Group 7: Chapter 10

Chapter 10 discusses the many areas of school law.  It's main focus was on the ethics and legal influences on teaching.  The U.S. legal system includes: constitutional amendments, state, local, and the overlapping legal systems.  The ethics involved in teaching is a very controversial topic.  As teachers we must have professional ethics.  We must know how to bridge the student/teacher relationship.  A hot topic of discussion is facebook.  Should student and teacher be allowed to be friends on facebook?  I say no, for many reasons, but the debate is still going.  The NEA (National Education Association) provides teachers with great resources to help them get started.  Also, they provide protection in the event of legal matters.  Teacher's rights and responsibilities include: licensure, contracts, collective bargaining, tenure and dismissal, teacher liability, academic freedom, copyright laws, teachers' private lives, and child abuse.  All of these things are a part of the ethics of teachers.