Professional Ethics: PA Codes & School Law - Act 48 Course  

Paul and I have been teaching PA educator ethics Act 48 courses since January, 2021.  The following educators' comments were from their completion of our prior course:

​"This training directly relates to my profession as it is ensuring that teachers are informed ​of their code of conduct.  It has caused me to reconsider actions that occur in and out of the workplace and how they impact the school and community in which I work."

​"It also better informed me of the process that occurs after a complaint is filed, which is ​ ​helpful to know in case I would find myself in that situation...."

High School Foreign Language Teacher• Act 48 Course 1 January 4, 2021 

"As a secondary teacher I found the workshop particularly relevant to my daily duties."

"Responsibilities to report any suspicious behavior by my coworkers in good faith, and related strategies were covered very well."

"The case studies were particularly useful as well as directions to review state websites and standards."

 High School Social Studies teacher • Act 48 Course 4    April 13, 2021

In June, 2023, our new course was approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education as satisfying the Professional Ethics Program Framework Guidelines published in October, 2022.  The following paragraph was written by the PDE staffer who reviewed and approved our application:

" 'Thomas W Bailey Attorney at Law' entity was approved to be an authorized ​professional ​development provider. Any and all courses developed by the entity, following the guidelines of the approved application, are eligible for Act 48 hours, during the active authorization period, including the professional ethics standards that are to be integrated into public (and some private schools) ​ ​ school ​entities professional ​development program by the end of 2025. School entities are free to "sub-contract" such particular ​requirements to the entity that you run, or any other Approved Provider within their active authorization ​period." 

Class Schedules:

We offer this Course to school and system leaders to help their staff make sound professional decisions.  We have been asked to present to newly hired staff members and their mentors within New Hire & Mentor Ethics In-Service classes. These sessions are at the end of the school day, while staff are still in the school building.  

"Since we have so many new staff, it is so important to ensure that they start off on the right foot."  School & System Leader email quote.

In addition, we continue to offer and contract with Individual Educators who wish to complete this course on their own accord. If the educator obtains prior, written approval of our course from their School Entity, the educator will receive 4 PERMS hours upon completing our course successfully. When I enter their hours on PERMS, PDE will produce a paper verification which I will send to the educator.  The Educator will then supply this verification to their supervisor to prove they have completed the Professional Ethics training required by PDE Chapter 49.

Like our first educator ethics classes, we schedule these classes in the late afternoon, most often when the educators are at home.

Below are the contents of our Professional Ethics: PA Codes and School Law course: