By Bob Howell – WSFA 12 News Anchor, Montgomery, AL –

Governor Riley ready to veto lawmakers’ resolution blocking the State Board of Education’s Code of Ethics.  Plans to sign the veto in a media event at 10 a.m. Tuesday, January 26.

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MONTGOMERY – Governor Bob Riley will be joined by educators on Tuesday, January 26 at 10:00 a.m. when he will veto a resolution passed by the Legislature that blocks the Educator Code of Ethics from becoming law.  

As its first order of business in the 2010 legislative session, the House and Senate passed a resolution rejecting the ethics code.  The ethics code was developed by teachers for teachers and other educators.  It has been used by school systems as part of their teacher training since 2005, when the State Board of Education unanimously approved it as a resolution.  After being in effect for four years as policy without a single complaint or problem, the State Board of Education voted 8-0 in July 2009 to add the ethics code to the state administrative code.  

Influenced by the Alabama Education Association, these legislators said their vote against the ethics code was based on the supposed “vagueness” of it. However, the code repeatedly specifies examples of both ethical and unethical behavior under each of its nine standards. It provides educators with an understandable and clearly defined guide of professional behavior.

Some of the standards in the ethics code that opponents claim are vague include those that say educators should not falsify records or reports; should maintain a professional relationship with students; should not use profanity at school; should handle school money honestly and responsibly; and should not use alcohol or tobacco at school or at school-related functions in the presence of students.

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