BE        Board Member Ethics                                                                                      BE

 

A.    A school board member should honor the high responsibility which his/her membership demands:

        1.     By thinking always in terms of students first;

        2.     By understanding that the basic function of the board is policy-making and not

               administrative, and by accepting the responsibility of learning to discriminate

               intelligently between these two functions;

        3.     By accepting the responsibility, along with his/her fellow board members, of seeing

               that the maximum of facilities and resources are provided for the proper functioning

               of schools;

        4.     By representing at all times the entire school community;

        5.     By accepting the responsibility of becoming well-informed concerning the duties of

               board members and the proper functions of public schools; and

        6.     By recognizing the responsibility as a state official to seek the improvement of

               education throughout the state.

 

B.    A board member should respect his/her relationship with other members of the board:

        1.     By recognizing that authority rests only with the board in official meetings and

               that the individual member has no legal status to bind the board outside of such

               meetings;

        2.     By recognizing the integrity of his/her predecessors and associates and the merit

               of their work;

        3.     By refusing to make statements or promises as to how he/she will vote on any matter which should properly come before the board as a whole;

        4.     By making decisions only after all facts bearing on a question have been

               presented and discussed;

        5.     By respecting the opinion of others and supporting the principle of "majority rule";

        6.     By refusing to participate in irregular meetings which are not official and which all

               members do not have the opportunity to attend.

 

C.    A school board member should meet his/her responsibilities to the community:

        1.     By attempting to appraise fairly both the present and future educational needs

               of the community;

        2.     By regarding it as an immediate responsibility of the board to interpret the aim

               and the methods of the school to the community;

        3.     By insisting that all school business transactions be on an open, ethical and

               above-board basis;

        4.     By vigorously seeking adequate financial support for the district;

        5.     By refusing to discuss personal matters or any other confidential business of the

               board in his/her home, on the street or in the office; and

        6.     By winning the community's confidence that all is being done in the best

               interest of the students.

 

(P 1210)