Overview

Created by Section 4 of Assembly Bill 124 during the 79th (2017) Legislative Session, the Nevada Educator Code of Ethics Advisory Group is charged with making recommendations to the Commission on Professional Standards in Education about the adoption of a Nevada Code of Educator Ethics. The Advisory Group will meet at least once per quarter, and may meet at other times at the discretion of the Chair.
No later than July 1, 2018 and December 1, 2018, the Advisory Group will prepare reports on the status of its work and any recommendations it may have. These reports will be submitted to the Governor, the State Board of Education, the Commission, and the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the Legislative Commission and the 80th Session of the Nevada Legislature. The Advisory Group will remain in effect through June 30, 2019.

The members of the Nevada Educator Code of Ethics Advisory Group consist of:

1. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, or his or her designee, who serves as an ex oficio member of the Advisory Group
2. One member appointed by the Chancellor of the Nevada System of Higher Education who is a dean of one of the Colleges of Education within the System, or a person nominated by such a dean for appointment by the Chancellor;
3. Three members who are teachers appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees submitted by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Majority Leader of the Senate;
4. Two members who are parents of pupils who attend a public school in Nevada, appointed by the Governor from a list of nominees submitted by the Speaker of the Assembly and the Majority Leader of the Senate;
5. One member who is a member of student government or the Nevada Youth Legislature, appointed by the Superintendent of Public Instruction;
6. Two members who are school-level administrators, one of whom is employed by a school district in a county whose population is 100,000 or more and one of whom is employed by a school district in a county whose population is less than 100,000, appointed by the Governor;
7. One member who is an employee of a school district with expertise in labor-management relations, appointed by the Governor;
8. One member who is licensed by a board in this State, other than the State Board of Education, that has a code of ethics and requires compliance as a condition of continued licensure, appointed by the Governor;
9. One member who is a superintendent of schools of a school district, appointed by the Governor.

The Advisory Group shall:

• Study codes of ethics and best practices that have been established in other states; 
• Make recommendations to the Commission on Professional Standards in Education for the adoption of a code of ethics for educators in this State;
• Develop strategies to carry out a code of ethics which may include, without limitation, recommending the adoption of regulations by the State Board or the Commission, or recommending legislation to revise provisions of law;
• Review courses offered by the Nevada System of Higher Education, educational institutions and other qualified providers which provide training to teachers on ethical responsibilities, to determine whether the material is adequate to inform teachers of the requirements included in any proposed code of ethics that is established;
• Provide any recommendations deemed necessary and appropriate to the Board of Regents of the University of Nevada, educational institutions and qualified providers for improvements to coursework, and provide a copy of any such recommendations to the Governor, the State Board, the Commission and the Director of the Legislative Counsel Bureau for transmittal to the 80th Session of the Nevada Legislature; and
• Study the cost of professional development for teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals and other educational personnel , the use and availability of regional training programs, and the any federal funding available for such professional development.

Any code of ethics adopted by the Commission on Professional Standards in Education must address, without limitation, each of the following areas: 

• Responsibility to the profession of education;
• Professional competence;
• Responsibility to pupils;
• Responsibility to the school community; and
• Ethical use of technology.