ethics

Teaching is a profession where ethical behavior is not only expected but demanded.  Teachers are held to a higher standard and should model expected behaviors for their students.  According to the National Education Association (NEA), the educator accepts the responsibility to adhere to the highest ethical standards. Many teachers tend to protect their students and do whatever it takes to help them achieve academic success however, sometimes we have to do what is right, no matter how difficult the situation may be. 

In my experience, I am aware that there are instances when parents are not honest about their residency so that they can benefit from a better school system.  They may use an address that is not their actual residence.  In some cases, they use a grandparents or friends address to be able to send their child to a desired school.  Rather than request an out-of-district transfer, which would require them to pay a fee, they use an alternate method that is free of cost and does not require paperwork.  According to FCPS (n.d.), an out-of-district transfer is an option that may allow students to attend a school outside their assigned attendance area. The school system where I currently work has a tuition fee for anyone seeking to place their child in the school district.  The tuition ranges from in-state-Non-residents paying $6,976.00 for the school year and out-of-state residents paying $11,929.00 per year.  Additionally, school employees wishing for their child to attend our school district can do so for a cost of $1,395.20 per school year.  

It has become a problem for some school districts and many school districts are beginning to take action against parents who are providing false information.  They are enforcing the laws in their state/district to force parents to pay for the services they have received.  According to Stein (2016), a couple in Maryland have been fined more than $500,000 for their children’s education over the past ten years because they provided false residence information to place their child in a coveted school where the law requires that non-District residents who attend city schools to pay nonresident tuition for each student, which ranges from $7,000 to $10,000 annually.   

I encountered a situation where a child shared that they had moved to a new home, which was further away, but his parents did not want to tell the school because they wanted him to finish the school year with his friends. It was a very difficult situation where I was put in a difficult situation.  I wanted what was best for my student but I also wanted to follow the law.  In this situation, I went to speak to my principal and explained the situation.  I advocated for my student and pleaded a case for him explaining that he had been in our school since kindergarten and deserved to finish his elementary school experience with his friends.  She was supportive and allowed the student to finish the school year and then offered the possibilities to the parents so that they can make the best decision for their child after the school year has ended.  She made an exception so that the student could finish his last year in elementary school rather than being moved to a new school for three months.  I’m glad I did the right thing and my student had the opportunity to end his school year without fear of being sent to another school.  However, I am fully aware that it could have ended very differently but regardless of the outcome, I feel that I did the right thing. 

References

FCPS. (n.d.). Out of District Transfers.  Retrieved December 14, 2017, from

 http://www.fcps.org/student-services/out-of-district-transfers National Education Association. (n.d.). Code of ethics. Retrieved from

 http://www.nea.org/home/30442.htm

Stein, P. (2016, July 28). Maryland couple fined more than $500,000 for sending kids to D.C. schools.

The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/md-

family-that-sent-kids-to-dc-public-schools-must-pay-more-than-500000-

fine/2016/07/28/b7f3656c-54eb-11e6-b7de-dfe509430c39_story.html?utm_term=.2ffc18d253b5