A TSBVI employee has the responsibility to maintain high professional standards in relationships with students. While an employee is encouraged to establish and maintain a positive rapport and interest in the students, an employee must maintain a professional relationship with students. An employee may not develop inappropriate personal relationships with students or relate to or interact with students in ways that are incompatible with the employee's job responsibilities. Inappropriate fraternization, dating, inappropriate physical contact, borrowing or loaning money or belongings, disclosing sensitive personal or confidential information about self, other staff, or students, is prohibited.
A TSBVI employee may not have contact with students after the employee's regularly scheduled work hours, including but not limited to visits in homes, going out to eat, attendance at community functions, and shopping trips, unless the date and time of each specific activity or regularly scheduled activity, is approved by the student's parent, the Principal and the Superintendent.
Students may not reside in the home of a TSBVI employee unless approved by the Superintendent, Principal, parent, and local school district.
An employee is prohibited from performing paid or unpaid work for a student's parent or guardian unless the performance of the work has been approved in writing by the Superintendent and the Principal. The Superintendent and the Principal will approve such work only when, in their sole judgment, the TSBVI employment responsibilities of the employee will not conflict with the employee's responsibilities to the student's parent or guardian. The Superintendent or the Principal may withdraw approval for such work at any time after determining that a conflict is likely to or has occurred.
A TSBVI employee must maintain a professional relationship with families of TSBVI students at all times. While an employee is encouraged to establish and maintain a professional rapport and interest in the families of TSBVI students, employees shall avoid developing personal relationships with family members that extend beyond educational issues.
The Superintendent shall ensure that each employee receives a copy of this policy at the beginning of each school year and that each new employee receives training concerning this policy as a part of New Employee Orientation.
Adopted: 7/31/79
Amended: 3/7/80, 5/25/88, 11/15/96, 3/21/97, 11/22/02
Reviewed: