2160-E-School Board Ethics Guidelines

As a member of my Board of Education, I will strive to improve public education, and to that end, I will:

  • Attend all Board meetings insofar as possible, and become informed concerning the issues to be considered at those meetings;
  • Recognize that I should endeavor to make policy decisions only after full discussion at publicly held Board meetings;
  • Render all decisions based on the available facts and my independent judgment, and refuse to surrender that judgment to individuals or special interest groups;
  • Encourage the free expression of opinion by all Board members, and seek systematic communications between the Board and students, staff, and all elements of the community;
  • Work with other Board members to establish effective Board policies and to delegate authority for the administration of the schools to the Superintendent of Schools;
  • Communicate to other Board members and the Superintendent expressions of public reaction to Board policies and school programs;
  • Maintain familiarity with educational and fiscal issues through study and participation in programs providing needed information, such as those sponsored by local, state and national school boards associations;
  • Strive to be educationally and fiscally responsible in all my decisions;
  • Support the employment of those persons best qualified to serve as school staff, and insist on a regular and impartial evaluation of all staff;
  • Avoid being placed in a position of conflict of interest, and refrain from using my Board position for personal or partisan gain;
  • Take no private action that will compromise the Board or administration, and respect the confidentiality of information that is privileged under applicable law; and
  • Remember always to focus on the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools while being mindful of the community’s needs.

Reviewed June 20, 2006
Reviewed February 15, 2011
Reviewed January 6, 2015
Reviewed January 23, 2018

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