Code of Ethics

Standards of Ethical Conduct 

It is the mission of Bright Horizons Academy to foster a culture of treating students as assets, by providing appropriate measures for their mental, physical and spiritual growth.

As such, every member of the Bright Horizons Academy team believes in complying with the Principles of Professional Conduct as set forth by the Florida Department of Education. These principles are reiterated below:

1. Our school values the worth and dignity of every person, the pursuit of truth, devotion to  excellence, acquisition of knowledge, and the nurture of democratic citizenship. Essential to the achievement of these standards are the freedom to learn and to teach and the guarantee of equal opportunity for all.
2. Our primary concern is the student and the development of the student’s potential. Employees will therefore strive for professional growth and will seek to exercise the best professional judgment and integrity.
3. Our faculty and staff:
   • Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning and/or to the student’s mental and/or physical health and/or safety.
   • Shall not unreasonably restrain a student from independent action in pursuit of learning.
   • Shall not unreasonably deny a student access to diverse points of view.
   • Shall not intentionally suppress or distort subject matter relevant to a student’s academic program.
   • Shall not intentionally expose a student to unnecessary embarrassment or disparagement.
   • Shall not intentionally violate or deny a student’s legal rights.
   • Shall not harass or discriminate against any student on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition, sexual orientation, or social and family background and shall make reasonable effort to assure that each student is protected from harassment or discrimination.
   • Shall not exploit a relationship with a student for personal gain or advantage.
   • Shall keep in confidence personally identifiable information obtained in the course of professional service, unless disclosure serves professional purposes or is required by law.
4. Our faculty and staff are aware of the importance of maintaining the respect and confidence of colleagues, of students, of parents, and of the community, employees of our school must display the highest degree of ethical conduct. This commitment requires that our employees:
   • Shall maintain honesty in all professional dealings.
   • Shall not on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national or ethnic origin, political beliefs, marital status, handicapping condition if otherwise qualified, or social and family background deny to a colleague professional benefits or advantages or participation in any professional organization.
   • Shall not interfere with a colleague’s exercise of political or civil rights and responsibilities.
   • Shall not engage in harassment or discriminatory conduct which unreasonably interferes with an individual’s performance of professional or work responsibilities or with the orderly processes of education or which creates a hostile, intimidating, abusive, offensive, or oppressive environment; and, further, shall make reasonable effort to assure that each individual is protected from such harassment or discrimination.
   • Shall not make malicious or intentionally false statements about a colleague.

Training Requirements

All instructional personnel and administrators are required, as a condition of employment, to complete training on these standards of ethical conduct.

Reporting Misconduct by Instructional Personnel and Administrators

All employees, educational support, instructional personnel, and administrators have an obligation to report misconduct by instructional personnel and school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student.

Examples of misconduct include obscene language, drug and alcohol use, disparaging comments, prejudice or bigotry, sexual innuendo, cheating or testing violations, physical aggression, and accepting or offering favors.

Reports of misconduct of employees should be made to the Head of School, Sr. Sumia Elhuni. She may be contacted via email (principal@brighthorizonsacademy.org), by telephone (321-684-9666), or by meeting with her.

Reports of misconduct committed by administrators should be made to the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Mohammad Abu-Tahnat. He may be contacted via email (info@brighthorizonsacademy.org) or telephone (682-402-7636).

Legally-sufficient allegations of misconduct by Florida certified educators will be reported to the Office of Professional Practices Services. Policies and procedures for reporting misconduct by instructional personnel or school administrators which affects the health, safety, or welfare of a student are posted in Bright Horizons

Academy’s Faculty and Staff Handbook and our website at brighthorizonsacademy.org.

Reporting Child Abuse, Abandonment or Neglect

All employees and agents have an affirmative duty to report all actual or suspected cases of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect. Call 1-800-96-ABUSE or report online at: http://www.dcf.state.fl.us/abuse/report/.

Employees should inform the Director or Vice Principal before reporting suspected abuse to ensure that signs seen are not from a specific injury, etc. In any case that any type of sign of abuse is noticed, and Incident Report must be completed the staff-member noticing any unusual behavior or marking on a child.

Signs of Physical Abuse

The child may have unexplained bruises, welts, cuts, or other injuries; broken bones; or burns. A child experiencing physical abuse may seem withdrawn or depressed, seem afraid to go home or may run away, shy away from physical contact, be aggressive, or wear inappropriate clothing to hide injuries.

Signs of Sexual Abuse

The child may have torn, stained or bloody underwear, trouble walking or sitting, pain or itching in genital area, or a sexually transmitted disease. A child experiencing sexual abuse may have unusual knowledge of sex or act seductively, fear a particular person, seem withdrawn or depressed, gain or lose weight suddenly, shy away from physical contact, or run away from home.

Signs of Neglect

The child may have unattended medical needs, little or no supervision at home, poor hygiene, or appear underweight. A child experiencing neglect may be frequently tired or hungry, steal food, or appear overly needy for adult attention.

Patterns of Abuse

Serious abuse usually involves a combination of factors. While a single sign may not be significant, a pattern of physical or behavioral signs is a serious indicator and should be reported.

Liability Protections

Any person, official, or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by law or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the department or any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason of such action. (F.S. 39.203)

An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer of the former or current employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the former or current employer was knowingly false or violated any civil right of the former or current employee protected under F.S. Chapter 760. (F.S. 768.095)

Bright Horizons Academy’s Standards of Ethical Conduct is in keeping with the Florida Statues listed below:

Florida Statutes s. 1006.061 which states:

All employees and agents of the private schools that accept scholarship students, district school boards, and charter schools have an obligation to report misconduct by an instructional personnel member or school administrator.

Florida Statutes s. 1012.796 which:

Provides authority for the Department of Education to investigate and prosecute allegations of educator misconduct.

Florida Statute 786.095 which states that:

An employer who discloses information about a former or current employee to a prospective employer of the former or current employee upon request of the prospective employer or of the former or current employee is immune from civil liability for such disclosure or its consequences unless it is shown by clear and convincing evidence that the information disclosed by the former or current employer was knowingly false or violated any civil right of the former or current employee protected under Chapter 760;

Florida Statute 39.203 which states:

1) (a) Any person, official or institution participating in good faith in any act authorized or required by this chapter or reporting in good faith any instance of child abuse, abandonment, or neglect to the department or any law enforcement agency, shall be immune from any civil or criminal liability which might otherwise result by reason of such action.

(b) Except as provided in this chapter, nothing contained in this section shall be deemed to grant immunity, civil or criminal, to any person suspected of having abused, abandoned, or neglected a child, or committed any illegal act upon or against a child.

2) (a) No resident or employee of a facility serving children may be subjected to reprisal or discharge because of his or her actions in reporting abuse, abandonment, or neglect pursuant to the requirements of this section.

(b) Any person making a report under this section shall have a civil cause of action for appropriate compensatory and punitive damages against any person who causes detrimental changes in the employment status of such reporting party by reason of his or her making such report. Any detrimental change made in the residency or employment status of such person, including, but not limited to, discharge, termination, demotion, transfer, or reduction in pay or benefits or work privileges, or negative evaluations within a prescribed period of time shall establish a rebuttable presumption that such action was retaliatory.