Policy BH: Board Member Ethics

BOARD POLICY
Descriptive Code: BH

BOARD MEMBER ETHICS
Date: JANUARY 4, 1999

The Newton County Board of Education is committed to responsible and respectful boardmanship. To this end, a code of ethics for Board members shall be adopted and annually reviewed. It shall be the duty of each member of the Board to bring any violations of this code of ethics before the Board for discussion and possible action.

Code of Ethics

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

work with my fellow Board members in a spirit of harmony and cooperation in spite of differences of opinion that arise during vigorous debate of points at issue;

remember at all times that as an individual, I have no legal authority outside the meetings of the Board, and to conduct my relationships with the school staff, the local citizenry, and all media of communication on the basis of this fact;

recognize that it is as important for the Board to understand and evaluate the educational program of the schools as it is to plan for the business of school operation;

attend all regularly scheduled 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;

abide by and uphold the final majority decision of the Board;

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;

communicate to other Board Members and the Superintendent expressions of public reaction to Board policies and school programs;

inform myself about current educational issues by individual study and through participation in programs providing needed information, such as those sponsored by my state and national school boards associations;

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;

remember always that my first and greatest concern must be the educational welfare of the students attending the public schools; and

strive step by step toward ideal conditions for most effective school board service to my community, in a spirit of teamwork and devotion to public education as the greatest instrument for the preservation and perpetuation of our representative democracy.

SOURCE: Board of Directors, National School Boards Association
ADOPTED: 8/16/88

Newton County Board of Education