Standard 6: Improper Remunerative Conduct - An educator should maintain integrity with students, colleagues, parents, patrons, or businesses when accepting gifts, gratuities, favors, and additional compensation. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: 1. soliciting students or parents of students to purchase equipment, supplies, or services from the educator or to participate in activities that financially benefit the educator unless approved by the local board of education/governing board; 2. accepting gifts from vendors or potential vendors for personal use or gain where there may be the appearance of a conflict of interest; 3. tutoring students assigned to the educator for remuneration unless approved by the local board of education/governing board or superintendent; and 4. coaching, instructing, promoting athletic camps, summer leagues, etc. that involves students in an educator’s school system and from whom the educator receives remuneration unless approved by the local board of education/governing board or the superintendent. These types of activities must be in compliance with all rules and regulations of the Georgia High School Association. Standard 7: Confidential Information - An educator should comply with state and federal laws and local school board/governing board policies relating to the confidentiality of student and personnel records standardized test material and other information covered by confidentiality agreements. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: 1. sharing of confidential information concerning student academic and disciplinary records, personal confidences, health and medical information, family status and/or income, and assessment/testing results unless disclosure is required or permitted by law; 2. sharing of confidential information restricted by state or federal law; 3. violation of confidentiality agreements related to standardized testing including copying or teaching identified test items, publishing or distributing test items or answers, discussing test items, violating local school system or state directions for the use of tests or test items, etc.; 4. violation of other confidentiality agreements required by state or local policy.

Standard 8: Abandonment of Contract - An educator should fulfill all of the terms and obligations detailed in the contract with the local board of education or education agency for the duration of the contract. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to:  abandoning the contract for professional services without prior release from the contract by the employer, and  willfully refusing to perform the services required by a contract. Standard 9: Failure to Make a Required Report - An educator should file reports of a breach of one or more of the standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators, child abuse (O.C.G.A. §19-7-5), or any other required report. Unethical conduct includes but is not limited to: 1. failure to report all requested information on documents required by the Commission when applying for or renewing any certificate with the Commission. 2. failure to make a required report of a violation of one or more standards of the Code of Ethics for educators of which they have personal knowledge as soon as possible but no later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator became aware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures require reporting sooner. 3. failure to make a required report of any violation of state or federal law soon as possible but no later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator became aware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures require reporting sooner. These reports include but are not limited to: murder, voluntary manslaughter, aggravated assault, aggravated battery, kidnapping, any sexual offense, any sexual exploitation of a minor, any offense involving a controlled substance and any abuse of a child if an educator has reasonable cause to believe that a child has been abused. Standard 10: Professional Conduct - An educator should demonstrate conduct that follows generally recognized professional standards. Unethical conduct is any conduct that impairs the certificate holder’s ability to function professionally in his or her employment position. Reporting - Educators are required to report a breach of one or more of the Standards in the Code of Ethics for Educators as soon as possible but no later than ninety (90) days from the date the educator became aware of an alleged breach unless the law or local procedures require reporting sooner. Educators should be aware of local policies and procedures and/or the chain of command for reporting unethical conduct. Complaints filed with the Professional Standards Commission must be in writing and must be signed by the complainant (parent, educator, personnel director, superintendent, etc.). The Commission notifies local and state officials of all disciplinary actions. In addition, suspensions and revocations are reported to national officials, including the NASDTEC Clearinghouse. Disciplinary Action - The Professional Standards Commission is authorized to suspend, revoke, or deny certificates, to issue a reprimand or warning, or to monitor the educator’s conduct and performance after an investigation is held and notice and opportunity for a hearing are provided to the certificate holder. Any of the following grounds shall be considered cause for disciplinary action against the holder of a certificate: 1. unethical conduct as outlined in The Code of Ethics for Educators, Standards 1-10 (PSC Rule 505-6-.01); 2. 2.disciplinary action against a certificate in another state on grounds consistent with those specified in the Code of Ethics for Educators, Standards 1-10 (PSC Rule 505- 6-.01); 3. order from a court of competent jurisdiction or a request from the Department of Human Resources that the certificate should be suspended or the application for certification should be denied for non-payment of child support (O.C.G.A. §19-6-28.1 and §19-11-9.3); 4. notification from the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation that the educator is in default and not in satisfactory repayment status on a student loan guaranteed by the Georgia Higher Education Assistance Corporation (O.C.G.A. §20- 3-295); 5. suspension or revocation of any professional license or certificate 6. violation of any other laws and rules applicable to the profession (O.C.G.A. §16-13- 111); and 7. any other good/ sufficient cause that renders an educator unfit for employment an educator.

An individual whose certificate has been revoked, denied, or suspended may not serve as a volunteer or be employed as an educator, paraprofessional, aide, substitute teacher or in any other position during the period of his or her revocation, suspension or denial for a violation of The Code of Ethics. Authority O.C.G.A. § 20-2-200; 20-2-981 through 20-2-984.5, Effective September 15, 2004