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Professional Teaching Practices Commission

2022 Newsletter

The Professional Teaching Practices Commission’s intent is to serve as a preventative and positive force in helping to enhance the professional performance of all educators so that the public’s right to the best education possible for all of Alaska’s students is adequately protected.

The Professional Teaching Practices Commission deals with matters of professional conduct and certification. It has the responsibility and the power to discipline members of the teaching profession and may issue reprimands, suspensions, and/or revocations of educators’ certificates.

Professional Boundaries

The Professional Teaching Practices Commission staff have been involved in a statewide effort to encourage school districts to adopt and implement model School Board policy: BP 5141.42 PROFESSIONAL BOUNDARIES OF STAFF WITH STUDENTS.

At its essence:
Maintain professional boundaries: The board expects all staff to maintain the highest professional standards when they interact with students. District staff are required to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning by consistently maintaining professional boundaries with students.
The interactions and relationships between district staff and students should be based upon mutual respect and trust, an understanding of the appropriate boundaries between adults and students in and outside of the educational setting, and consistency with the district’s educational mission.
District staff will not intrude on a student’s physical and/or emotional boundaries unless the intrusion is necessary to serve a bonafide health, safety, or educational purpose. An educational purpose is one that relates to the staff member’s duties as an educator. Additionally, staff members are expected to avoid any appearance of impropriety in their conduct when interacting with students.

Report violations of professional boundaries: Whenever a staff member observes another staff member engaging in inappropriate boundary invasions with a student, they must report what they have observed to administration. When in doubt, report it out.

(Check your school board policy.)

Commission meetings:
August 15, 2022
October 6-7, 2022
February 2-3, 2023
April 20-21, 2023

Commission members:

Lem Wheeles, Chair
Anchorage

Adam Reid, Vice Chair
Anchorage

Jamie Burgess, Secretary
Nome

Jennifer Stafford
Mat-Su

Danette Peterson
Fairbanks

Emma Melkerson
Juneau

Kim Bergey
Yukon Koyukuk

Mary Carlson
University

Deb Riddle
DEED

PTPC Executive Director:

Melody Mann

The Code of Ethics for Educators supports SB Policy 5141.42 specifically the sections listed below.

Members of the teaching profession (as defined in AS 14.20.370) are obligated to abide by the code of ethics and professional teaching standards adopted by the Professional Teaching Practices Commission.

20 AAC 10.020. CODE OF ETHICS AND TEACHING STANDARDS.

• The following code of ethical standards governs an individual holding a teaching, administrative, or special services certificate issued under 4 AAC 12, an individual authorized as a student teacher under 4 AAC 30.020, and all other members of the teaching profession.
  

 Specifically (b) In fulfilling obligations to students, an educator

 (4) may not engage in

(A) physical abuse of a student or sexual conduct with a student and shall report to the commission knowledge of such an act by an educator; or

(B) sexual conduct with a former student whom the educator taught, supervised, or exercised authority over, including in coaching or other school-sponsored activity; the restrictions against sexual conduct in this subparagraph apply to an educator for one year after the student has graduated from or ceased to attend high school, and an educator shall report to the commission knowledge of such an act by an educator;

• Educators must report violations of sections (b) (4) (A and B) or may become the subject of an investigation for failure to report. See also 4 AAC 12.200, 4 AAC 12.210, 4 AAC 12.220

20 AAC 10.900. DEFINITIONS.

In this chapter,

(1) “sexual conduct” includes
(A) explicit sexual jokes and stories;
(B) flirtatious or sexually related comments;
(C) sexual kidding or teasing;
(D) sexual innuendos or comments with double entendre;
(E) inappropriate physical touching;
(F) soliciting, encouraging, participating in, or initiating inappropriate written, verbal, or electronic communication of a sexual nature with a student;
(G) a physical or romantic relationship with a student, whether consensual or nonconsensual;
(H) discussion of the educator’s sexual feelings or activities;
(I) discussion, outside of a professional teaching or counseling context, of a student’s sexual feelings or activities; and
(J) “sexual penetration” and “sexual contact” as those terms are defined in AS 11.81.900(j);

• Definitions (A) through (F), and (H) and (I) may not be criminal sexual conduct but are Professional Boundary violations and may be subject to sanctions should evidence be found to warrant sanctions.
• Do not wait until someone is known to violate (G) or (J) to report an educator for inappropriate sexual misconduct. Do not wait for criminal charges.

See the entire Code of Ethics at the link.

https://education.alaska.gov/ptpc/pdf/Code-of-ethics-fullpage.pdf

From the Model Code of Ethics for Educators:

• DEMONSTRATES RESPONSIBILITY TO ONESELF AS AN ETHICAL PROFESSIONAL BY:
  • Refraining from professional or personal activity that may lead to reducing one’s effectiveness within the school community.
  • Avoiding the use of one’s position for personal gain and avoiding the appearance of impropriety.

Contact the PTPC staff for more information or to request a presentation for your district. https://education.alaska.gov/ptpc (907) 269-6579, and melody.mann@alaska.gov