Pointers on Professional Conduct
The Ohio Department of Education & Workforce’s Human Capital Resource Center hosted a session on Pointers for Professional Conduct on Sept. 19, 2024, with dozens in attendance to hear about why this matters for our students, educators, and school communities. This session featured reminders and resources from the State Board of Education, as well as an important district perspective from Toledo Public Schools.
Download these slides from the session, and watch the video to learn more.
State Board of Education Highlights
According to the Ohio State Board of Education’s Office of Professional Conduct Director Kelly Edwards, there is “considerable opportunity to reduce the incidence of certain offense types, particularly physical altercation/abuse, inappropriate electronic communications issues, and inappropriate behavior—and mitigate these types of conduct.” Kelly shared strategies to vet applicants for hire, as well as current staff.
Districts and schools can also adopt certain policies to empower new educators with the tools they need to handle challenging situations. One area to focus on is communication with students.
For current educators, an area of importance is how to handle physical altercations with students. PBIS and CPI are among the most common SBOE-recommended disciplinary measures.
Key Resources
Ohio HCRC Professional Conduct page with scenarios and facilitator guides aligned with the 9 principles for professional conduct from the Licensure Code of Professional Conduct for Ohio Educators
Perspective from Toledo Public Schools
We also heard the district perspective on professional conduct. Senior Director of Educator Development Kris Kaser from Toledo Public Schools shared these strategies for preventing professional misconduct:
Covering various scenarios during orientation that address potential issues and generate a high level of engagement
Conducting virtual trainings for existing employees on board policies and important reminders
Diversity Inclusion Manager and Training Specialist Leon Fitzpatrick from TPS reviewed district- and school-level training and associated resources such as:
Trauma Responsiveness 101: Tips for responding to trauma that all educators should know.
LGBT+ Inclusion: Partnership with Equality Toledo to create safe space champions at every school in the district
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy: Book series on Is Everyone Really Equal?
Resolving Conflict & De-Escalation: Training workshops to support the development of emotional intelligence and implementing best negotiation practices
Individual Training & Coaching: Serving as a support instead of a consequence when issues arise, covering LGBT+, EEOC, generational understanding, cultural competency, workplace wellness and balance, gender equity, workplace civility, and microaggressions.
Important Reminders
Closing off the session from the district perspective, Kris and Leon left us with these final thoughts:
Include all employee groups in your training and communications to support professional conduct
Track and use your discipline data to develop employee supports
Develop toolkits of resources for employee groups and individual situations
