Procedures are in place to protect both student and teacher

By Chris Bern

In her April 21 article about a former Benton Community teacher, Gazette columnist Jennifer Hemmingsen wrote that a part of her job “is bringing attention to the holes and gaps that allow bad actors to run rampant ... .” While the Iowa State Education Association (ISEA) shares her concerns, one must be careful not to appear to paint the entire teaching profession with such a broad brush.

The vast majority of Iowa's educators are professional, responsible, caring and ethical individuals who always have the best interests of their students at heart. Iowa has a long, proud history of attracting some of the very finest to teach in our schools. When allegations are made that a teacher is not living up to these expectations, the Iowa State Education Association, like Ms. Hemmingsen, believes those allegations should be taken seriously.

In Iowa, a number of procedures are in place that provide adequate protections for both students and teachers. First of all, school districts in Iowa have policies that dictate how allegations of teacher misconduct should be handled. No matter how serious or trivial, school districts have an obligation to follow up and conduct an appropriate investigation.

Just like our judicial system, a school district must keep in mind that both the student and teacher involved have rights that must be protected - they both have a right to a full and fair investigation based on the facts; they both have a right to an appropriate decision based on the proven facts; and they both have a right to a decision that fairly fits the facts.

This system of due process is designed to protect both the student and the teacher. When this system is allowed to work, instances of possible misunderstanding and bad judgment can easily be distinguished from more serious violations.

All of Iowa's licensed teachers are also subject to the Board of Educational Examiners' Professional Code of Ethics, which sets forth the standards of practice for the profession. This Code of Ethics specifically disqualifies educators from teaching for certain criminal conduct and other matters deemed unethical. The Board also has its own independent investigative and hearing procedure for dealing with allegations of unethical behavior.

The ISEA supports this approach and offers numerous professional development and ethics workshops to help ensure our members' continuing compliance.

As can be seen through the systems that are in place, every effort is being made to fill in the “holes and gaps that allow bad actors to run rampant.”

The ISEA is a professional association organized to promote and support quality public education for all of Iowa's students. In keeping with this mission, it is in the best interests of the Association, the teaching profession and, most importantly, the students we serve to ensure that there is a qualified - and quality - teacher in every classroom.

Chris Bern is president of the Iowa State Education Association.