DCS board passes employee conduct policy

The Demopolis City Schools Board of Education approved a new employee conduct policy Monday during its regularly scheduled meeting.
The policy is similar in many ways to standards governing the conduct of employees in other school systems. However, the new policy features the inclusion of two paragraphs that speak to employee ethics and loyalty.

“Further, it is the belief and expectation of the Demopolis City Board of Education that educators have and employ ethical behavior, and as such, have devotion to your job, your position, your students, other employees and to your school system as a whole,” Policy 6.29 reads. “All employees should feel a drive and expectation to further the education of all students and to put their well being above all else. Employees are expected to maintain a sense of neutrality and fairness in their endeavors as educators. Certainly, employees have their own opinions, but must be careful and allow students to form their own conclusions and opinions.”

“It’s just a standard policy that a lot of school systems have. Our policy point of contact just gave us a draft that another school system had adopted. We passed it back and forth between the board members and the board attorney accordingly,” Demopolis City Schools Superintendent Dr. Al Griffin said. “We really wanted to reference the Alabama educator code of ethics. We had training last Wednesday with our teachers. Dr. John Bell from our state department came and worked with our staff on it. That way we made sure we were all on the same page.”

While the policy seems innocuous, some individuals have questioned the timing of its passage and the rhetoric utilized in the wake of events last spring that saw a contract dispute between one of the school system’s principals and the board of education spiral into public outcry that included student protests during school hours.
The policy is included below in its entirety.

Employee Code of Conduct – 6.29

Demopolis City School System personnel are employed for the express purpose of contributing in a positive way to the education of the youth of the community. The community expects School System employees to provide an environment that will foster a well-rounded educational program and a safe and conscientious place for children to learn.

In order to provide such educational program and school environments in the respective schools of the School System, all employees of the Board are expected to abide by (1) all federal and state laws, (2) all State Board of Education policies, (3) all local ordinances, (4) all local Board policies; and to adopt and follow ethical and professional codes of conduct that reflect favorably upon the School System, and (5) The Alabama Educator Code of Ethics. Failure to comply with the above-noted expectations may result in disciplinary actions.

Further, it is the belief and expectation of the Demopolis City Board of Education that educators have and employ ethical behavior, and as such, have devotion to your job, your position, your students, other employees and to your school system as a whole All employees should feel a drive and expectation to further the education of all students and to put their well being above all else.

Employees are expected to maintain a sense of neutrality and fairness in their endeavors as educators. Certainly, employees have their own opinions, but must be careful and allow students to form their own conclusions and opinions