Code of Conduct for Instructors
This Code of Conduct outlines the expectations and guidelines for instructors and content creators on Firefly Education Network’s home education platform located at www.fireflyedu.org. By engaging on our platform, you acknowledge and agree to the posted rules, respect the foundational principles, and maintain a professional and supportive educational environment for all students and families.
It is the most sincere wish of Firefly’s foundational team that you have a meaningful, fruitful, and blessed experience as part of our community. If this code of conduct represents a major conflict of your personal beliefs and if you find it difficult to reconcile, then we would respectfully advise you not to teach on Firefly.
1. Acknowledgment of Foundational Principles
● Our platform is built on Christian and liberty-based values. Instructors are not required to share these beliefs but must:
○ Respect and uphold the platform’s foundational principles.
○ Avoid promoting ideologies to Firefly’s user base that contradict these principles, such as communism, socialism, Marxism, or other destructive ideologies.
○ Avoid promoting religious beliefs other than Christianity.
○ Teach any discussions on alternate political, religious, or philosophical systems with objectivity and without endorsement.
2. Curriculum Guidelines
● Christian Foundation:
○ Christianity will be the sole religion promoted as a foundational belief system.
○ Other religions may be studied academically (e.g., world religions, historical significance) but not taught as endorsed belief systems for students to adopt.
● Prohibited Content:
○ No sexually explicit material or discussions of any kind will be allowed. Parents should be having those conversations with their children, not us.
○ Sexually based curriculum is limited to basic biology of male and female across all species.
○ Curriculum promoting destructive ideologies, inappropriate content, or theories about gender fluidity will not be permitted.
3. Professional Conduct
● Respectful Behavior:
○ Instructors must foster an environment of respect, kindness, and mutual understanding, regardless of personal beliefs.
○ No bullying, harassment, intimidation, or threatening behavior of any kind will be tolerated from teachers, tutors, or students and/or their parents/legal guardians.
○ Disrespectful conduct toward students, parents, other instructors, or platform staff is strictly prohibited.
● Anti-Racism Policy:
○ Any form of racism or prejudice against individuals or groups based on race, ethnicity, or cultural background is unacceptable.
○ This includes, but is not limited to, racism against:
■ Caucasians
■ African Americans
■ Latinos/Hispanics
■ Asians
■ Indigenous Peoples
■ Middle Eastern individuals
■ Pacific Islanders
■ Any other ethnic or racial group.
4. Behavior Expectations
● Upholding Integrity:
○ Instructors must maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct, including honesty, fairness, and impartiality in their teaching practices.
● No Political Advocacy:
○ Political ideologies contrary to the platform’s foundational values are not permitted. Discussions on political systems must remain educational and unbiased.
● Safe Environment:
○ Materials, statements, or activities that create an unsafe, hostile, or uncomfortable environment for students or their families will not be tolerated.
5. Consequences for Violations
● Violations of this Code of Conduct, including but not limited to promoting prohibited ideologies, disrespecting foundational principles, or engaging in unprofessional behavior, will result in an immediate board review of the incident(s). Subject to majority board decision, the offending instructor will have immediate termination of teaching privileges on the platform, and forfeiture of content.
● The platform reserves the right to investigate and determine the severity of any violation and apply appropriate action, up to and including removal from the platform.
6. Agreement to the Code of Conduct
By agreeing to teach on this platform, you affirm that:
- You have read and understand this Code of Conduct.
- You agree to adhere to the rules and standards outlined above.
- You acknowledge that violations of this Code of Conduct may result in the termination of your ability to instruct on this platform and the forfeiture of content hosted on the platform.
This Code of Conduct is designed to create a respectful, safe, and educational environment for all students and families. It reflects our commitment to high-quality education, moral integrity, and community values.