The Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) released its first-ever Ethical Standards & Code of Ethics for school district-level chief technology officers (CTOs).
CoSN developed the code and standards to define and clarify the ethical responsibilities of and expectations for district technology leaders/CTOs. “High ethical standards and accountability are critical to any leadership position, and as educational leaders, district technology leaders have a responsibility to be exemplars of ethical behavior in the communities they serve,” said Bev White, CoSN board member and chief information officer, Wake County (NC) Public School System.
According to CoSN's Code of Ethics, CTOs are expected to:
· Respect and obey the law;
· Demonstrate high standards of integrity and professional conduct;
· Accept responsibility for his/her own actions;
· Continually seek to enhance his/her professional capacities;
· Exemplify fairness and honesty; and
· Encourage others in the profession to act in an ethical and professional manner.
Here are the complete codes:
CoSN ETHICAL STANDARDS
CTO CODE OF ETHICS
The Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) is dedicated to the development and promotion of the effective utilization of technology in K-12 districts. The purpose of the CoSN Ethical standards is to define and clarify the ethical responsibilities and expectations for the K-12 district technology decision-maker, herein designated as Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
Preamble:
As an educational leader, the K-12 CTO must provide professional leadership for the district and exemplify ethical behavior for the community, professional colleagues, and students. The CTO’s decision-making must always support the district’s responsibility to provide educational opportunities to each child that will enable students to graduate prepared for the future. The CTO’s decisions should align technology in support of district goals and strategic directions and emphasize accountability and results.
CTO Code of Ethics:
The CTO is expected to:
• Respect and obey the law
• Demonstrate high standards of integrity and professional conduct
• Accept responsibility for his/her own actions
• Continually seek to enhance his/her professional capacities
• Exemplify fairness and honesty
• Encourage others in the profession to act in an ethical and professional manner.
CTO Standard of Conduct:
The CTO is expected to:
• Fully and accurately disclose any professional or business-related conflicts or potential conflicts of interest in a timely manner.
• Refrain from offering or accepting payments, or other forms of compensation or tangible benefits, which do not conform with applicable laws and which may provide unfair advantage for themselves or others they may represent.
• Conduct professional activities in a manner that is fair, honest, accurate, unbiased, and otherwise appropriate.
• Respect and protect the intellectual property rights of others, and properly disclose and recognize the professional and intellectual contributions of others.
• Strive to enhance professional capabilities, skills and knowledge; and accurately and truthfully represent professional qualifications.
• Not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, disability, or family status.
