Ethical and Legal Questions
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School
University of Arkansas, Fayetteville *
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Course
1013
Subject
Law
Date
Feb 20, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
1
Uploaded by DrPelican1578
1. Why is it important to know your rights as a teacher?
It is important to know your rights as a teacher to make sure that you are protected from constitutional violations and to protect your ability to effectively provide education to children. This also protects teachers from power abuse from people higher up in the school system. Legal rights that are important for a teacher to know would be certification rights, nondiscriminatory rights, teaching contract, due process, and academic freedom. All these rights protect teachers in different ways and with different safeguards, so that teachers have support behind them. It is important for a teacher to know their rights so that they can be aware when their rights are being violated by another party and so that they can fight it if they were to be accused of breaking policy. 2. Explain two legal responsibilities of a teacher?
One legal responsibility of a teacher is to report child abuse. As a teacher, you become a “mandated reporter” meaning you are legally obligated to report any cases of known or suspected child abuse. The signs of abuse that are to lead to reporting can be physical or behavioral. Another legal responsibility of a teacher is to follow copyright laws. This meaning that teachers must uphold legal responsibilities in regards to photocopies, online or printed content, and software/shared logins, etc. This is a legal responsibility that is often violated and justified by educators, citing lack of funding or supplies, etc. That doesn’t make it right or absolve parties of guilt. 3. Explain one issue in the Legal Rights of School Districts.
One issue in the Legal Rights of School Districts would be sexual harassment. This could include
harassment by the opposite sex, same-sex harassment, usually against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Since the mid-1900’s, several school districts have faced lawsuits filled by gay and lesbian students who claimed that school officials failed to protect them from verbal and physical anti-gay harassment. Some courts have been reluctant to hold school districts liable unless the harassment was foreseeable and preventable, and they deliberately failed to intervene. Regarding sexual harassment of students by educators, the courts have generally ruled that school districts may be held liable if the district knew or should’ve known about the harassment. Increasing reports of sexual harassment of students by educators are causing some teachers to be apprehensive about working closely with students and, particularly, touching them. In some instances, teachers have reported that they fear being falsely accused of sexual harassment by angry, disgruntled students. Many school districts have suggested guidelines that teachers can follow to show concern for students, offer them encouragement, and to congratulate them on their successes.
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